Cellist Zoe Knighton is one of Australia’s most dynamic musicians, and I am thrilled to have formed a long-term duo with this wonderful player.  After our first successful series of concerts in 2009 performing the complete works for cello and piano by Felix Mendelssohn in celebration of the bicentenary of his birth, we have gone one step further and recorded the program onto CD.

This new release from Move Records, ‘Mendelssohn Cello’, wouldn’t have been possible without the vision and generosity of Mr. Richard Gubbins.

To order your own copy, please email me at info@amirfarid.com.

More details on the recordings page.

My debut solo CD, ‘Veiled Virtuosity’, is now available for purchase in the iTunes Store.

To purchase through the iTunes Store, you will need the iTunes software (for Mac or PC), available at www.apple.com.

I am honoured to be playing with this wonderful ensemble conducted by Maestro Gerald Gentry.  We will be presenting the wild and wacky ‘Handel in the Strand’ by Australia’s own Percy Grainger.

Date: Thursday 25th November 2010

Time: 7.30pm

Venue: Melba Hall, The University of Melbourne, Royal Parade, Parkville.

Admission: $35, $30 concession, $20 students

Bookings: Please click here to download a booking form.

Enquiries: Please visit www.scpo.com.au, or contact Bianca Rooman - 03 9386 8362, southerncrossphil@pacific.net.au

In a program celebrating the tango and its sultry influence on Argentinian and Spanish composition, Amir Farid and Zoe Knighton explore seductive repertoire for cello and piano, including Piazolla Libertango, Ginastera Pampeana No.2 and Manuel de Falla Suite Populaire Espagnole.

Date: Sunday 7th November 2010

Time: 2.30pm

Venue: Barn Gallery, Montsalvat, 7 Hillcrest Avenue, Eltham, Victoria.

Admission: $35 full, $25 concession, plus booking fee.  $70/$60 special concert and lunch package.

Bookings and Enquiries: Bookings through M-TIX: 03 9685 5111, or in person at Montsalvat.  Please visit www.montsalvat.com.au for further information.

In this Orchestra Victoria concert as part of the ‘Morning Melodies’ series at the Arts Centre, we will be presenting a program of Hollywood Classics, conducted by Melbourne’s very own Benjamin Northey.

One of these works will be the Rachmaninoff-inspired ‘Warsaw Concerto’ by Richard Addinsell, written as part of the soundtrack of the 40’s movie ‘Dangerous Moonlight’.  The makers of the film were hoping to hire Rachmaninoff himself to write the theme, but he turned it down, opening the opportunity for Addinsell to make his mark with this ever popular work.

Date: Wednesday 11th August 2010

Time: 2 performances - 11am and 1.30pm

Venue: State Theatre, The Arts Centre, St. Kilda Road, Melbourne. 

Admission: $16-$19

Bookings: Please click here to be taken directly to the bookings page at the Arts Centre website.

Enquiries: Please visit www.orchestravictoria.com.au.

Entitled ‘Pluck, Struck and Bowed 1′, this program will explore some of the great fantasies in the piano literature, focusing on the 2 sonatas of Beethoven bearing the title Sonata Quasi Una Fantasia, one of which is Australia’s favourite piano work (as voted for ABC Classic FM 100 Countdown), the Moonlight Sonata.

Date: Sunday 5th September 2010

Time: 2.30pm

Venue: Barn Gallery, Montsalvat, 7 Hillcrest Avenue, Eltham, Victoria.

Admission: $35 full, $25 concession, plus booking fee.  $70/$60 special concert and lunch package.

Bookings and Enquiries: Bookings through M-TIX: 03 9685 5111, or in person at Montsalvat.  Please visit www.montsalvat.com.au for further information.

I will be making my debut with the Heidelberg Symphony with 2 works - Prokofiev’s 1st piano concerto, and Gershwin’s ever popular Rhapsody in Blue.

Date: Saturday 11th September 2010

Time: 8pm

Venue: The Performing Arts Centre, Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School, Upper Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe

Enquiries: For all booking enquiries, please call 03 9005 1792, or visit www.heidelbergsymphony.com.au.

This year I make my Piano Landmarks debut.  Piano Landmarks has earned its place on the Melbourne Arts Calendar as one of the significant musical events of the year.  This particular concert, entitled ‘Bach Reflections’ will feature Stefan Cassomenos, Anna Goldsworthy and myself, as we share in words and music our love of J.S Bach’s Preludes and Fugues.

Date: Saturday 21st August 2010

Time: 4.30pm

Venue: Australian National Academy of Music, 2010 Bank Street, South Melbourne, Victoria, 3205

Bookings and Enquiries: Please visit the Piano Landmarks website at www.pianolandmarks.com.au for all program and admission information. 

Michael Ierace is a multi-award-winning pianist originating from Adelaide, and has spent the last few years at the Royal College of Music in London.  During my time there we shared the same piano teacher, Professor Andrew Ball, and also formed ourselves a piano duo partnership.

We continue where we left off in this concert during Michael’s brief visit home down under with a scintillating program of the finest music written for 2 pianos.  Featuring works by Mozart, Brahms and Rachmaninoff.

Date: Sunday 25th July 2010

Time: 2.30pm

Venue: St. Aidan’s Uniting Church, Duggan Street, North Balwyn, Victoria, 3104

Admission: $25 (no concessions)

Enquiries: Please visit www.staidans.org.au, call 03 9890 8322, or email Maurice Mathers at mmathers@netspace.net.au

I am delighted to be joining the Elandra Quartet in the beautiful Schumann Piano Quintet in Eb, as part of the 2010 3MBS Chamber Music Feast. Inspired by the dynamic Zoe Knighton, this event is a 3 day feast of the world’s greatest chamber music, performed by Australia’s top chamber musicians.

The Feast runs between the 9th-11th July.  Details of concert 2 which features the Schumann Quintet concert are below:

Date: Saturday 10th July

Time: 2pm

Venue: Melba Hall, University of Melbourne, Royal Parade, Parkville.

Bookings and Enquiries: All ticketing through M-TIX: 03 9685 5111 or www.m-tix.com.au.  Further information at www.3mbs.org.au or email admin@flindersquartet.com.