Artists:

Inge Rosar

She performed recitals with solo, chamber music and song works
and has given masterclasses and held lectures in Universities and Conservatoriums in Australia, Asia, North and South America, Europe, and Russia. Since 2007 she performes only music by J. S. Bach.

In 1992, together with Prof. Walter Blankenheim, Inge organised the first International Piano Competition J. S. Bach, Würzburg (which previously took place in Saarbrücken). From 1998, she is a member of the Jury and from 2007 the Artistic Director, Administrator and Chair of the Jury.

From 2001, Inge is a Professor of Piano and Methodology at the Hochschule für Musik in Würzburg, Germany. In January 2012, her text: Problems and chance. Performing the Keyboard Works of J. S. Bach on the Modern Piano appeared in the book The Pianist’s Craft. Mastering the works of great composers (published by Scarecrow Press in the USA). Inge Rosar is currently recording Bach’s keyboard works, with 5 CDs already released.

Paul Rickard-Ford

He has won many major competitions and awards in Australia, including Commonwealth winner of the 1983 ABC’s Instrumental & Vocal Competition, and in 1984 was invited to perform before HRH the Duchess of Kent in a recital at the residence of the American Ambassador in London.  He stayed in the UK for further study in 1986 as the inaugural David Paul Landa Memorial Scholar. In 1988 he received an “Australia Achiever” award for his achievements in music, which was presented personally by the Prime Minister.

Paul gave recitals in London at St. James’s, Piccadilly, Leighton House and a series of recitals at Colnaghi Galleries as well as performing at various festivals throughout England. In 1994 he was appointed as a Lecturer in Piano at the Sydney Conservatorium. He is in demand as a recording artist, recitalist, examiner, adjudicator and master teacher throughout Australia. In 2000 he was invited to give masterclasses at the Beijing Central Conservatory and the Shanghai Conservatory and gave recitals at the Australian Embassy in Beijing and the Shanghai Concert Hall. He has been a frequent performer on ABC Radio and has recorded Liszt’s complete “Annees de Pelerinage”, two all Schumann recitals, an all Chopin recital and several “Sunday Live” programs, all of which were broadcast nationally. Since 2016 he has been part of the Bach Project, performing the Double Concertos with Kirill Monorosi, followed in 2017 by the Triple Concertos, which also included Inge Rosar. In 2018 the Project will extend to performances and recordings of solo concerti and chamber works.

He tours Asia annually and regularly visits Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul and Hong Kong giving masterclasses for the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He completed his PhD on the late piano works of Schumann in 2010 and was shortlisted by the University of Adelaide for the University Medal. His students and former students have achieved outstanding success in major international competitions in Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, USA, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Croatia, Russia, Denmark and the UK. In both the 2012 and 2016 Sydney International Piano Competitions his students were awarded Best Australian Pianist. He has been on the jury for International Piano Competitions in China, Russia and in 2018/19 in Germany, where he will be on the jury of the International Hans von Bülow Piano Competition, and the International Piano Competition J. S. Bach, Würzburg. Paul is a Senior Lecturer in Piano at the Sydney Conservatorium – the University of Sydney.

Kirill Monorosi undertook studies at the Moscow Conservatorium and the Franz Liszt Hochschule für Musik in Weimar, Germany, where he received a Diplom and Aufbau A degrees in piano performance. He then completed his PhD in musicology at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Kirill has given recitals with solo, chamber music and song works in Europe, Australia and Russia, with repertoire ranging from the English virginalists to works produced in collaboration with contemporary Australian composers. In 2009, he was invited to perform a solo recital on Liszt’s piano in the Liszt Museum, Weimar. In 2012, in a series of lecture-recitals he performed the world premiere of César Cui’s Variations-Preludes Op. 104. In 2016 he recorded the first book of J. S. Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier.

He has been awarded numerous awards, including the prestigious Churchill Fellowship (2014). He was also a semi-finalist in the 2007 Vienna International Piano Competition; and a finalist and diploma prize-winner of the 2009 J. S. Bach International Piano Competition in Würzburg.

Kirill maintains a busy teaching schedule, which includes lecturing at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music – the University of Sydney, as well as performing and giving masterclasses in Australia, Asia, Europe, Latin America and Russia. He has adjudicated for various eisteddfods and competitions, including the Sydney Eisteddfod, and most recently the 2016 J. S. Bach International Piano Competition in Würzburg, Germany. In 2017 he was appointed the co-artistic director of this competition.

James Kortum

As a soloist and chamber musician, James appears regularly around Australia, most recently as member of the Bach project, performing Bach’s triple concertos at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He was invited to record Bach’s works for Flute and Obbligato Keyboard, and the Musical Offering for the IPCJSB (Recording Label of the International Piano Competition J. S. Bach, Würzburg). He was also a member of the chamber ensemble Collage and regularly appears as guest artist with The Grevillea Ensemble.

Prior to his current position as Lecturer in Flute at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music – the University of Sydney, James was Lecturer in Flute at the University of Newcastle Conservatorium of Music. James has also taught at the Australian Institute of Music, Melbourne and Monash Universities. Active as a clinician throughout Australia, his text: The Purposeful Flautist: Technique to Interpretation, which earned him a Master of Arts (Music) degree from the University of Newcastle, is used widely. James has also appears as guest artist at flute conventions and festivals held in Australia, and Internationally, including England, Hong Kong and New Zealand, and teaching classes at The Shepherd School of Music, Rice University (Houston, Texas), Buonconvento (Italy). ​

Fox has won major competitions and awards in Australia and Internationally, including the 1st prize of the Guangdong National Violin Competition in China (2001), and the prize for “Best International String Player” in the Gisborne International Music Competition (2010).

As a chamber musician, Fox is the founder and violinist of the renown Estivo Trio. Fox has given numerous solo recitals in Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, Portugal, Norway, Poland, Singapore, China, Hong Kong and Macau where his performances were met with great enthusiasm. He has made concerto appearances as a soloist with the Hunan Symphony Orchestra, Zhejiang Symphony Orchestra, Xi’an Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra in China, Schnittke Chamber Orchestra, St Petersburg Chamber Orchestra in Russia, Orquesta Sinfonia of Micheoacan in Mexico, as well as chamber orchestras in Australia.

Fox was invited to record Bach’s Sonatas for Violin and Piano and The Musical Offering for IPCJSB, the recording label of the J.S.Bach International Piano Competition (Germany). Fox lectures at the Sydney Conservatorium Music, also is the Director and CEO of the Arco Music Academy since 2012. Many of his students have been prizewinners of international and national competitions. He gives masterclasses in US, Europe, Australia, Russia and China, and was on the jury of the 2018 International Violin Competition in Guimaraes, Portugal. In 2017, Fox founded the “Fox International Music Association” aimed to nurture the next generation of young musicians and to encourage the appreciation of classical music. In 2018, Fox was nominated by the Australian Council as Citizen of the Year for his outstanding performances and contribution to the community. Fox was also appointed to the Cleveland Institute of Music International Academy faculty in 2018. Fox Chan plays on an 1886 Eugenio Degani violin.

Despite his tremendous load of solo and chamber engagements, Fox maintains an interest in teaching and lectures in the Rising Stars Program at the Sydney Conservatorium – the University of Sydney. Fox also is the Founder and artistic director of the Arco Music Academy since 2012. Many of his students have been prizewinners of national competitions and local Eisteddfods. Students from his studio have also been successful in auditioning into Music Colleges in the United States, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan as well as receiving full music scholarships at Australian Schools. In 2017, Fox founded the “Fox International Music Association” aimed to nurture the next generation of young musicians and to encourage the appreciation of classical music. Fox Chan plays on a 1886 Eugenio Degani violin.

For many years Mark held the position of Chair of Woodwind and then Chair of Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music but for the last 12 years he has been sharing his time between Australia and New Zealand. Mark has performed in many parts of the world, recorded numerous solo albums, written and compiled over 200 hundred music publications and written three books. Composition now takes up a large part of Mark’s time and his music proves popular with audiences and performers alike.

Mark was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2005 for his contribution to Music Education in Australia. From 2018 Mark will be permanently based back in Sydney teaching, performing and composing.