By ANZCA
Melbourne-based pianist and composer Alan Griffiths released his debut album Introspection in 2016 to critical praise, Seven of the nine works on the album have been included in the 2018–20 Classical Pianoforte syllabus. Alan provided us with the following information on his background, career and works.
I was born in Malawi in 1967. In ’73 my parents immigrated to New Zealand. There I had a boy soprano scholarship in the Christchurch Cathedral Choir. After attaining Grade Seven piano at the age of thirteen, I began composing for the piano.
In 1987, I moved to Melbourne and benefitted from private tuition with the late Dr Allan Zavod. Later, after scoring 25 films (including two features), I returned to composing contemporary classical music in 2015.
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Introspection is my debut album. Ukrainian/Australian pianist Evgeny Ukhanov performed its 2016 world premiere in the Stuart & Sons Spring Concert Series in New South Wales. The Stuarts lent one of only six of their 102-key concert pianos to Crispe Galleries for this series.
Canberra’s ANZCA Representative Giselle Roberts attended this premiere, and asked me to submit Introspection for consideration for the ANZCA syllabus. Seven out of its nine pieces were chosen and rated as either Grade Eight or Associate for the 2018–20 piano syllabus manual list.
Reverie I, II and III, Rhapsody and Fantasia, 2/3rd Fugue, A Touch of Tango and Till We Meet Again were composed in Melbourne during 1989–1997. My influences include Gershwin, Rachmaninov and Horner. As music reviewers note, my compositions:
‘move easily from one mode of expression to another seamlessly…’ and are ‘achieved with great skill…’, and that ‘Reverie I, II and III… were outstanding examples of the great compositional balance of virtuosity, simplicity, fragility and drama that Griffiths achieves in Introspection.‘
For audio samples and PDF scores of the works included in the syllabus, visit Alan’s website: www.griffithscomposer.com.
Acclaimed pianist Nicholas Young will perform seven new works in the 2018 world premiere of Alan’s second album Rare View at Beleura House, Mornington (Vic.), on their 108-key Stuart piano. Sydney string players George Yang and Dominik Przywara will accompany Nicholas in five original chamber works.
Date: Saturday, 22nd of September, 1:30 pm.
Tickets: $45 (full), $40 (conc.) including Beleura House’s acclaimed afternoon tea. Tickets will be on sale closer to September from www.beleura.org.au.