Composer in Residence

Melbourne pianist, conductor and composer Stefan Cassomenos completed his tertiary studies on full scholarship at the University of Melbourne and the Australian National Academy of Music, majoring in piano performance. His main piano teachers were Margarita Krupina and Stephen McIntyre. Stefan has appeared as a soloist in St Petersburg, Tallinn, Warsaw, Krakow, Rhodes, Athens, Rome, Milan, Amsterdam, Bangkok, Tokyo, and throughout the United Kingdom and Australia. His 2007 London debut was described, in a Musical Opinion review by John Amis, as ‘alive, passionate, and dramatic … a prodigious London debut by a formidable talent.’ He was recently a grand finalist in the 2012 Rhodes International Piano Competition, and he has been shortlisted following international auditions as a participant in the 2012 Sydney International Piano Competition, to be held in July. Stefan gives regular solo recitals throughout Australia, and frequently performs concertos with orchestras, which have included the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra, Melbourne Youth Orchestra, Youth Philharmonic Melbourne, and several other youth and community orchestras.

Stefan has been writing music since the age of seven, and his compositions were performed by the Symphony Orchestras of Melbourne and Adelaide when he was still a high-school student. He has recently written music for The Yarra Trio, the Melbourne International Brass Festival, the Australian Music Association, Orchestra 21, Patma Music, the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir, and the Curro String Quartet. As Composer-in-Residence for Creative Universe’s CI-2010 Conference, he premiered his Piano Concerto No 3, The Art of Thought, at the Melbourne Recital Centre.

Stefan is also active as an Artistic Director and Conductor. He was the Artistic Director of the 2007 Melba Festival in the Yarra Valley, Guest Artistic Director of Melbourne’s Piano Landmarks festival 2009-10, Conductor of the Percy Grainger Youth Orchestra 2010-11, Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Chamber Strings of Melbourne for 2011, and founding director of Creativity Australia’s ‘Our Community Sings’ Choir for 2011.

Stefan is generously supported by Kawai Australia, Creative Universe, and the Youth Music Foundation of Australia.