Amir Farid
Winner of the prestigious 2006 Australian National Piano Award, Amir Farid is a Melbourne based solo pianist, associate artist and chamber musician. He has been described as "a highly creative musician, a pianist of great intelligence and integrity. He brings strong musical substance to all that he does, imbuing it with his own particular experience and understanding".
In 1995, he commenced studies under the guidance of Prof. Ronald Farren-Price, and completed his Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Melbourne with Honours in 2004.
From 2003 to 2005 he attended the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM), where he worked with Rita Reichman, Timothy Young and Geoffrey Tozer. In 2003, Amir won the Dandenong Eisteddfod's three major sections and Gold Medallion. He was also a semi-finalist in the 2003 Lev Vlassenko National Piano Competition, finalist and special prize winner in the 2004 Australian National Piano Award, and winner of the 2005 Hephzibah Menuhin and 3MBS Performer of the Year awards.
His performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.4 at the 2005 ANAM Concerto Competition prizewinners' concert received a standing ovation, and he has also performed Beethoven's Emperor concerto with the Melbourne Youth Orchestra.
Amir is pianist of the Benaud Trio, winning the Piano Trio prize at the prestigious 2005 Australian Chamber Music Competition. As an accompanist, Amir won the prize for the best pianist at the 2006 Mietta Song Recital Award for his performances with mezzo-soprano Alexandra Sherman.
Amir won first prize in the 2006 Australian National Piano Award, and his concert in Shepparton this year provides a wonderful opportunity for us to catch up with this prodigious talent.
