Grant Foster (born 1945) is an Australian composer, pianist, teacher and novelist. He was the co-founder and inaugural Artistic Director of the Southern Highlands International Piano Competition. His musical is lyrical and romantic, and he is well-known in Russia, despite being relatively unknown in his own country.
Grant Foster was born in Sydney in 1945[1] and studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under Alexander Sverjensky, then in Paris under Marcel Ciampi, to whom he was recommended by Yehudi Menuhin after hearing him play, and under Denise Rivière.[2][3][4] In 1966 Foster won the State ABC Concerto Competition with his performance of the Piano Concerto in D-flat by Aram Khachaturian.[2]
The musical Peter Pan, directed by Sir Robert Helpmann, with music by Foster, ran in London for seven consecutive Christmas seasons.[3][4] After 20 years in Europe, he returned to Australia in 1985. In 2007 he co-founded the Southern Highlands International Piano Competition, which is held every two years.[4] He was its Artistic Director until 2013, when he was succeeded by Gerard Willems.
He is better known in Russia than in Australia. His works have been recorded by the Novaya Rossiya State Symphony Orchestra, by the Serbian-born pianist Mira Yevtich, among others.[3]
Foster has also written eight novels, six of them for children.[4] He resides in Bowral, New South Wales.[3]
Selected works
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Rhapsody for Piano And Orchestra (with Sydney Symphony Orchestra) |
|
| Grant Foster |
|
| The Harrods Selection Volume Three |
|
| The Pearl of Dubai Suite & The Ballad of the Reading Gaol |
|
| When Love Speaks: Works for Piano Composed and Performed By Grant Foster |
|
Awards and nominations
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra | Best Classical Album | Nominated | [5] |
Notes
- ↑ Andrew Lamb, review of Music of Grant Foster, Gramophone
- 1 2 Australian Music Centre: Grant Foster. Retrieved 28 September 2016
- 1 2 3 4 Julian Day, "Why the Russians love Grant Foster", Limelight, April 2012, p. 59
- 1 2 3 4 Melba Recordings. Retrieved 28 September 2016
- ↑ ARIA Award previous winners. "ARIA Awards – Winners by Award". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 12 November 2018.