NOTE: TUE 14 JUL – Thank you for your interest in the Award lunch. The lunch is now fully booked. We hope to see you at the 2026 Award in October at Riverlinks Eastbank.

Join us for a special lunch celebrating one of Australia's most prestigious classical music competitions, the Australian National Piano Award.

Hosted in Shepparton for almost 35 years, the Award has launched the international careers of some of Australia's finest young and emerging pianists.

In October 2026, it returns to Riverlinks Eastbank, where a field of finalists will perform a week of solo recitals, many returning from international careers to compete.

This lunch is a chance to hear directly from people at the heart of the Award, including music and conversation from two of its alumni.

Twenty years after winning First Prize at the 2006 Award, Amir Farid returns to Shepparton as a 2026 adjudicator. An Iranian-Australian pianist, his career has taken him from the Sidney Myer Music Bowl to Carnegie Hall.

A 2002 Award finalist, Grace Kim is a Winston Churchill Fellow, concert pianist and founder of Sensory Concerts, dedicated to making classical music accessible to all.

The lunch will also include a Welcome to Country from Deborah Cheetham AO and a welcome from Award founder and President Darryl Coote.

Whether you're new to the Award or a longstanding supporter, this is a chance to connect with the community that makes it possible and discover how you can be part of its future.

Sunday, 19 July 2026

12pm – 3pm

BelCibo Restaurant

129 Fryers Street, Shepparton

$82 per person

Antipasto and main course

Plus tea and coffee and drinks at bar prices

Principal Partner: Greater Shepparton City Council

Piano Partner: Steinway Galleries Australia

The keyboard at the lunch is provided by Lifestyle Communities Shepparton.

Contact the host of A seat at the keys lunch