What better way to celebrate Chopin's birthday? Discover his musical language and explore authentic ways to bring his works to life in this intimate masterclass with Polish pianist, Christopher Malek.

ABOUT CHRISTOPHER MALEK

"So rare to hear a pianist of this calibre with such an intimate knowledge of the Chopin repertoire at his fingertips, the capacity audience was left breathless, mesmerised and in awe of his performance."- Swan Magazine

Christopher Malek is one of Australia's finest international concert pianists. Thanks to his musicality, poetic quality of his interpretation and extraordinary virtuosity, he is best known for his performances of music of the romantic period, especially Chopin and Liszt where he continues the grand tradition of the golden age of piano.

Christopher has graduated with highest distinction for extraordinary artistic achievements from a special talents school- Z. Brzewski State Music High School in Warsaw, Poland. He had studied with Theresa Manasterska at the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, Victor Makarov (himself a student of Regina Horowitz, the sister of Vladimir Horowitz) in Sydney, Australia, Lee Kum Sing (who was a pupil of Julius Katchen and Madga Tagliafero) at the Vancouver Academy of Music in Canada and Natalia Sheludiakova at the Australian Institute of Music. Always in pursuit of the finest quality he had taken part in Masterclasses with some of the greatest pedagogues including Victor Merzhanov (Moscow Conservatory), Oxana Yablonskaya (Juilliard School), Rita Reichman (ANAM Melbourne), Vladimir Viardo (Moscow Conservatory), Alexey Orlovetzky (St Petersburg Conservatory), Christopher Elton (Royal Academy of Music, London) and more.

Mr. Malek is a top prizewinner of a number of national and international competitions. He has won his first national contest at an early age of 10, which was soon followed by his debut with an orchestra. In his early teens he did a series of television recordings and eventually took part in a TV classical music competition which he won, also receiving the audience prize. In 1997 he was a prizewinner at the Paderewski Competition, in 1999 he received Second Prize at the International Chopin Competition in Vilnius and in 2001 he was awarded First Prize at the International Bacewicz Competition in Lodz. In 2007 he received First Prize and Gold Medal at the Chopin Competition in Sydney.