Piano Recital for RUOK Kangaroo Island Our Town
Description
Please join us for a recital featuring two wonderful island pianists: Olivia Baker and Daniel Crawford at the iconic Eleanor Downs farm near Parndana. The event is funded by Kangaroo Island Our Town in support of RUOK, to promote conversations about good mental health. Olivia and Daniel will play on Olivia's grand piano, tuned especially for the occasion by Joe Leaver who, in conjunction with ABC pop-up pianos, recently donated a piano to the American River community. Olivia and Daniel will play a selection of their favourite pieces, but you can expect some of the romantics (Debussy, Chopin), the classics (Bach, Beethoven) and contemporary pieces by composers like Ludovico Einaudi, Yann Tiersen (Amélie) and Michael Nyland (The Piano).
The island's patissière par excellence, Les Douceurs de Sooz will be in attendance for sweet and savoury French patisseries from 12.30 pm. Please feel free to BYO picnic and rugs, but due to funding regulations, NO ALCOHOL is to be brought to the venue. A "Sunday Sessions" event with local musical talent and hosted by Olivia will follow from 3pm.
The concert is free but a gold coin donation would be appreciated to cover out of pocket expenses for sound, filming, water and power, as the event will be supported by local providers offering their services pro bono, a shout out to them.
We plan to hold the recital outside in the glorious rural surrounds of the farm, but if the weather is not kind we will adjourn to the shearing shed. Tickets are therefore capped at 100 though we are hopeful to be able to accommodate as many people as wish to come!
This will be a special event, an opportunity to showcase the island talent and join with your music loving community, with an additional message from RUOK to look out for your mates.
Lineup
Olivia Baker
Olivia Baker began playing the piano at the age of six, beginning a lifelong love affair with music. A classically trained pianist with a Master’s degree, she has performed both locally and internationally, collaborating with orchestras, choirs and fellow musicians. Olivia’s musical life has also included several years as a choral director and event manager, bringing together her love of performance, collaboration and community through music. Olivia has a particular love for the sweeping emotion and beauty of the Romantic period, while also being drawn to contemporary classical music, including the evocative works of Ludovico Einaudi. For her, music is a connection to God and the heart—a way of expressing what words cannot and creating moments that resonate long after the final note has faded.
Daniel Crawford
Daniel Crawford is an 18-year-old self-taught pianist and digital creator from regional Victoria, now based on Kangaroo Island. Entirely self-taught, he began learning piano during the 2021 COVID lockdowns, teaching himself through YouTube and entirely by ear. From a young age, Daniel has had an innate passion and sentimental connection to music - captivated by the way it can express emotion, bring people together, and tell stories beyond words. Hearing it was one thing, but playing it felt like something else entirely, and he was deeply inspired to pursue it himself. Classical repertoire began as the foundation of his acquisition, which soon evolved into a broader musical journey - from Beethoven, Chopin, Bach, Rachmaninoff, through to contemporary composers such as Ludovico Einaudi. In just a few years, Daniel has gone from busking on the streets of Phillip Island to performing for audiences of almost 3,000 people, including the Governor-General of Australia, at the Adelaide Festival Centre in 2024 as a Solo Guest Artist. He also performs across Melbourne and wherever his travels take him, continuing to share his music through public performances. Alongside performing, Daniel has been documenting his journey online for almost three years through his MusicalMaestro persona, building a growing digital presence and global audience primarily through YouTube and other social platforms. His content brings together storytelling and performance, showcasing the progression from a self-taught pianist learning at home to performing on major stages. For Daniel, the piano is more than an instrument - it is a way of expressing what words cannot, and a reminder of what can happen through discipline, consistency and believing in yourself. Daniel wowed the audience in the community concert launch of the ABC pop-up piano in American River in August of this year and is delighted to perform at this special recital with Olivia at Eleanor Downs.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
