News 2006

September 2006

The official unveiling of the

RÖNISCH PIANO ca. 1880
A SIGNIFICANT PART OF AUSTRALIA’S HISTORY SAVED FOR THE NATION

Professor Lawrence Cram, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, ANU unveiling the Ronisch Piano

In 1845, Carl Rönisch, in his early 30s, established a piano making company in Dresden. By the time he died in 1892, Rönisch’s company was known as the Official Purveyor to the Courts of the King of Saxony, as well as to the courts of Spain and Russia. The Australian National University (ANU) has purchased a unique Rönisch piano made ca. 1880; the piano was commissioned by one of Australia’s major music importers, Nicholson and Co., and was the centrepiece of their instrument display. In the last two decades of the nineteenth century, the piano was used as a recital instrument in Nicholson’s concert rooms.

The piano represents a significant addition to the instrument collection of the ANU Keyboard Institute’s Research Centre, and was acquired through the generous support both of the Australian Government (National Cultural Heritage Account) and Pioneer Electronics Australia.

	Craddock Morton is the Director of the National Museum of Australia and in his capacity as Chief of the National Cultural Committee represented the Minister for the Department of Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell.		Professor John Luxton

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September 2006

Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference
2-6 July 2007

CALL FOR PAPERS & PRESENTATIONS
Focus On Excellence: Questions and Answers

The Conference theme promotes discussion concerning pathways for piano teaching, keyboard performance and interpretation, and aesthetic issues. The Conference aims to provide a context in which exponents of keyboard art (in any of its many facets) may be equipped to face current challenges.

The Conference theme is viewed from 3 perspectives:

· Legends
· Legacies
· Connections

The Conference invites you to submit a proposal for papers and /or presentations connected with Legends, Legacies, or Connections.

Proposals should be received by February 1, 2007.

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September 2006

Application Form

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July 2006

Carrick Institute’s Citations for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning announced.

The federal national teaching institute has honoured eight ANU staff members for sustained and original contributions to the learning experiences of students.

Susan West from the School of Music was one of the ANU recipients of the 2006 Carrick Citations “For an innovative approach to music education, focusing on the social and community benefits of shared music-making, developing the musicianship of teachers and students.”

Congratulations!

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July 2006

Jacob Cordover, current MPhil student, has won first prize in the international guitar competition in Cordoba, Spain. The competition was held as part of the "Festival de Guitarra de Cordoba 2006"

Mark Xiao, current Bachelor of Music student, has won first prize in the 2006 Australian International Flute Competition.

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April 2006

Professor Deane Terrell, Chair School of Music Foundation, ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences hosted a musical recital in appreciation of Dennis Griffin’s generous bequest to the School of Music. In his honour John Luxton, Geoffrey Lancaster and Larry Sitsky performed. Dennis Griffin was born in Sydney in 1918, the third of six children of Lillian and Clement Henry Griffin. He grew up in Kensington and Rosebery. Dennis, a former pianist and teacher, studied piano, advanced harmony and counterpoint at the Sydney Conservatorium under Mr Frank Hutchens and Dr Alex Burnard at the time of Sir Eugene Goosens, and was a contemporary of Dame Joan Sutherland, John Painter and Larry Sitsky. He served in Papua New Guinea and Borneo during World War II as an infantry officer in the 7th Division. Following his career in music, unfortunately cut short due to illness, he joined the Public Service.

His love of music made him a regular visitor to the ANU School of Music over the years. This combined with
the desire to provide others with the same opportunities he had as a student, inspired him to establish a Scholarship for many future generations of music students through his bequest.

Dennis was well known at the ANU School of Music and greatly enjoyed many recitals at Llewellyn Hall over the years. He was also a long-standing member of the Woden Sub-Branch of the RSL as well as many other community organisations including the Canberra Australia Day Committee and Canberra Klavier.

Dennis loved to entertain and was highly regarded for his charm and generosity. ANU would like to honour his memory on this occasion through recital by his many friends, both staff and students at the ANU School of Music.

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March 2006

Susan West has been recognised by an International Women's Day award.
This was announced on Wednesday 8 March and the details were featured in the Canberra Times 9/3/06.

Quote from Jon Stanhope's website.

"Susan is a Lecturer at the ANU School of Music and has developed community outreach programs such as “Hand-in-Hand”, which emphasises the positive influence of children’s music in the lives of the community, particularly older people. Susan arranges regular visits to aged-care facilities in Canberra with groups of children who sing to the residents and involve them in musical activities. “Hand-in-Hand” provides an opportunity for children to interact with older people and experience music-making in a positive, relaxed atmosphere where the emphasis is on the shared pleasure of music".

CONGRATULATIONS SUSAN!

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February 2006

The Launch of “The Kingsland Room” in honour of Sir Richard Kingsland AO and his contribution to the School of Music. Sir Richard was Secretary of the Department of the Interior from 1963 to 1970, under Minister Doug Anthony. He met Ernest Llewellyn during the war years. Mr Kingsland (later Sir) invited him to become the first Director of the School of Music after Mr Llewellyn had left the Sydney Symphony Orchestra to live at Hilltop and move into a teaching career. Mr Llewellyn refused saying that it was not possible to operate a school in an atmosphere of and with the restraints of a bureaucracy. Sir Richard subsequently invited him to write a plan for the development of teaching music in the ACT. Kingsland agreed that he could meet all of the requirements Mr Llewellyn had set out in the document and Mr Llewellyn accepted the offer.

The School was “stolen” from the Department of Interior by the Minister for Education and Science Mr (later Sir) John Gorton, Anthony’s predecessor as Minister for the Department of Interior under whom Kingsland had served. Kingsland retained personal links with Mr Llewellyn and with some Directors and staff of the School from then on. When a Council of the then Canberra School of Music was set up to transfer control of the School from the Department in 1974, Kingsland was appointed its first chairman. Kingsland is one of the founding members of the E.V. Llewellyn Memorial Fund in 1982 and is still a member today.

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February 2006

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January 2006

We are delighted to announce that Dr Geoffrey Lancaster of The Australian National University, School of Music has become a member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia, for service to the arts, particularly through interpreting and performing 18th century keyboard works, to orchestral direction and music education. Congratulations Geoffrey!