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Keyboard Institute

John Luxton Head of School Head of Keyboard Institute T: +61 2 61255767 E: John.Luxton@anu.edu.au

A School of Music faculty member since 1979, John Luxton is recognised as one of Australia's finest pianists and pedagogues. He has established an enviable reputation as a pianist of distinction, whose performances, teaching and master classes have been described as creative and inspiring. Formal music studies commenced at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and resulted in the awards of diplomas in performance and teaching. He was the recipient of numerous prizes and scholarships including the Ralph Vaughan Williams Trust and the Armstrong Martin Bequest, which enabled him to continue his studies in London with Peter Katin and Dennis Matthews.

During the course of his career he has given recitals and masterclasses in the United Kingdom, the USA, Russia, the middle East, New Zealand, Scandinavia, Asia, and throughout Australia.

Later he was to come under the influence of American pianists Charles Rosen, Bela Siki and Earle Wilde. In addition he possesses a first class honours degree in composition. During the course of his career he has given recitals and master classes in the United Kingdom, the USA, Russia, the Middle East, New Zealand, Scandinavia, Asia, and throughout Australia. He has given classes in such institutions as the Eastman School of Music, the Liszt Academy, the St Petersburg Conservatoire, the Royal College of Music Stockholm, and the National Institute of the Arts, Taipei. He has performed at the international festivals of Le Roque d'Antheron, Hong Kong, Wellington NZ, Sydney and Melbourne and collaborated with such names as Paul Tortellier, Wolfram Christ, Andrew Marriner, Wanda Wilkomirska, Eugene Sarbu and Walter Despalj, as well as partnering many of Australia's finest instrumentalists and singers. He has recorded for the BBC, Radio New Zealand, Radio Telefis Eirann, Swedish Radio and he broadcasts regularly for the ABC.

He continues to be active as a performer and has many completed opus to his credit, including the complete Well Tempered Klavier and the Partitas of Bach, the complete Mozart sonata, the piano works of New Zealand composer Christopher Blake and 'Century' by Australian composer Larry Sitsky, as well as a series of ten recitals devoted to the piano music of the twentieth century. He has an extensive knowledge of the vocal and chamber music repertoire and is in demand as an associate artist. He has toured for the ABC, Musica Viva and the Chamber Music Society of New Zealand. His repertoire is eclectic and ranges from Scarlatti to Gerschwin. As a performer he is a strong advocate for the music of his time and he has had a number of works dedicated to him. He has given many national and international premier performances of Australian works by Larry Sitsky, Carl Vine and Christopher Blake.

He is in demand as an adjudicator and has been the music advisor for the Winston Churchill Trust, as well as for the French, German and Swiss governments.

School of Music faculty member since 1979.