2024 Dates
The 2024 Piano Division was held from Tuesday 11 June to Saturday 22 June at Unley Park Baptist Church.
2024 Program Guide
2024 Piano Division Program Guide updated 9 June 2024
2024 Syllabus
Some sections have number limitations. Enter early to avoid disappointment.
visit: www.stardom.com.au
Chinese Sections P255 and P256 suggested piece gradings
Suggested grading of Chinese pieces for P255 and P256
2024 Adjudicators
Teresa Lavers (Melbourne)
Teresa studied music and English at the University of Adelaide, graduating with a Bachelor degree with Honours, a Diploma in Education and a Masters in Music, under the guidance of Clemens Leske. She also completed a Masters in Music (Performance) at the University of Melbourne on a university scholarship and spent a sojourn at the UBC in Vancouver, Canada, on a Rotary scholarship, studying piano with Eugene Skovorodnikov. As a student, Teresa won awards in competitions, including the Adelaide Concerto Eisteddfods and the Cleveland International Piano Competition. Since then, Teresa has performed frequently as a soloist in Melbourne and in Europe (in Norway, Serbia and at the Oxford Piano Festival in the UK). She has a keen interest in chamber music, giving numerous public recitals over the years with associate artists, most recently with Lachlan Redd.
Teresa is regularly invited to adjudicate Eisteddfods and piano competitions, including the Hephzibah Menuhin Competition, the Australian National Piano Award (Shepparton), Eisteddfod by the Bay, the Musical Society of Victoria Awards and the Margaret Schofield Memorial Prize (Chopin competition). She was also invited to be on the jury of the Isidor Bajic Memorial International Piano competition in Novi Sad, Serbia.
Teresa was Head of Keyboard Studies at Scotch College, Melbourne, from 2003 to 2020. She was the Artistic Director and founder of the Scotch College Piano Festival, and the Scotch College Piano Competition. Teresa retired from her position at Scotch College to focus on her private studio. She is committed to developing musical talent in young children.
Teresa believes that the study of music provides lifelong advantages, due to the development of refined cognitive skills and the appreciation of art and form. She has developed her own method of piano tuition, which relies on careful choice of repertoire, exercises for the production and exploration of pianistic sound from the earliest stages, the study of stylistic melodic line and the fostering of self-belief. While she believes that grades and examinations should not be the primary stimulus for students, Teresa finds grades systems useful in providing a framework and motivational goals. She has had repeated success in taking students from beginner to AMEB diploma level in four to five years.
Jennifer Chen
Jennifer Chen, an alumna of the Elder Conservatorium of Music completed a BMus Honours in Performance, and is currently advancing her expertise through a research Master’s degree under the mentorship of Prof. Anna Goldsworthy, Mrs. Eleonora Sivan, and Mr. Stephen Whittington. Recognized for her musical excellence, Jennifer has been awarded the Maude Puddy Prize for Piano and the Thelma Dent Memorial Prize from the Elder Conservatorium of the University of Adelaide, as well as the Prize for Certificate of Performance from AMEB.
Jennifer enjoys versatility in her performance career, with appearances in solo recitals, piano duets, and chamber music across venues such as the Ukaria Cultural Centre, Elder Hall and North Adelaide Baptist Church Hall. She has significantly contributed to Adelaide’s music scene, participating in the OzAsia Festival, the Accompanist’s Guild of South Australia’s Festival, and Recitals Australia events. Jennifer’s dedication to the promotion of piano music extends beyond performance. From participating and receiving prizes in the Eisteddfod piano competitions during her high school days, Jennifer has co-convened the event since 2022. This involvement has deepened her insight into the musical world and the dedication of younger students, their teachers, and families.
Jennifer’s teaching career is distinguished by her students’ achievements: excellent AMEB exam reports and results, prizes in competitions, and performances at prestigious events like the Festival Celebrating – The Art of Ensemble Performance and Elder Conservatorium Master Classes. Teaching at the Open Music Academy, Immanuel College, and Westminster School, Jennifer employs a tailored approach, advocating for music as a means of therapy and self-discovery, thereby fostering her students’ musical and personal growth.
Combined with her performance and teaching endeavours, Jennifer’s achievements showcase her dedication to nurturing the next generation of musicians.
Dylan Henderson
Dylan Henderson enjoys a multi-faceted career as an emerging pianist, writer, musicologist and arts administrator. He recently completed his performance-based PhD at the Elder Conservatorium of Music at the University of Adelaide (graduating in September 2023), having received a first-class honours degree in classical piano performance in 2018.
Dylan’s practice-led research investigates the impact of period instruments on the music of Fryderyk Chopin. During his PhD candidature, Dylan was the winner of the 2020 Chopin Study Competition for Young Researchers (presented by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute in Warsaw); gave a two-hour all-Chopin recital by candlelight at UKARIA Cultural Centre entitled Fryderyk Chopin: Fantaisie in Exile; and performed Chopin’s Concerto in F minor, Op. 21 with the Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra and conductor Luke Dollman. Following the submission of his PhD, Dylan received the Dean’s Commendation for Doctoral Research Thesis Excellence; was selected to be the Mace Bearer of his graduation ceremony; and was recently awarded the 2023 University Doctoral Research Medal for outstanding research at the PhD level.
Since 2016 he has studied with Professor Anna Goldsworthy and the esteemed Russian pedagogue Eleonora Sivan. In 2017 Dylan organised and performed in a concert at UKARIA featuring twelve of Sivan’s students performing Chopin’s Nocturnes by candlelight. Dylan is currently working as a research assistant on Goldsworthy and Sivan’s new book Heart to Heart – a companion to the acclaimed memoir Piano Lessons.
Piano Division Convenor: Jane Burgess
