Simon Tedeschi is one of Australia’s most renowned classical pianists, and a critically acclaimed author. Recipient of the Young Performer of the Year Award, the Creativity Foundation’s Legacy Award (USA), the New York Young Jewish Pianist Award and a Centenary of Federation Medal, he has performed for audiences, royalty and world leaders worldwide, from the Sydney Opera House to Carnegie Hall. Acclaimed by respected critics and peers as “true greatness” (SMH), Simon performed his first Mozart piano concerto in the Sydney Opera House aged nine, later studying and performing in the USA. Since returning in 2009, he regularly performs as soloist with all the major Australian symphony orchestras, and tours nationally for festivals, venues and presenters including Musica Viva Australia. Uncommonly for a classical pianist, Tedeschi also dabbles in jazz, and has co-written and toured internationally the Sydney Opera House’ Meeting Mozart children’s show (produced by CDP), and a number of shows combining words and music, for Monkey Baa Theatre, and with Australian theatre icon, John Bell AO OBE.
Simon also features in renowned director Scott Hicks’ new film, The Musical Mind, released in November 2023 (marking 25 years since his Oscar-winning film, Shine), alongside musical luminaries Daniel Johns, Ben Folds, and David Helfgott, and artwork by Loribelle Spirovski.
In 2024, Tedeschi’s major concert engagements include with Sydney Symphony Orchestra – in a new show created by Simon and Roger Benedict, ‘When George met Arnold’, exploring the music and late friendship of George Gershwin and Arnold Schoenberg; various performances around the country of ‘With love, Amadeus’ with John Bell, regional touring for Musica Viva Australia, and a new program for UKARIA’s Jazz series (Adelaide) with leading jazz musicians.
2023 engagements include as piano soloist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra; festival appearances with John Bell, and jazz vocalist/violinist George Washingmachine at Blackheath Chamber Music Festival and Woodend Winter Arts Festival; a fundraising performance for Médecins Sans Frontières at Wollongong Town Hall and concerts at Sydney Town Hall, the Concourse with Sonus Quartet, and Canberra’s Snow Concert Hall with violinist Daniel Röhn. Tedeschi also returns to the Sydney Opera House for a fourth season of acclaimed children’s show, Meeting Mozart, which has toured to Asia, United Arab Emirates and the USA, produced by CDP and co-written by Tedeschi.
Simon’s latest album, ‘Debussy – Ravel’ with violist and conductor Roger Benedict, received a 2023 ARIA award nomination for ‘Best Classical Album’, adding to his numerous recordings for ABC Classics/Universal Music such as The Gershwin Collection, Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, R. Strauss’ Enoch Arden, and concerti by Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Grieg.
Alongside his performing career, Tedeschi is fast gaining renown as a writer of note, winning the prestigious Calibre Essay Prize for 2022 and Tedeschi’s critically acclaimed literary debut, Fugitive (for Upswell Publishing) shortlisted in the 2023 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, and 2023 Judith Wright Calanthe Award for a Poetry Collection. www.simontedeschi.com
Latest News
Simon Tedeschi and John Bell AO OBE have created and penned two new shows together, which will be touring in 2022 and 2023. ‘Words & Music’ and ‘With Love, Amadeus’ each blend poetry with piano, telling stories and revealing moments from personal touring experiences, and from Mozart’s letters. Read more here.
Tedeschi tours with John Bell AO OBE in ‘Bright Star’ – reviews
Reviews of Simon’s March performances of Rachmaninoff’s 4th piano concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at Sydney Opera House: “a deceptively effortless performance… Tedeschi’s relaxed dexterity lent an easy logic to music that can seem excessively complicated… Tedeschi generated the requisite fireworks” (Limelight Magazine); “Tedeschi’s legato is astonishing … giving Rachmaninov’s music a diamond-cut clarity” (Harriet Cunningham); “a revelation… simply superb” (J-Wire).
Reviews of Simon’s performance with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra for their 2017 Season Opening at Adelaide Town Hall: “just the right degree of easygoing humour and fierce determination to make Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue sizzle… lashings of romantic warmth and light-fingered brilliance” (The Advertiser); “an exciting conversation between soloist and orchestra… [Simon] is an Australian treasure.” (The Barefoot Review)
