Pronounced a “real talent” by the Wall Street Journal, New York-based pianist Andrea Lam is earning consistent acclaim as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician for her “great style and thrilling virtuosity” (Sydney Morning Herald). A frequent guest at major US venues such as New York’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center to Australia’s Sydney Opera House, Andrea’s performances are noted internationally for her “melting lyricism, filigree touch and spirited eloquence” (The Australian).
Andrea Lam was a Semifinalist in the 2009 Van Cliburn Competition, prizewinner in the 2010 Astral Artists Auditions, Silver Medalist in the 2009 San Antonio Piano Competition, winner of the ABC’s ‘Young Performer of the Year’ Award in the Keyboard section, the ABC Quest Competition Viewers’ Choice Award, the Salon de Virtuosi Career Grant, and the Yale Woolsey Hall Competition.
Making her orchestral debut at age 13 with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, since then Andrea has performed with orchestras in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Japan, and Hong Kong. Performing with many of the world’s leading conductors, including Alan Gilbert, Edo de Waart, Michael Christie, and Wing-sie Yip, orchestras include the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, Columbus and Wichita Symphony Orchestra (USA), all major Australian symphony orchestras including the Sydney and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras, and the Auckland Philharmonia and Christchurch Symphony Orchestras (NZ). A regular guest of festivals she frequently collaborates with artists including cellist Matt Haimovitz, the Takacs Quartet, Ani Kavafian, and the Australian String Quartet.
Recent engagements include for Sydney Opera House’ International Piano Day 2020 livestream, New York City’s Chelsea Music Festival (including the world premiere of The Clarke Variations from Glyndebourne composer-in-residence, Ninfea Cruttwell-Reade), and as soloist with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (Mendelssohn), Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (Mozart), Canberra Symphony Orchestra (Rachmaninov), Australian Youth Orchestra (Chopin); and concerts with the Claremont Trio, and for Melbourne Recital Centre, Newcastle Music Festival, Monash Academy of Performing Arts, Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington, DC). In 2021, Andrea performed with violinist Emiliy Sun for Sydney Festival in the Sydney Town Hall, as guest soloist with Australian String Quartet at Dunkeld Festival (VIC), a return as soloist with Canberra Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jessica Cottis (Rachmaninov); for Musica Viva, and Melbourne Digital Concert Hall.
The 2022 season includes soloist engagements with Sydney, Adelaide and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras performing concerti by Clara Schumann, and W.A. Mozart; solo regional touring, and a 9-concert national tour performing Bach’s Goldberg Variations for Musica Viva Australia alongside Paul Grabowsky; and solo and chamber performances for Melbourne Recital Centre, UKARIA Cultural Centre, Art Gallery of NSW, Musica Viva Tasmania, Blackheath Chamber Music Festival and Hayllar Music Tours’ ‘The Art of Mozart’ Chamber Music Weekend in Queensland.
A keen chamber musician, Andrea is also pianist of the New York City-based Claremont Trio. Described by Strad Magazine as “one of America’s finest young chamber groups”, their recently released Beethoven disc for Bridge received universal acclaim. Deeply committed to commissioning composers of their generation, they have premiered works by Sean Shepherd, Helen Grime, Gabriela Lena Frank, and Judd Greenstein. ABC Classics released Andrea’s soloist recordings of two Mozart concerti with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and Nicholas Milton, as well as Mendelssohn as part of Huntington Estate Music Festival’s commemorative album (2019). Andrea also features with renowned cellist, Matt Haimovitz on Pentatone Oxingale’s 2018 recording of composer Aaron Jay Kernis’ First Club Date.
Andrea holds degrees from the Yale School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music, and has given masterclasses at Duke, Columbia and Texas State Universities. A native of Sydney, Australia, Andrea was featured in two nationally televised programs, including Andrea’s Concerto, documenting her life as a young pianist and her performance of Tchaikovsky’s Concerto No. 1 with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.
For more information please see andrealam.com and claremonttrio.com
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2021 release ‘Nocturnes’ (ABC Classics), as violinist Emily Sun’s debut album and featuring pianist Andrea Lam, received a nomination for a 2021 ARIA Award for ‘Best Classical Album’. Read more here.
The Washington Post review of Andrea’s performance as part of the Claremont Trio: “Exacting about voicing when crafting melodic passages, Claremont is a sensitive group that plays with passion. These qualities were evident from the lush opening bars of Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel’s Piano Trio in D Minor, Op. 11, in which pianist Andrea Lam’s gossamer arpeggios flowed beneath the sweetly understated melodies … Lam’s delicate keyboard approach not only anchored the score but also allowed it to spiral into the heavens.”– The Washington Post (2015)