Simon Tedeschi is one of Australia’s most renowned classical pianists. 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 via Abu Dhabi and Shanghai.
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 in the USA and performing with the Colorado, Fort Worth and Illinois Symphony Orchestras. 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 both solo and in chamber recitals. Uncommonly for a classical pianist, Tedeschi also dabbles in jazz, and has co-written and toured internationally the Sydney Opera House’ Meeting Mozart show (for children), and a number of shows combining words and music, with Monkey Baa Theatre, and with Australian theatre icon, John Bell AO OBE.
Current season engagements include as piano soloist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra conducted by Andrea Molino; ‘With love, Amadeus’ with John Bell, festival appearances including Blackheath Chamber Music and Woodend Winter Arts Festival (VIC), with SSO players for Sydney Mozart Society and concerts with jazz violinist/vocalist, George Washingmachine. Other recent engagements include as soloist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (conductor Gemma New), a fundraising concert for Ukraine, performances around Australia with John Bell, and several music and writing festival appearances.
With numerous recordings for ABC Classics/Universal Music, including The Gershwin Collection, Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, R. Strauss’ Enoch Arden, Schumann, Schubert and concerti by Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Grieg, Simon’s latest album for ABC Classic is ‘Debussy – Ravel’ with violist Roger Benedict in 2022.
Alongside his performing career, Tedeschi is also 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.
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)
