Stephen Savage
Encyclopedia
Stephen Savage was born in England
and after early training with Dorothy Hesse, studied with Bruno Seidlhofer at the Wiener Akademie and Cyril Smith
at the RCM London where he became his teaching assistant immediately after graduating.
Two years later Stephen Savage was appointed the youngest professor of Piano at the RCM at a time when he was also becoming established as a concert pianist, with frequent appearances at the Wigmore and Queen Elizabeth halls and for the BBC including live broadcasts in the prestigious Tuesday Invitation Concerts. He appeared in concerto performances with Sir Adrian Boult
, David Atherton and Andrew Davis and became known for his insight into a wide range of music, including new compositions. He is the dedicatee of major works by Justin Connolly and Roger Smalley, whose Accord for two pianos he premiered with the composer.
From 1982, Stephen Savage was based in Australia
as Head of Keyboard Studies at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University
. He became established as a distinguished teacher and performer in Australia, appearing with most of the leading symphony orchestras and at the festivals of Sydney, Perth and Brisbane. He gave the first local performance of the Lutoslawski concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and also organised and performed a week-long festival of the works of Sir Michael Tippett
during the composer’s 1990 visit. This remains the largest event of its kind to be mounted in Australia. He also founded and conducted the Griffith University Ensemble and has been active in introducing student ensembles to a wide range of the most important music of the last century. He founded, and is the curator of, the Kawai Keyboard Series at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University in Brisbane in 1998, which is now the largest and most comprehensive series in the country.
Stephen Savage also tours extensively as recitalist and teacher in many parts of the Far East as well as the UK where he has been a frequent visitor to the leading music schools. His recordings include Tippett’s Piano Sonatas, Smalley’s Accord with the composer, works by Andrew Ford and acclaimed CDs of the last three Sonatas of Beethoven and of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. He celebrated the Tippett centenary year with concerts in London and Manchester and a series within the Queensland Music Festival
. He returned to the UK in 2006.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and after early training with Dorothy Hesse, studied with Bruno Seidlhofer at the Wiener Akademie and Cyril Smith
Cyril Smith (pianist)
Cyril James Smith OBE was a virtuoso concert pianist of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, and a piano teacher.-Personal life:...
at the RCM London where he became his teaching assistant immediately after graduating.
Two years later Stephen Savage was appointed the youngest professor of Piano at the RCM at a time when he was also becoming established as a concert pianist, with frequent appearances at the Wigmore and Queen Elizabeth halls and for the BBC including live broadcasts in the prestigious Tuesday Invitation Concerts. He appeared in concerto performances with Sir Adrian Boult
Adrian Boult
Sir Adrian Cedric Boult CH was an English conductor. Brought up in a prosperous mercantile family he followed musical studies in England and at Leipzig, Germany, with early conducting work in London for the Royal Opera House and Sergei Diaghilev's ballet company. His first prominent post was...
, David Atherton and Andrew Davis and became known for his insight into a wide range of music, including new compositions. He is the dedicatee of major works by Justin Connolly and Roger Smalley, whose Accord for two pianos he premiered with the composer.
From 1982, Stephen Savage was based in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
as Head of Keyboard Studies at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University
Griffith University
Griffith University is a public, coeducational, research university located in the southeastern region of the Australian state of Queensland. The university has five satellite campuses located in the Gold Coast, Logan City and in the Brisbane suburbs of Mount Gravatt, Nathan and South Bank. Current...
. He became established as a distinguished teacher and performer in Australia, appearing with most of the leading symphony orchestras and at the festivals of Sydney, Perth and Brisbane. He gave the first local performance of the Lutoslawski concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and also organised and performed a week-long festival of the works of Sir Michael Tippett
Michael Tippett
Sir Michael Kemp Tippett OM CH CBE was an English composer.In his long career he produced a large body of work, including five operas, three large-scale choral works, four symphonies, five string quartets, four piano sonatas, concertos and concertante works, song cycles and incidental music...
during the composer’s 1990 visit. This remains the largest event of its kind to be mounted in Australia. He also founded and conducted the Griffith University Ensemble and has been active in introducing student ensembles to a wide range of the most important music of the last century. He founded, and is the curator of, the Kawai Keyboard Series at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University in Brisbane in 1998, which is now the largest and most comprehensive series in the country.
Stephen Savage also tours extensively as recitalist and teacher in many parts of the Far East as well as the UK where he has been a frequent visitor to the leading music schools. His recordings include Tippett’s Piano Sonatas, Smalley’s Accord with the composer, works by Andrew Ford and acclaimed CDs of the last three Sonatas of Beethoven and of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. He celebrated the Tippett centenary year with concerts in London and Manchester and a series within the Queensland Music Festival
Queensland Music Festival
The Queensland Music Festival is a series of musical events staged in a number of locations in Queensland, Australia usually around late July, every second year. It is financially supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and a wide range of other partners...
. He returned to the UK in 2006.