Fiona Corston Pianist profile picture

Fiona Corston Pianist

About Me


I am proudly Adelaide-born and -raised, although for the last two years I have been dividing my time between Australia, England and Belgium. Now I am back in the UK for good! I have extensive experience as a chamber musician, accompanist, répétiteur, researcher, teacher and examiner and have worked in Australia, the South Pacific, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Belgium.
I have collaborated with musicians such as Zdenek Bruderhans, Adrian Calef (who is the cellist on the Milhaud, above), Sally Cooper, Carl Crossin, Lindsey Day, Grant Doyle, Andrew Dunlop, Barbara Hannigan, Luke Harrald; Wendy Heiligenberg (who was the violinist for the recording of the Mendelssohn, above), Robert Hower (who conducted the recorded performance of the Stravinsky, also above), Matthew Kam, Imants Larsens, Reinbert de Leeuw, Eugene Nakamura (the violinist on the Milhaud), PJ Noack, Emma Peaurt, Imogen Roose, Timothy Sexton, Christopher Stripp and Anna Zweck.
Organisations for whom I have performed include ABC Classic FM, ABC TV's Stateline, ACME New Music Company, Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide Philharmonia Chorus; Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Australian Music Examinations Board, Channel 7's AM Adelaide, Chief Productions, De Nederlandse Opera, Elder Conservatorium Chorale, Elder Conservatorium Wind Ensemble, Flinders University of Adelaide, Norwood Chamber Orchestra, Popular Music Company, Radio 5UV, Recitals Australia, Rhos Orfeus Male Choir, Royal Northern College of Music, Salvation Army, State Opera of South Australia, University of Adelaide and Young Australia.
To date I have released two commercial recordings: SSM: Contemporary Classical Music Composed in Response to Contemporary Art: Vol. 1, with music by PJ Noack, Luke Harrald, Lilly Leaver and Miriam Hyde (SSM 2005) and Characteristic Animal Dances, with music by Mark Smith (ABC Classic FM 1997).
I have been the recipient of many awards for my performances and academic achievements, most notably:
Postgraduate Accompaniment Scholarship, RNCM (2006)
Second Prize in the Silverstone-Blank Piano Duo Competition, RNCM (2006)
First Prize in the Weil Prize for Chamber Music, RNCM (2005)
Governors’ Award and Charles Heywood Scholarship, RNCM (2004/05)
Second Prize in the Accompanists’ Guild of South Australia Geoffrey Parsons Award (2003)
Athol Lykke Award for Postgraduate Studies in Music, University of Adelaide (2003)
My writings include How to Compose a Stylistic Mozart Cadenza (MMus Seminar Paper: University of Adelaide, 2003); Milhaud’s Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano, Op. 428: A Bibliographic and Biographic Study (MPhil (Perf) Dissertation: Royal Northern College of Music, 2007); The Context and Function of Chopin's Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58 (BMus (Hons) Seminar Paper: University of Adelaide, 2000); The Rhythmic Processes of Carl Vine’s Five Bagatelles (MMus Seminar Paper: University of Adelaide, 2003) and Voicing: Its Significance and Application in Different Styles and Genres of Piano Music (MMus Exegesis: University of Adelaide, 2005).
I also performed on the soundtrack of the film Replay (Margaret Haselgrove, director, writer and producer. BISM 1998) and, most recently, the video for the Filthy Chocolate online ad campaign (Karen Lamond, director. Chief Productions 2007).
Chocolate Tease
Video for the Filthy Food Company featuring me and my Filthy Tango
Layout by CoolChaser

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 25/08/2007
Band Website: www.shacklefordpianos.co.uk
Band Members: Fiona Corston MPhil (Perf), MMus, LMusA, BMus (Hons)
Influences: I have been fortunate to receive tuition from many fine musicians throughout my career, namely Monika Laczofy and Mark Ray (solo performance) and Ian Brown, Michael Cox, Keith Crellin, Keith Hempton, Janis Laurs, Poul Ruders, Christopher Rowland and Clark Rundell (chamber music).

I have performed in masterclasses and competitions for Stefan Ammer, Nelly Ben-Or, Antoinette and Claire Cann, Ronald Farren-Price, Stephen Hough, Peter Lawson, David Lockett, Murray McLachlan, Max Olding, Pawel Skryzpek, Gill Sullivan and Gerard Willems.
Sounds Like: “This is wonderful! Go tonight if you can!”
Keith Hempton, publicity brochure for “Words and Music II”.
Take Over 1997: Australian Festival for Young People. Pamela Vogiatzis, soprano. Fiona Corston, piano. Kirralee Roe, soprano. Adelaide Festival Centre, 1—2 April 1997.
“The Concerto of Stravinsky was for me the highlight of the works presented. This had a profound effect on me through its rhythmic control and architectural awareness. The piano was an integral part of the concertante element of this work and the neoclassical fiorituri and other improvisatory phrases were delivered . . . [with] virtuosity and clarity.”
Gerard Willems, review of Stravinsky’s Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments. Elder Conservatorium Wind Ensemble. Fiona Corston, piano. Robert Hower, conductor. Elder Hall, 15 October 2004.
Record Label: unsigned, although see list of recordings (right)

My Blog

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