The Sydney International Piano Competition has announced the appointment of distinguished arts lawyer and cultural leader Shane Simpson AM as Chair of its Board, as the organisation prepares for its landmark 50th Anniversary Competition in July 2027.
Mr Simpson brings more than four decades of leadership across Australia’s arts, cultural, legal and philanthropic sectors. Mr Simpson is the founder and Special Counsel of Simpsons, a law firm specialising in entertainment, arts and intellectual property.
He founded the Arts Law Centre of Australia and Prelude, the national network of composers’ houses, and has devoted much of his career to strengthening the legal and institutional foundations of Australia’s cultural life.
He is currently a member of the Council of the National Library of Australia and Chair of its Council Governance Committee, Chair of the Ethics Advisory Group of the National Gallery of Australia, and an independent director of several private foundations.
Mr Simpson succeeds Tracie Elvidge, who has served as Chair during an important period of transition and renewal following the COVID pandemic. Artistic Director of the Sydney International Piano Competition, Piers Lane AO, thanked Ms Elvidge for her contribution to the organisation and for guiding the Competition through this challenging period.
The 50th Anniversary Sydney International Piano Competition will be held from 9 to 24 July 2027, bringing 32 exceptional young pianists from around the world to Sydney. The Competition begins at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and culminates in the concerto finals at the Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Founded in 1977 by Claire Dan AM OBE, Rex Hobcroft AM and Robert Tobias OAM, the Sydney International Piano Competition has established an international reputation for musical excellence, discovery and cultural exchange, introducing generations of outstanding young pianists to Australian and international audiences.
