Victorian Pianist wins Sydney Eisteddfod Piano Scholarship

Twenty-four-year-old Victorian pianist Konrad Olsezewski has taken out the prestigious $10,000 Allison/Henderson Sydney Eisteddfod Piano Scholarship with a winning performance, Konrad played the Piano Sonata No 2 in B-flat minor, Opus 36, (1st version) by Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Konrad recently completed a Bachelor of Music with Honours at the University of Melbourne and is now studying for a Master’s degree in Musical Performance under the tutelage of Glenn Riddle. The connection is an auspicious one because coincidentally, Glenn Riddle won this scholarship when it bowed into the Sydney Eisteddfod programme in 1982.

In recent years, Konrad has consolidated his career with many awards and prizes and a recital in Chopin’s birthplace in Zelazowa, Poland.  When he completes his Masters, Konrad hopes to continue his studies overseas with Leslie Howard, with Piers Lane and at the Chopin Academy in Warsaw, Poland.

Adjudicators Dr Julie Haskell and Mark Coughlan were impressed with the high standard of the performances given by pianists from around the nation. Ling Ling Chen (Vic), Oliver She (Qld) and Quang Hong Luu from Sefton, NSW, were the other finalists.