Trevor Barnard

Trevor Barnard, British-born Australian pianist, began piano lessons at the age of four and while still very young was admitted to the Royal Academy of Music, London. This was followed by several years of private study with Herbert Fryer, a student of Ferruccio Busoni. At the age of sixteen he was awarded the ARCM Diploma in Piano, and later won a full scholarship to the Royal College of Music, London. Subsequently, he undertook intensive masterclass study with Harold Craxton.

Between 1967 and 1972 Trevor Barnard lived in the U.S., where he was a faculty member of the New England Conservatory in Boston (1968-1972) and Pianist-in-Residence to Boston University Radio (1967-1971). On moving to Melbourne in 1972 he became piano tutor at Monash University. From 1974 to 1988 he taught full-time consecutively at the Melbourne State College and the Melbourne College of Advanced Education, and from 1989 at The University of Melbourne until his retirement at the end of 2003.

As a concert artist Trevor Barnard has appeared with the London Symphony, the London Philharmonia, the City of Birmingham Symphony, the Bournemouth Symphony, and various BBC orchestras. In Australia he has toured and broadcast frequently for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on radio and TV.

His discography includes a solo album for The World Record Club, An Introduction to Piano Music. He has recorded the Arthur Bliss Piano Concerto with the London Philharmonia and Sir Malcolm Sargent for EMI, reissued on CD in 2000 by the English record company The Divine Art who have also released Trevor’s CD of the Arthur Bliss Sonata and the premiere commercial recording of the 24 Preludes, op. 37 by Busoni. Australian composers, Geoffrey Allen, Michael Bertram and Felix Werder (2), have written works especially for him. The first of the Felix Werder works appears in Trevor’s début solo CD on The Divine Art label of J.S. Bach transcriptions and modern Australian piano music. Trevor’s most recent release by the same label of Australian compositions includes the Dorian Le Gallienne Sonata and with it, appearing on commercial disc for the first time, the other Felix Werder work and the remaining Australian works that are dedicated to him.

Amongst other activities, Trevor has contributed several papers to the U.S. keyboard magazine Clavier, and served as a regular contributor and reviewer for the (Australian) Music Teacher Magazine. He is an examiner for the Australian Music Examinations Board, an adviser on the piano performance requirements for the Victorian Certificate of Education, and an adjudicator at numerous competitions.