Ronald Farren-Price
Ronald Farren-Price "... a sensitive artist and a virtuoso of top rank ... he demonstrated a perfect balance between the sound and the expression of the music ... definitely a pianist of great distinction."
Concert reviews, such as this one from Copenhagen, attest to the rare artistry, sensitivity and virtuosity that is the hallmark of the Australian pianist Ronald Farren-Price. His international career began with his recognition by the legendary pianist Claudio Arrau, under whose guidance his distinctive style matured. It is a style where clarity of expression and firmness of touch are paramount, where a bold nobility is brought to each performance.
In addition to performing throughout Australia. Ronald Farren-Price has made annual concert tours overseas for the last two decades. He has appeared both in recital and as concerto soloist in the major concert halls of over forty countries. Among his most noted appearances are those at Queen Elizabeth Hall London, Carnegie Recital Hall New York, Tchaikovsky Hall Moscow, Philharmonic Hall St. Petersburg, Musikhalle Hamburg, Brahmsaal Vienna, Teatro Colon Buenos Aries and the Melbourne Concert Hall.
As a soloist, he has appeared with renowned conductors including Antal Dorati, Ferdinand Leitner, Sir Eugene Goossens, Hubert Soudant, Sir Charles Groves, Willem van Otterloo, Hiroyuki Iwaki and many others.
Ronald Farren-Price has the honour of being the first Australian pianist invited to play in the former USSR. He has played to capacity houses in St. Petersburg and has even been mobbed by enthusiastic audiences. His last tour there, just prior to the breaking apart of the Soviet Union, was his eleventh and most extensive tour beginning on the eastern coast and culminating with a concert in Moscow's Bolshoisalle. He has also been a pioneer in taking Australian performance to China where he has given recitals and masterclasses in Beijing and other cities during two tours. He was appointed Honorary Professor of the Tianjin Conservatory of Music.
Ronald Farren-Price, recently retired as Head of Keyboard at the School of Music at the University of Melbourne. He has been named as a Steinway artist by Steinway and Sons.
In addition to his career as a concert pianist, Ronald Farren-Price is a Principal Fellow of the Faculty of Music, University of Melbourne where he is a former Dean as well as a former Director of the Australian National Academy of Music. Ronald Farren-Price was awarded the Order of Australia in 1991 for services to music. He was the recipient of the University's Dublin Prize in 2002 and in 2005 the AMEB awarded him an honorary FMusA and the University of Melbourne conferred on him the honorary DMus.
Ronald Farren-Price is featured on the following titles
Johannes Brahms: Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 5
Prepare to be swept away by the soulful and powerful performance of the Johannes Brahms' Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 5, as played by the incomparable Ronald Farren-Price. Farren-Price's mastery of the piano is evident in his interpretation of this masterpiece, showcasing the intricacies of Brahms' composition.
Performer
Franz Schubert: Sonata No. 20 in A Major, D. 959
Experience the timeless beauty and emotional depth of Franz Schubert's Sonata No. 20 in A Major, D. 959, as performed by the world-renowned Australian pianist, Ronald Farren-Price. With his flawless technique and deep understanding of the piece, Farren-Price delivers a performance that is both intimate and powerful, capturing the essence of Schubert's masterful composition.
Performer: Piano
Beethoven Pathetique
On the second volume of his Beethoven piano sonatas, Ronald Farren-Price tackles the famous Pathetique Sonata, the G Major Sonata (Op. 14 No. 2), two Rondos and the beautiful late period A flat sonata, Op. 110.
Performer: Piano
Beethoven Moonlight
You may have been fortunate enough to hear pianist Ronald Farren-Price performing Beethoven in past years. Over seven years in the making, Farren-Price has finally completed his long-awaited recording of selected, much-loved Beethoven piano works. This is the first album in the two volume set.
Performer: Piano
With Tenderness, With Fire
Ronald Farren-Price encores his hugely popular "Reflections" CD with this recital of music ranging from the sublime beauty of a Beethoven Adagio to the thundering splendour of Prokofiev's "Toccata".
Performer: Piano
Ronald Farren-Price Plays Chopin
With a virtuosity that has become the hallmark of his performing career, Farren-Price pays tribute to the creative genius of Frederic Chopin in this carefully selected program.
Performer: Piano
Reflections
Internationally acclaimed pianist Ronald Farren-Price presents superb performances of some of the greatest music ever written for the piano.
Performer: Piano
Debussy Preludes Book One
These first twelve preludes reveal Debussy's great achievement in composing for the piano, expending the range and orchestral quality of the instrument. Ronald Farren-Price brings exceptional sensitivity interpreting these works.
Performer: Piano
A Beethoven Recital
This recording by Ronald Farren-Price was made in 1976 and presents an unusual variety of works by Beethoven. It comprises some works which have been rarely heard and some which are much loved by students.
Performer: Piano
Haydn 250th Birthday Celebration
Ronald Farren-Price performs three major Haydn works.
Performer: Piano
Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring (piano four hands)
Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" was first composed in 1913 for piano four hands, eight years before the orchestral score as published. Ronald Farren-Price and Rosslyn Farren-Price give an intense, highly rhythmic performance of the "Rite" — in stark contrast to the second work on this disc, Ravel's melodic "Mother Goose Suite" which was also originally for piano four hands.
