Clemens Leske

Clemens Leske [piano] is one of Australia's most distinguished pianists. He has been concerto soloist with all of Australia's symphony orchestras under such conductors as Vladimir Spivakov, Nicholas Braithwaite, Muhai Tang, Vernon Handley, Raimon Gamba and Tommy Tycho. During his studies at the Juilliard School, New York, Clemens regularly appeared at Lincoln Center in the famed 'Bang on a Can' and 'Focus' festivals of contemporary music. He has won numerous prizes and awards, including the ABC Young Performer of the Year, the David Paul Landa Memorial Scholarship (Australia) and the Hattori Award (London). Clemens has regularly performed with the Australian String Quartet, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Moscow Virtuosi and at such festivals as the Barossa International, Huntington, Spring and Adelaide. He has been soloist with the Bangkok Symphony performing the Schumann Piano Concerto for the King of Thailand's birthday concert, and later with the Sydney Symphony performing to great acclaim the Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto. In May 2005 Clemens gave his London debut in the Royal Festival Hall, performing Rachmaninov's First Piano Concerto with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Subsequent appearances included a performance of Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Eastbourne Festival in 2008, performances in the eight-piano Steinway Spectacular, a performance of Bach's 'Goldberg' Variations at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, the World Premiere of Carl Vine's 'Anne Landa Preludes' (2006) and a solo recital as part of Historic Houses Trust’s ‘House Music’ series at Government House. Other engagements include appearances as soloist with the Sydney Symphony at Angel Place and the Opera House, performing Mozart's K413 Piano Concerto in July 2009; three performances of Strauss's "Burlesque" with the same orchestra, under the baton of Vladimir Ashkenazy, in May 2010; and a national tour with the very successful "Steinway Spectacular" stage show. He has released three discs of solo piano and chamber music and has recorded extensively for Australian radio stations ABC Classic FM, 2MBS-FM and 5UV. He is currently Lecturer in Keyboard at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Clemens has recorded for Wirripang:

A Poet's Composer (Horace Keats)