Arthur Athan

Arthur Athan is an accomplished concert pianist, piano teacher and graduate lawyer from Melbourne. He completed his Bachelor of Law, Bachelor of Music (piano performance) and Diploma of Languages (Indonesian) at Monash University in 2017. His principal teachers have been Tamara Smolyar, Coordinator of Piano at the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music, Monash University, and Majella Drew.

 

An accomplished performer, Arthur regularly gives recitals throughout Melbourne, around Australia and overseas. Arthur was awarded second prize at the 2016 UCSI International Piano Competition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and first prize, the Audience Choice Award and the John Hopkins Performance Fellowship at the 2015 Australian Vocal and Concerto Competition in Townsville, Australia. He was selected for the 2015 Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition in Brisbane, 2016 Keri Keri International Piano Competition in New Zealand and the 2016 NTD International Piano Competition in New York, USA.

 

Arthur made his concerto debut in 2014 performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No 1 with the Old Scotch Symphony Orchestra and John Ferguson. He has since appeared in concerto engagements with the Monash Academy Orchestra in Melbourne, the Barrier Reef Orchestra in Townvsille and the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra in Perth. He has worked with pre-imminent Australian conductors Fabian Russell, Mario Dobernig and Raymond Yong.

 

Within Melbourne, he was awarded first prize in the 2014 3MBS live performance series ‘The Talent’ Season 1. Other accolades include the Open Piano Recital and the Fred McCubbin Open Piano Concerto Prizes of the South Eastern Arts Festival (2010 and 2015), the MSV Nehama Patkin Memorial Award (2011), first prize in the Knox Piano Awards Open (2014) and the Highway Press Award. Arthur also performs regularly on 3MBS radio.

 

Arthur’s excellence in his university music studies were recognised with the inaugural Spivakovsky Prize (2015), Concerto Award (2014) and the Anna Chmiel Memorial Award (2014) awarded by the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and the Faculty of Arts, Monash University. During his undergraduate degree, he was awarded the Joan Earle Prize (2013-2015) each year for achieving the highest mark in performance.

 

During his studies, Arthur has participated in masterclasses with eminent pianists and pedagogues including the legendary Paul Badura-Skoda (Austria), Dr Leslie Howard (UK/Australia), Professor Stephen McIntyre, Professor Max Cooke, Natasha Vlassenko, Roberto Prosseda (Italy), Nicolas Hodges (UK), Philippe Cassard (France), Dr Dorian Leljak (Serbia), and Associate Professor Junghwa Lee (Korea/USA).

 

During his secondary studies, he achieved his AMusA with Distinction and his LMusA. He completed his VCE at Scotch College in 2011 where he achieved a perfect score in Music Performance under the tutelage of Majella Drew.

 

Aside from performing, Arthur has been teaching privately for over 7 years and has taught beginners up to fellow undergraduate students. He has taught several students who have successfully continued their piano studies at tertiary level. Arthur was the sole adjudicator of the 2015 Kerang Music Eisteddfod (Vic) and the 2017 Centralian Eisteddfod in Alice Springs (NT).

 

Arthur has affiliations and has given recitals or concerto appearances with the Musical Society of Victoria, Music Lovers Society, Botted Snail Productions, the annual Missionvale charity events, the Monash Academy of Performing Arts, the Old Scotch Symphony Orchestra, the Austral Salon, the annual Alliance Francaise ‘Fete de la Musique’ as well as the Bohemian Rhapsody Social Club. He also serves in the music ministry at Donvale Presbyterian Church.

 

Arthur is the immediate past Treasurer and a member of the current advisory board and founding committee of the Monash Music Students’ Society (est. 2015). He serve with the music ministry at Donvale Presbyterian Church as Music Director

 

Soli Deo Gloria

 

“Music is God's gift to man, the only art of Heaven given to earth, the only art of earth we take to Heaven.” Walter Savage Landor