Michael Brimer
Encyclopedia
Michael Brimer is a pianist, organist, conductor, composer, and academic.
He was born in South Africa
and studied with Eleanor Bonnar, a pupil of Leopold Godowsky
. He continued studies at the University of Cape Town
, the Royal College of Music
, the Royal School of Church Music
in London and at the University of Cambridge
. He also studied in Vienna
and Australia
, where he now lives. He was music master at Brisbane
’s Church of England Grammar School in the late 1950s. During that time, he staged Gilbert and Sullivan
’s The Mikado
, the first time an out-of-copyright G&S production had been staged in Queensland. His academic career included appointments at the University of Western Australia
, Monash University
and the University of Natal
as Foundation Professor of Music, the University of Cape Town as Dean of the Faculty of Music. and the University of Melbourne
where he was for nine years the Ormond Professor of Music. He was appointed Professor Emeritus on leaving Melbourne
and subsequently has been based in Sydney
while performing and lecturing.
His international solo-performing career also flourished and he has given concerts in many countries as recitalist, soloist and chamber musician. In 1962 he premiered Malcolm Williamson
's Piano Concerto No. 2. He is a member of The Australian Trio, along with Donald Hazlewood (violin) and Georg Pedersen (cello). He has performed the complete series of Beethoven
's 32 piano sonatas five times to great critical acclaim. In Australia, both the live broadcast and recorded series of the Beethoven and of the complete Schumann
piano works have been voted the most popular series on ABC Classic FM
in the ABC’s annual listener survey.
Michael Brimer’s many performances as organist have included those at the Royal Albert Hall
, Clare and King’s Colleges, Cambridge, and the Sydney and Melbourne Town Halls, as well as soloist with Australian orchestras.
His conducting experience with orchestras in Australia and overseas has encompassed opera, choral and orchestral repertoire, from classical to contemporary works (including premiere performances).
He and his wife Judith were among the co-founders of the Bermagui Four Winds Festival, at which some of his works have been played and he has appeared as a pianist.
Michael Brimer has composed a number of works. Both his Piano Trios were premiered with the Australian Trio, and the first (2001) has recorded.
In 1975, his book Utopia Unlimited was published in Cape Town.
In 2005, Professor Brimer was appointed Music Pedagogy Adviser to the Australian Music Examinations Board
(NSW), and is a member of AMEB's Teaching Specialist Panel.
He was a juror for the 2006 Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition, and the 2008 Sydney International Piano Competition
(SIPCA). He also assisted Warren Thomson
in the Sydney auditions for the 2008 SIPCA.
He was born in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and studied with Eleanor Bonnar, a pupil of Leopold Godowsky
Leopold Godowsky
Leopold Godowsky was a famed Polish American pianist, composer, and teacher. One of the most highly regarded performers of his time, he became known for his theories concerning the application of relaxed weight and economy of motion in piano playing, principles later propagated by Godowsky's...
. He continued studies at the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
, the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
, the Royal School of Church Music
Royal School of Church Music
The largest church music organisation in Britain, the Royal School of Church Music was founded in 1927 by Sir Sydney Nicholson and has 11,000 members worldwide; it was originally named the School of English Church Music. It seeks to enable church music in the present and invest in its future,...
in London and at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. He also studied in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where he now lives. He was music master at Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
’s Church of England Grammar School in the late 1950s. During that time, he staged Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
’s The Mikado
The Mikado
The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations...
, the first time an out-of-copyright G&S production had been staged in Queensland. His academic career included appointments at the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
, Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
and the University of Natal
University of Natal
The University of Natal was a university in Natal, and later KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, that is now part of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. It was founded in 1910 as the Natal University College in Pietermaritzburg, and expanded to include a campus in Durban in 1931. In 1947, the university...
as Foundation Professor of Music, the University of Cape Town as Dean of the Faculty of Music. and the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
where he was for nine years the Ormond Professor of Music. He was appointed Professor Emeritus on leaving Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and subsequently has been based in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
while performing and lecturing.
His international solo-performing career also flourished and he has given concerts in many countries as recitalist, soloist and chamber musician. In 1962 he premiered Malcolm Williamson
Malcolm Williamson
Malcolm Benjamin Graham Christopher Williamson AO , CBE was an Australian composer. He was the Master of the Queen's Music from 1975 until his death.-Biography:...
's Piano Concerto No. 2. He is a member of The Australian Trio, along with Donald Hazlewood (violin) and Georg Pedersen (cello). He has performed the complete series of Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
's 32 piano sonatas five times to great critical acclaim. In Australia, both the live broadcast and recorded series of the Beethoven and of the complete Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
piano works have been voted the most popular series on ABC Classic FM
ABC Classic FM
ABC Classic FM is a classical music radio station available in Australia, and internationally online. It is operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation . It was established in 1976 as "ABC-FM", and later for a short time was known as "ABC Fine Music" , before adopting its current name...
in the ABC’s annual listener survey.
Michael Brimer’s many performances as organist have included those at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, Clare and King’s Colleges, Cambridge, and the Sydney and Melbourne Town Halls, as well as soloist with Australian orchestras.
His conducting experience with orchestras in Australia and overseas has encompassed opera, choral and orchestral repertoire, from classical to contemporary works (including premiere performances).
He and his wife Judith were among the co-founders of the Bermagui Four Winds Festival, at which some of his works have been played and he has appeared as a pianist.
Michael Brimer has composed a number of works. Both his Piano Trios were premiered with the Australian Trio, and the first (2001) has recorded.
In 1975, his book Utopia Unlimited was published in Cape Town.
In 2005, Professor Brimer was appointed Music Pedagogy Adviser to the Australian Music Examinations Board
Australian Music Examinations Board
The Australian Music Examinations Board is a privately funded corporation which assesses music, speech, and drama in Australia. The organisation had its beginnings at the Universities of Melbourne and Adelaide in 1887; the organisation now has a Federal Office in Melbourne, and offices in each...
(NSW), and is a member of AMEB's Teaching Specialist Panel.
He was a juror for the 2006 Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition, and the 2008 Sydney International Piano Competition
Sydney International Piano Competition
The Sydney International Piano Competition of Australia is a music competition, presented by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in association with the University of Sydney and broadcast live throughout Australia. It is held every four years, over a three-week period in July-August, and is...
(SIPCA). He also assisted Warren Thomson
Warren Thomson
Warren Milton Thomson OAM is an Australian pianist, music editor, music educator and piano competition juror. He is best known in Australia as Artistic Director and Chairman of the jury of the Sydney International Piano Competition since its inception in 1977. He auditions all the entrants,...
in the Sydney auditions for the 2008 SIPCA.