Andrew Chubb

ANDREW CHUBB is an Australian pianist, composer, conductor and teacher currently living and working in the coastal city of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. For the past decade as a pianist, his concert programs have consisted of a diverse range of repertoire from the works of Mozart and Beethoven through to compositions of today. Andrew’s recital programs often deliberately include works of modern composers – some which are relatively unknown to most audiences. He has been passionate to promote such music – bringing new life to compositions that are for whatever reason, neglected in the main concert repertoire.

As strange as it may seem, the now hugely popular piano music of Philip Glass was scarcely performed in Australia over a decade ago with the exception of when performed by Glass himself during his occasional tours to Australia. In 2003, Andrew commenced a series of all-Glass piano recital concerts in Australia. These performances were well received by Australian audiences and by 2007; he was the first and only Australian pianist to have performed the main cycle of Glass piano works current to that time including the Australian premiere of Glass's 'The Hours'. During this period he also made a noted Australian premiere of a significant work, 'The Book of Sounds', by the German composer Hans Otte. Andrew gave this performance of this mammoth 75 min work on the Australian built Stuart and Sons piano at the Newcastle Conservatorium of Music. More recently in 2011, Andrew gave an Australian premiere of another German work, the 'Sonata No.7' by Heinz Chur and recently premiered this work and Andrew Shapiro's 'Mint Green' to Canadian audiences during his recital tour of Canada in early 2013. His piano recordings of Shapiro's work have been used by the ABC in serveral episodes of the popular Australian ABC TV program, 'Mad As Hell'.

Andrew’s composition writing has steadily increased over the past 15 years with his first published work (Publications by Wirripang), 'Motion One', for solo piano (1998), marking an important step into his minimalist based style. This piano work has since been adapted for solo marimba and then choreographed by Sergei Vanaev for the ballet, 'Motion One', performed in 2009 by the Bremerhaven Ballet with Tomoyo Ueda, marimba. The influence of Steve Reich, Arvo Pärt, Hans Otte is quite evident in a number of Andrew’s concert works. 'Meditation at Bar Beach' for piano solo (2007), was written, in part, as a collaboration with Australian photographer, Allan Chawner, in their work, 'Bar Beach (Beyond the Sea)'. This work displays many distinctive elements of Pärt’s idiom and has been exhibited and performed both in Australia and Canada. More recent works from 2011 onwards, such as 'Chaconne' for piano trio and 'Glass’s Hour' for solo piano, openly use some of the characteristic techniques of Philip Glass. The latter piano work was written in celebration of Glass in his 75th birthday year. A number of new works are planned for 2014 including commissions for the Sydney ensemble, Strelitzia, French pianist Nicolas Horvath and the Manning Winter Festival. Recently in Janurary 2015, ABC Classic FM broadcast two of Andrew's chamber works; 'Chaconne' and 'Berceuse' which had been recorded in the ABC studios in March 2014.

Andrew’s other activities include a busy teaching schedule in his home city of Newcastle where he operates a piano studio and continues to teach at the Newcastle Conservatorium of Music, University of Newcastle. He also partakes in examination and adjudication activities along with giving open pedagogical piano classes. Through Andrew’s teaching, many students of various levels from beginner to Licentiate Diploma, have achieved considerable success in developing important musical, technical and ‘thinking' skills associated with a deeper understanding and passion for classical music of all genres. Many of his students have been highly successful in competitions and eisteddfods throughout Sydney and NSW as well AMEB and HSC music examinations. Recently, three of his former students studied tertiary level music at Monash University, Brisbane Conservatorium, Melbourne Univeristy and Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Andrew graduated from Newcastle Conservatorium, University of Newcastle in 1998 with a Double Major Bachelor Degree in piano and viola (Carmel Lutton OAM and Dr Deborah Lander his teachers) and then in 2000 with an Honors Degree in piano performance and research (the Piano Fantasias of Mozart). During his Bachelor degree, he studied composition in classes lectured by Christian Hiem and Nigel Butterley.

Andrew Chubb’s tracks

• Andrew CHUBB: String Quartet (2014) by Andrew Chubb
• Andrew CHUBB: Glass's Hour by Andrew Chubb
• Andrew CHUBB: Chaconne by Andrew Chubb
• Andrew CHUBB: 'Berceuse' for cello and piano by Andrew Chubb
• Chopin - Nocturne in E flat, Op.9 No.2 - Andrew Chubb piano (sample) by Andrew Chubb
• Andrew CHUBB: 'Chaconne' for piano trio by Andrew Chubb
• Andrew CHUBB: 'Soliloquy' for piano by Andrew Chubb
• Andrew CHUBB: 'Soliloquy' for piano by Andrew Chubb
• Andrew CHUBB: 'Butterfly Fandango' for two flutes by Andrew Chubb
• Andrew CHUBB: 'Motion One' for piano by Andrew Chubb