2002 IPPEC Examiner

Dr. Glenn Riddle

Melbourne-born pianist Glenn Riddle is widely recognized as one of the leading mentors of young pianists in Australia. Having studied at the Royal College of Music with Peter Wallfisch and at the Vienna Hochschule für Musik with Paul Badura-Skoda, Glenn returned to Australia in 1988, completing a Master's degree in Performance at the University of Melbourne. The recipient of numerous prizes and scholarships, his awards include: the inaugural Sydney Eisteddfod Overseas Piano Scholarship, the prestigious Horlock and Clarke scholarships, two Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Trust scholarships and an Ian Potter Foundation award.

Glenn is currently Lecturer in Music at the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne. He lectures in piano at both the VCA and at the Faculty of Music, University of Melbourne.

Glenn has performed as soloist and chamber musician in the USA, Europe, and in Australia, and has performed on numerous occasions with the leading contemporary ensemble Chamber Made Opera. He is heard frequently on ABC FM both as soloist and as chamber musician - most recently in a piano recital entitled 'Grainger and the Frankfurt Gang' for Sunday Live last December.

Glenn Riddle has a special interest in music of Percy Grainger, performing and recording the works of Grainger, as well as lecturing and publishing articles on Percy as both pianist and teacher. Glenn also features as piano soloist in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's acclaimed recording of Grainger's Music for an Imaginary Ballet 'The Warriors'. His Masters thesis was an exploration of Percy Grainger the pianist.

Glenn Riddle also recently founded the Grainger Ensemble, a chamber orchestra, which he both directs and conducts. The Grainger Ensemble performs works not only by Grainger - it has also premiered numerous works by leading young Melbourne composers and arrangers. Giving young soloists the chance to perform concertos is another objective of the ensemble, which also raises money for various charities. In August 2006, Glenn was heard playing the piano as well as directing the Grainger Ensemble in an ABC Live broadcast from Iwaki Auditorium in a program curated by Vincent Plush in conjunction with the National Library, Canberra - 'Grainger - the Folklorist'. (See feature article in August Limelight magazine)