CLASSIC 100 IN CONCERT Comes to Melbourne
Performances run Friday 20 June, 7.30pm and Saturday 21 June, 2:00pm.
By: Stephi Wild Jun. 10, 2025
The results are in: Beethoven's Fifth Piano Concerto, The Emperor, reigns as Australia's favourite piano piece in the ABC Classic 100: Piano.
Over the long weekend, ABC Classic 100: Piano unveiled Australia's favourite 100 piano pieces in one of the most celebrated countdowns in its 24-year history. With nearly 140,000 votes cast, this year's event set new milestones—featuring the highest representation of female composers to date, with 11 works by seven composers. The countdown also showcased 27 pieces by living composers, 11 works by Australians, and 19 beloved piano compositions written for the screen.
On June 20 and 21, Classic 100 in Concert sees MSO Principal Conductor Benjamin Northey lead the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and a host of extraordinary pianists for a spectacular evening of Australia’s favourite Piano music as voted in the countdown. ABC presenters Dr Megan Burslem and Jeremy Fernandez will host the third edition of these hugely popular live concerts.
Acclaimed Australian classical pianists Andrea Lam and Simon Tedeschi headline the program with inspirational left-handed player Dong Jun ‘DJ’ Ha (featured on ABC series The Piano), multi-talented pianist and actor Aura Go, ARIA award-winning pianist Tamara-Anna Cislowska, and the exhilarating Konstantin Shamray.
Melbourne pianist, composer, and neurodiversity advocate, Nat Bartsch and internationally revered Australian composer and MSO favourite Elena Kats-Chernin will each perform one of their own compositions for piano.
Beethoven secured his place as one of their most-loved composers across Australia, with nine listings in this year’s Classic 100, including the top two – The Emperor and Moonlight Sonata. The poet of the piano, Frédéric Chopin also secured nine listings and rounded out the top three with Nocturnes.
The Classic 100 in Concert repertoire spans classical masters including Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky, to contemporary greats including Gershwin, Kats-Chernin and Bartsch.
Australia - Melbourne Awards - Live Stats
Best Musical - Top 3
1.
BEETLEJUICE THE MUSICAL (Regent Theatre, Melbourne)
55.1% of votes
2.
TWELFTH NIGHT (St Kilda Botanical Gardens)
17.9% of votes
3.
MJ THE MUSICAL (Her Majesty's Theatre)
16.5% of votes
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