Geoffrey Tozer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Geoffrey Peter Bede Hawkshaw Tozer |
| Born | 5 November 1954 Mussoorie, India |
| Origin | Australia |
| Died | 21 August 2009 (aged 54) Melbourne, Australia |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation | Pianist |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Years active | 1962–2009 |
| Labels | Chandos Records |
| Website | geoffreytozerlegacy.com |
Geoffrey Peter Bede Hawkshaw Tozer (5 November 1954 – 21 August 2009) was an Australian classical pianist and composer. A child prodigy, he composed an opera at the age of eight and became the youngest recipient of a Churchill Fellowship award at 13. His career included tours of Europe, America, Australia and China, where he performed the Yellow River Concerto to an estimated audience of 80 million people. Tozer had more than 100 concertos in his repertoire, including those of Mozart, Beethoven, Liszt, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Medtner, Rachmaninoff, Bartók, Stravinsky, Prokofiev and Gerhard.[1]
Tozer recorded for the Chandos label, beginning with the works of Medtner. He was regarded as a "superb recitalist" and had the ability to improvise, transpose "instantly" and reduce an orchestral score to a piano score at sight.[1] Tozer won numerous awards and much recognition worldwide, but suffered comparative neglect in Australia, during the last years of his life.[2]
- ^ a b "Obituaries: Geoffrey Tozer: Australian virtuoso pianist". The Times. London. 23 September 2009. p. 51. Archived from the original on 24 May 2010.
- ^ Keating, Paul (2 October 2009). "Geoffrey Tozer eulogy delivered by Paul Keating". The Australian. Archived from the original on 31 December 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2012.