Episode 71 - Out West Piano Fest

G’day, everyone—and welcome back to Piano, Finally, a podcast by an old bloke learning the piano, finally.

This week’s episode recaps my trip to the Out West Piano Fest
in Bathurst—a weekend of incredible performances, great company, and the best farm food I’ve ever had.

🎼 Review – Out West Piano Fest
Held on Blackdown Farm and organised by Piano Plus, the festival brings together music, meals, and the scenic countryside over three days. The performances took place in a gallery-shed surrounded by Indigenous art, featuring two Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grands (each valued at $380,000—coffee machine included if you buy one!).

The lineup included four pianists—Jeonghwan Kim, Wynona Wang, Rueben Tsang, and Mark Coughlan—along with soprano Rachelle Durkin and violinist Harry Bennetts. From Mozart and Liszt to Chopin, Strauss, and Rachmaninov, each concert offered something new. Highlights included Wynona Wang’s dazzling Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 1and the four pianists tackling Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro overture together.

Meals were as memorable as the music, shared at communal tables with fellow festivalgoers, performers, and even a few magazine editors and doctors. A small crowd, big talent, and genuine connection made it a perfect weekend.

🎙 Interview – Jay Byrnes
I also chatted with producer Jay Byrnes, who explained the logistics behind moving multiple concert grands into a farm shed, coordinating artists, and balancing food, design, and music. It takes months of planning—and a love of chaos—to pull it off. Jay’s enthusiasm for combining music and community makes the festival what it is.

🎧 19th International Chopin Competition Playlist
I’ve been watching performances from the Chopin Competition and following Devi’s advice to compare interpretations of the same work. There’s a playlist of finalists performing Chopin’s Polonaise-Fantaisie—you can find it here
.

🎻 Coming Up
Next week I’ll share my wrap-up of the Chopin Competition and return to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Opera House for Janáček’s Sinfonietta, Dvořák’s Cello Concerto, and Ravel’s Pictures at an Exhibition.

🎹 Progress
Wynn-Anne Rossi’s A Wild Chase is now nearly performance-ready, and I’ve started on Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14 in C♯ minor—the Moonlight Sonata. I’m only a few bars in, but loving it already.

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