Duncan George Gifford (born 26 November 1972) is an Australian-born award-winning concert pianist and teacher. He has been a professor of piano at the Conservatory of Palma in Majorca since 2006. Musica Viva describes him as a "major artist of his generation". The Sydney Morning Herald described him as "a virtuosic and musically eloquent soloist".[1]
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Gifford was born in Sydney and educated at Newington College (1985–1990),[2] the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and in Russia at the Moscow Conservatory.[3]
Gifford's impressive record of international piano competition awards began in 1992, when he won the 3rd Prize in the Sydney International Piano Competition. He was the highest placed Australian competitor in the history of the competition (this has since been equalled by Daniel Hill, who placed 3rd at the 2004 competition). He won 4th Prize in the 1994 Dublin International Piano Competition and 3rd Prize in the 1996 Montreal International Piano Competition. He was awarded 1st Prize, and the Beethoven and Chopin Prizes, in the 1998 José Iturbi International Piano Competition in Spain, 1st Prize in the 1999 Concours Prix Mozart in Lausanne, and 1st Prize in the 2000 Maria Callas Grand Prix de Piano in Athens.[4]
Gifford has performed with orchestras and in recitals throughout Europe, Russia, Japan, Australasia, and in the United States where he gave his Carnegie Hall debut recital in 1999. In 1993 he released his first CD featuring the music of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff.[5]
Since 1996, Gifford has been based in Madrid, where he is professor of piano.