guest performer — piano
Zubin Kanga
Born in Sydney, Zubin Kanga performs with some of Australia’s and Britain’s leading new music ensembles: AARK, Halcyon, Sonic Art Ensemble, Azalea Ensemble and Ensemble Offspring. He has premiered many new works by composers in Australia and the UK and has worked closely with many eminent composers including including George Benjamin, Michael Finnissy, Howard Skempton, Damien Ricketson and Michael Smetanin.
As a regular member of Ensemble Offspring, Zubin has performed with many of Australia’s leading musicians including conductor, Roland Peelman, percussionist, Claire Edwardes and soprano, Alison Morgan. Highlights of his Offspring performances include the Australian premiere of Gerard Grisey’s Vortex Temporum for piano and five instruments in 2006, performances in 2007 of Morton Feldman’s Crippled Symmetry and Steve Reich’s Tehillim and a performance of Elena Katz-Chernin’s film score Menschen am Sontag with a special screening at the 2005 Sydney Film Festival. In 2006, he gave the premiere performance of Daniel Rojas’ Concierto para piano y Orquesta with the Sydney Youth Philharmonic, conducted by David Banney. In July 2007, Zubin presented a solo recital of contemporary piano music in Sydney as part of the New Music Network, Australia 2007 series. In February, 2008, he performed Messiaen’ La Ville d’en Haut with the Royal Academy Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Susanna Malkki, and in October 2008 performed solo works by Messiaen and Benjamin - all as part of the Southbank’s Messiaen Festival. In June 2008, Zubin performed the opening recital of the Late Music Festival, York, featuring new music by British and Australian composers.
His work in musicology is also highly regarded and he presented his work on the Australian composer, David Lumsdaine at the National Conference of the Musicological Society of Australia in 2006. His lecture-recital on the piano works of Michael Finnissy was awarded the Greta Parkinson Prize by the Royal Academy of Music in 2008.
In 2006, Zubin graduated from the University of Sydney where he studied music, philosophy and science. During his studies he received many awards from the Sydney University Music Department including three Frank Albert Prizes (2001, 2002 and 2006), the Donald Peart Memorial Scholarship (2003 and 2006) and the Busby Musical Scholarship (2005). He graduated with 1st Class Honours and the University Medal in music. After studying in Sydney with Ransford Elsley, Zubin commenced his postgraduate studies with a full scholarship (Tobias Matthay Fellowship and Winifred Christie Award) to the Royal Academy of Music, London in 2007. He is also supported by Ars Music Australis and by the Rose Mandelbaum Postgraduate Travelling Scholarship from the University of Sydney. He studies piano with Rolf Hind and Kathryn Stott and studies conducting with Christopher Austin. He was awarded the Peter Latham Award after his first year at the Academy and he was recently offered a place on their PhD program.
Concerts with Chronology Arts