Rebecca Chambers (pianist)

For other people named Rebecca Chambers, see Rebecca Chambers (disambiguation).

Rebecca Chambers (born 31 May 1975) is an Australian concert pianist from Melbourne.

Early life and education

In 1996 she was named Young Australian of the Year.[1][2] She was educated at Victorian College of the Arts.[3] She made her debut as piano soloist with an orchestra at age 7.[4]

I am very proud of being Australian. I appreciate it much more now I’ve gone overseas. We have a unique personality, which is very refreshing.[1]

When interviewed by the Sydney Morning Herald in 2003 for a story about how winners of the Young Australian of the Year Award thought their country had changed, Chambers stated:

Sometimes you have no idea what defines you or your nation until you've spoken to other people and have their perspective. … We all want happiness, we all want to avoid pain and suffering.[5]

She won the piano section of the ABC Young Performers Award in 1993.[1] She received the Roy Rubinstein Award while pursuing her master's degree at the Manhattan School of Music.

Career and personal life

A solo performance with the Manhattan Symphony at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City was her professional debut overseas, as winner of the inaugural Panasonic Award.[1] She also received the John Gaitskell Mensa Award for highest academic and performance achievement.[6] Chambers is married to Greg McMaster, a vocalist (tenor) and a personal trainer; the couple have a son. Together they started a business in May 2014 called Kidko. Kidko holds performing arts classes - singing, dance and drama as incursions and after school classes.

Chambers is the director of Chambers Music and teaches private piano lessons.

She is an accomplished ballroom dancer. She has also produced, filmed and edited five documentaries, which have been aired on Channel 31.

Chambers is a naturopath, having completed an Advanced Diploma in Health Science (Naturopathy) from Endeavour College (formerly the Australian College of Natural Medicine) in 2009.

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Rebecca Chambers". National Australia Day Council. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  2. ^ Australian Government, National Capital Authority (2010). "Australians of the Year Walk". nationalcapital.gov.au. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  3. ^ Melbourne, School of Historical Studies, Department of History, The University of. "Victorian College of the Arts - Entry - eMelbourne - The Encyclopedia of Melbourne Online". www.emelbourne.net.au. Retrieved 1 February 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "KIDKO after school performing arts". KIDKO after school performing arts. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  5. ^ Gaensler, Bryan (25 January 2003). "Keeping the faith in a world less certain". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  6. ^ "Zelman Symphony - Rebecca Chambers". zelmansymphony.org.au. 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2010.

Further reading