Stefan Cassomenos
Stefan Cassomenos
image © Belinda Shrodder
"Pianist Stefan Cassomenos strode on stage to warm applause, and left it to a thunderous ovation some 30 minutes later." ClassikON
"One of Australia's best-loved and charismatic pianists!" OnlyMelbourne
Melbourne pianist and composer Stefan Cassomenos is one of Australia’s most vibrant and versatile musicians. He has been performing internationally since the age of 10 his concerto repertoire now exceeds thirty works and has led to engagements with the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, and Melbourne Chamber Orchestra.
In 2013, Cassomenos was a grand finalist and recipient of both the Second Grand Prize and the Chamber Music Prize in the prestigious International Telekom Beethoven Piano Competition Bonn (Germany). He has been a grand finalist and prize winner in various other competitions. Cassomenos has given solo recitals at many international venues and festivals, including Tonhalle Zurich, Gewandhaus Leipzig, Beethoven Festival Bonn, Shanghai Oriental Arts Centre, Bunkamura Orchard Hall Tokyo, and Junge Stars der Klassik Kirchheimbolanden. Cassomenos now performs regularly in Australia, Germany and the UK.
Cassomenos is a founding member of acclaimed ensemble PLEXUS, with violinist Monica Curro and clarinettist Philip Arkinstall. Since launching in 2014, the ensemble has commissioned over 100 composers and premiered over 80 new works.
Cassomenos began writing music at age seven and gave the world premiere of his own Piano Concerto No 1 with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra at the age of 16. More recently, Cassomenos was commissioned as part of “250 Piano Pieces for Beethoven”, an international composition project initiated by German pianist Susanne Kessel marking Beethoven’s 250th anniversary in 2020. His new chamber opera Herodias was commissioned by Victorian Opera and will be premiered as part of their 2019 season.