Gillian murray david helfgott biography

With the passing of Gillian Helfgott on August 16, aged 90, “CityNews” music writer TONY MAGEE reminiscences of the time she brought her famous pianist husband David to Canberra to play a concert launching the Czech-manufactured piano, Petrof.

THE Petrof importers had approached Christopher Davis, managing director of Canberra’s DW Music, where I worked, to commence discussions on stocking that brand, which resulted in a successful agreement and we received our first stock – four uprights and four grands – in July, 2009.

In 1994, after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia into the democracies of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the Czech government poured the equivalent of $A24 million into refurbishing the Petrof factory.

The shipment we received in 2009 was a result of this new technology and manufacturing excellence.

One thing that sealed the deal for our shop, was the guarantee that the importers had secured Australian pianist David Helfgott as their official endorsee and brand ambassador and that a concert date would be arranged for him to perform in the store on their second-largest grand piano model, the “Monsoon”.

It was a free event, but as word spread, we quickly gave away all available 250 tickets.

The icing on the cake came when the Czech ambassador agreed to attend and make an address.

Three years earlier in 1996, Scott Rankin’s Australian movie “Shine” was produced and released. It is a biographical, psychological drama based on the life of David Helfgott, distributed and published by Andrew Pike and Ronin films here in Canberra.

The day finally came in 2009 when David and Gillian arrived at our shop in Canberra, about 4.30pm, three hours before the concert would commence.

David’s apparent eccentricities initially amounted to nothing more than asking “where is your kitchen”?

Gillian was busy discussing formalities with Chris and didn’t hear this exchange, so one of the junior staff showed h

David Helfgott

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

David Helfgott (born 19 May 1947) is an Australian concert pianist. Helfgott's life inspired the Oscar-winning film Shine, in which he was played by Geoffrey Rush.

Contents

1. 11 Biography
   

1. 11.1 Early life
   

2. 21.2 London studies and mental illness
   

3. 31.3 Shine
   

4. 41.4 Current musical career
   

2. 22 Personal life
   

3. 33 Awards
   

4. 44 References
   

5. 55 Sources
   

6. 66 External links
   

Biography

Early life

Helfgott was born in Melbourne to Polish Jewish parents. He became known as a child prodigy after his father started teaching him the piano when he was five. When he was ten years old he studied under Frank Arndt, a Perth piano teacher, and won several local competitions—sometimes alone and sometimes with his elder sister Margaret.

At the age of fourteen while studying at Mount Lawley Senior High School, people such as Perth composer James Penberthy and writer Katharine Susannah Prichard raised money to enable him to go to the United States to study music. However, his father denied him permission. From age 17 he studied with Alice Carrard, a former student of Béla Bartók and István Thomán. He won the state final of the ABC Instrumental and Vocal Competition six times.[1]

London studies and mental illness

At the age of nineteen, Helfgott won a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music in London, where he studied under the pianist Cyril Smith for three years. The awards he won at the RCM included the Dannreuther Prize for Best Concerto Performance for his performance of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3, and the Marmaduke Barton Prize.[1]

During his time in London he began showing more definite manifestations of schizoaffective disorder. He returned to Perth in 1970. The following year he married Clare Papp, an older woman with four children.[2] He worked as a rehearsal pianist for the Western Australian Opera Company[2] and also took part in several ABC concerts. After his

Australian concert pianist (born 1947)

David HelfgottOAM (born 19 May 1947) is an Australian concert pianist whose life inspired the Academy Award-winning film Shine, in which he was portrayed by actors Geoffrey Rush, Noah Taylor and Alex Rafalowicz.

Biography

Early life

Helfgott was born in Melbourne to Polish Jewish parents Rachel (née Granek) and Elias Peter Helfgott. He won the state final of the ABC Instrumental and Vocal Competition.

London studies and mental illness

The awards he won at the Royal College of Music included the Dannreuther Prize for Best Concerto Performance, for his performance of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3, and the Marmaduke Barton Prize.

During his time in London, he began showing more definite manifestations of schizoaffective disorder. He returned to Perth in 1970. The following year, he married Hungarian Jewish immigrant Claire Papp, who had four children. He worked as a rehearsal pianist for the Western Australian Opera Company.

In 1983, his brother Les Helfgott found him a job working at a Perth wine bar called Riccardo's. The co-owner of the bar was a doctor, Chris Reynolds, who played a significant part in Helfgott's rehabilitation and also introduced him to Gillian Murray, whom Helfgott married in 1984.

Shine

Helfgott was the subject of the 1996 film Shine, which dealt with the pianist's formative years and struggle with mental illness. Helfgott was portrayed by actors Geoffrey Rush (adult),

Gillian Helfgott, the wife of Shine pianist David Helfgott and New York Times best-selling author, has died aged 90 after a short illness. 

A statement released by her family said it was "with the deepest sadness that the family of Gillian Helfgott announces her peaceful passing on Tuesday August 16".

"A vivacious, social and passionate woman, Gillian will be long remembered and treasured," they said. 

Mrs Helfgott met pianist David Helfgott in Perth in 1983, helping him return to the concert stage after he had suffered a breakdown and spent years in a mental institution. 

She was portrayed by actress Lynne Redgrave in Shine, the 1996 film about her husband’s life, for which actor Geoffrey Rush won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

"The Oscar-winning filmShine and Gillian's New York Times best-selling autobiography, Love You to Bits and Pieces: Life with David Helfgott, brought their story to the world," the family statement read. 

In later years, the couple lived in Bellingen on the NSW Mid North Coast.

"She was an irrepressible force, helping the annual Camp Creative festival find local and international success, while also proudly supporting and promoting the 80-strong Bellingen Youth Orchestra," the family statement read. 

A woman who made things happen

Former Bellingen High School principal Rob Stockton worked in Camp Creative, which Mrs Helfgott was instrumental in establishing in Bellingen, for about 20 years.

"She was sort of larger than life — she had a lovely touch where everybo