Ian Hanger AM QC, Chairman

Welcome everyone, to Australia's leading national Piano Competition and Festival!

Auditions of 58 entrants have been conducted all over Australia and New Zealand to select 20, and we welcome those 20 fortunate competitors to Brisbane.

This is the fifth biennial competition, which is aimed at giving young performers the chance to get the requisite experience to compete at an international level.  We have been successful in attaining our aim and I need only mention our latest achievement.  There are 36 pianists who have been selected from around the world to play in the Cleveland Ohio International Piano Competition.  Of those 36, four are from Australia and New Zealand and every one of them has performed in the final round of the Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition. 

I look forward to seeing you at any and all of the events in the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University between 12 and 25 August 2007.