Latest news with #AbhinathBerry
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Late starter, strong finisher
This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions. Pianist Abhinath Berry Photo: Supplied As a child, Abhinath Berry didn't enjoy piano lessons, so he stopped having them. Usually, that'd be the end of the story - at least the story the piano would play in the young musician's life. But as Berry reached his mid-teens, he began to avail himself of the piano keyboards at his Dunedin high school. And at home, Berry began to teach himself. It may not have given the perfect technique (in fact, for a while Berry probably thought he'd left his run too late to take up the piano professionally), but he was good enough to convince Otago University Piano Professor Terence Dennis to award him a place at the University's music school. Now, having graduated from Otago, Berry is halfway through a Master of Music in Performance at London's Guildhall School of Music. He's taken a break from London and its exceedingly hot summer to return to New Zealand, where he's enjoying the Dunedin winter while also performing several concerts. Berry spoke to RNZ Concert's Bryan Crump, where they discussed his introduction to the piano, what he's playing during his working trip around the country, and what he's looking forward to when he returns to Guildhall for the second half of his course. Berry says that will focus more on teaching musicians the marketing skills they need to carve our a musical niche in a busy professional field. He's also been working on developing piano exercises that tap into some of the things he learned when he was still teaching himself. Exercises which are shorter than those often prescribed today, and which focus on specific challenges a pianist needs to overcome, rather than running on for too long and running the risk of the musician injuring themselves. Having already performed a concert in Dunedin, Berry still has three gigs to go before returning to the Northern Hemisphere: in Wellington, Arrowtown and Wanaka.
Otago Daily Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Truly outstanding recital
Abhinath Berry. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Abhinath Berry is home from a year of advanced piano studies in London. He played to a full-house audience in Hanover Hall on Friday evening, many of whom have followed the development of this young man's amazing talent during his recent years of study at University of Otago, under the tutelage of Prof Terence Dennis. His chosen programme included four works, reasonably contrasting but all immensely difficult and demanding. The openingfeatured six of George Gershwin's well-known songs brilliantly transcribed with elaborate pianistic embellishments by American pianist Earl Wild (1915-2010) while strictly maintaining Gershwin's familiar melodies and syncopated style. A sublime delivery, unbelievably relaxed and emotional. Three movements from a suite by Ravel entitled Miroirs followed: Oiseaux tristes, Une barque sur l'ocean and Alborado del gracioso, the last maintaining a lyricism throughout. Etude-Fantasy, by John Corigliano, a set of five studies, the first for the left hand only, utilised the entire keyboard, conquering a range of intricate passages while the right hand rested on the desk. The four that followed were indeed a smorgasbord of complex contrasting pianistic styles, all negotiated with unbelievable mastery. Hungarian Rhapsody Op 9, by Franz Liszt, is a fiendishly difficult work, crammed with wildly dramatic virtuosity. Berry conquered the lot, mesmerising his audience with calm, confident pianistic technique. A short encore was a complex etude for piano by Finnish composer Rautavaara and completed an outstanding recital. Berry will return to London to continue his studies and there is no doubt a great future beckons in which he will be recognised and in demand as an international concert pianist. Dunedin followers wish this quiet, unpretentious young man and his unique musical talent every success for a phenomenal career.
Otago Daily Times
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Pianist returns, recitals set
A trip home to Dunedin during the summer break from his studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London is proving a welcome respite from the heat for pianist Abhinath Berry, 24. It was also a good chance for him to reconnect with local audiences, whose support helped him to achieve his goal of studying at the prestigious school. "I have had wonderful support here in Dunedin, including from Terence Dennis, Elizabeth Wilson, Ashley and Leslie Day, and Judy Bellingham, and others, as well as from audiences. "I feel very lucky." Berry has now completed his first year of postgraduate study in piano in London and will return to the northern hemisphere in August ahead of embarking on his second year in September. "But first, I am going to Spain to take part in the Gijon International Piano Festival, which will give me opportunities to play and to participate in master classes. "I have never been to a piano festival before, I think it will be an interesting experience," he said. Berry said his first year at the Guildhall School had been "a great start", which had given him many chances to perform and receive expert guidance. "I definitely took advantage of every opportunity I could get to play." Alongside his academic studies, which included an original research project, Berry practised the piano for between four and eight hours each day, as he worked on learning new repertoire with teacher Alexander Soares. "Getting to work with him has been really good for my development, particularly around more contemporary music. "I have played a lot of Romantic music and the style of playing in contemporary music is very different, it is more about exploring the sounds you can make on a piano," he said. For his research project, Berry looked at developing technical exercises for piano players that would help to address some of the shortcomings, physical and psychological injury risks of more traditional methods. "In my project I asked, what if we could make exercises that were lower risk and more enjoyable to practise. "Eventually, my goal is to create a book of such exercises that self-taught piano players can use at home." Berry has been fortunate to receive another scholarship to help cover costs. His studies will include even more opportunities for recitals and professional skills development, as he and his fellow students work towards developing performance and academic careers. • Berry will give a recital for Dunedin music lovers this Friday, July 11, from 7pm at Hanover Hall, playing works from his new repertoire, including Ravel, Corigliano, Gerswhin-Wild and Liszt. He will also give concerts in Wellington, Wānaka and Alexandra this month.
Otago Daily Times
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Returning pianist to perform
Abhinath Berry. Photo: supplied Dunedin pianist Abhinath Berry is home for a visit during the summer break from his studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and will share his music with local audiences in a series of concerts. Berry will give a recital for Dunedin music lovers next Friday, July 11, from 7pm at Hanover Hall, playing works by Ravel, Corigliano, Gerswhin-Wild, and Liszt. Tickets are available online via humanitix or at the door. He will also give concerts in Wellington and Wānaka this month. Berry has just completed his first year of postgraduate study in piano at the Guildhall, and will return to London later in the year to undertake his second year towards a master of performance qualification. After studying the piano in Dunedin, winning prizes, and fundraising through numerous recitals, Berry was awarded a $21,000 scholarship to cover Guildhall fees, and departed last August for London. The talented pianist was mainly self-taught until he was accepted to study at the University of Otago and had his first formal lessons. He also sang in the Otago Boys' High School Choir, under conductor Karen Knudson. After studying piano with Prof Terence Dennis and composition with Prof Anthony Ritchie, Prof Peter Adams and Dunedin-based composer Ken Young, Berry graduated with a BMus (Hons) in performance and composition in 2022. He placed second in the inaugural Dunedin Concerto Competition in 2021.
