All fourteen finalists arrived safe and sound in Shepparton - ready to meet each other, meet the judges and the organisers and the media. The 2018 Australian National Piano Award is ready to have a week of incredible music

Performance Order for Monday afternoon and evening recitals

When asked who inspires him, Vatche responds, "Every single musician on this planet.  We are all in this together and we are all striving for the same goal, to communicate through music without words".

Europe has a very rich history and culture in classical music, and travelling in general has definitely opened my eyes to so many different cultures and lifestyles; from small towns in Italy that enjoy a simple but content life, to big capital cities such as Vienna with impressive grand and elegant architecture, and where there is so much happening all the time, especially in classical music.

I love many composers. I like to play music from W. A. Mozart and F. Liszt, because I find that their music speaks to me the most.

What drew you to become a musician? When I was young, my mother allowed me to try a lot of different things but the one I enjoyed the most and seemed to resonate was to make music with the piano - spending your life doing what you love, which is also your profession - there is nothing better than that!

I am very excited about being selected for this Award – I hope to use it as an opportunity to play my best and present a variety of both familiar and lesser known repertoire to the audience and the judges. I look forward to meeting the other pianists and the renowned judges.

What do you hope to get out of this Australian National Piano Award? I’m just going to enjoy myself and share my music with the wonderful community in Shepparton.

When asked what drew him to becoming a musician, he says "It’s something difficult to articulate. It’s just always felt like the right thing to do for me. There hasn’t been a question about it really".

Jeremy So is inspired by great teachers – and not only those who teach music. It takes someone special to dedicate their life to passing on their knowledge and passion to the next generation.