Famous Australian Pianists

Australia-born singer-songwriter Helen Maxine Reddy moved to the USA when she won a ticket to New York City, eventually remaining there, struggling to establish herself until she got her first hit, I Don’t Know How to Love Him. However, her best remembered song was I Am Woman, which went on to become a feminist anthem, making her an international star.

Tash Sultana soared to fame with her phenomenally successful single Jungle, which was first posted on YouTube and went viral on social media, gaining a million views in 5 days. The non-binary Australian singer uses the pronoun “they.” She also made it to the 2019 Forbes 30 under 30 list.

Courtney Barnett is an Australian musician, singer, and songwriter. Renowned for her witty lyrics and deadpan singing style, Barnett achieved international recognition after releasing her highly successful EP, The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas. Over the years, she has won several important awards, such as APRA Music Awards, ARIA Music Awards, and AIR Awards. 

Judith Durham is an Australian musician, singer, and songwriter. In 1963, she became the lead singer of the popular folk-influenced pop quartet The Seekers, which became the first Australian pop band to achieve major sales and chart success in the United States and the United Kingdom. Her services to music earned her the title Victorian of the Year in 2015.

Daniel Johns is an Australian singer, songwriter, and musician best known for his association with Silverchair where he was the former frontman and lyricist. Renowned for his guitaring skills, Daniel Johns was ranked 18th on Rolling Stone magazine's 25 Most Underrated Guitarists list in 2007.

Jeff Fatt is an Australian actor and musician. Fatt was one of the most popular members of a children's music group called The Wiggles; he was part of the group from its inception in 1991 to 2012. In 2011, Jeff Fatt was honored with the ARIA Hall of Fame Award along with other members of the Wiggles.

Phillip Wilcher is a pianist and composer. He is credited with co-founding the popular children's music group, The Wiggles. Wilcher achieved popularity early in his life as he released his first classical composition at the age of 14, becoming one of the youngest Australian classical composers. Over the course of his career, Wilcher has released more than 100 piano-related works.

David Helfgott is an Australian concert pianist whose performance of Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 earned him the Dannreuther Prize at the Royal College of Music. He was honored with the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2021. Helfgott's life and career inspired the 1996 biographical drama film Shine which was premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

Peter Allen was an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, and entertainer. Best remembered for his flamboyant stage persona, Allen also enjoyed a concert and cabaret career. His life and career inspired a jukebox musical titled, The Boy from Oz ,which ran on Broadway. In 1993, Peter Allen was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

Australian singer-songwriter Missy Higgins is known for her chartbusting singles such as Scar and Where I Stood. She has also performed at international events such as TEDx. Her hit album The Sound of White made it to the top 5 of the End of Decade Top 100 Albums Chart in 2010.

Born to an English father in Australia, Percy Grainger was raised by his mother after their parents’ split. Mostly homeschooled after being bullied by his batchmates, he developed a love for music and debuted as a pianist at 10. He revived English folk music and set up the Grainger Museum.

Matt Corby is an Australian singer-songwriter. He loved music from an early age and was encouraged by his parents and teachers to follow his passion. As a teenager, he auditioned for the fifth season of the reality TV show Australian Idol and emerged as the runner-up. In the ensuing years, he successfully established himself as a popular singer. 

The cofounder of the Australia’s iconic rock band, INXS, Andrew Farriss also serves as its main songwriter, keyboardist, guitarist, and backing vocalist. Opening his first band, Doctor Dolphin, while in high school, he later joined The Farriss Brothers before cofounding The Vegetables, which later became INXS. Winner of many awards, he released his debut album at the age of 62.

Virgil Donati is an Australian musician, composer, drummer, and producer. He is often counted among the most technically advanced drummers. A multi-talented personality, Virgil Donati is also proficient at the keyboard; his skills as a piano player are evident in his album The Dawn of Time.

Richard Bonynge is an Australian pianist and conductor best known for conducting almost all of his wife Dame Joan Sutherland's operatic performances from 1962 to 1990. For his services to music, Richard Bonynge was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, in 1977. In 2009, Richard Bonynge was honored with the prestigious Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award.

Lobby Loyde was an Australian musician, rock music guitarist, producer, and songwriter. He achieved popularity during the 1970s when he became the principal figure in the Australian pub rock scene. Remembered for his plectrum guitar technique, Loyde influenced several international musicians like Henry Rollins and Kurt Cobain. In 2006, he was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

Graeme Bell was an Australian classical jazz pianist, band leader, and composer. Bell is credited with popularizing jazz in Australia by bringing many American performers like Rex Stewart to Australia. In 1997, Graeme Bell was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame at the 11th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards.

Joel Adams is an Australian singer-songwriter and producer. He is best known for his debut single, Please Don't Go, which peaked at number six on Sverigetopplistan, a Swedish national record chart. In October 2016, he was featured on Spotify's 25 Under 25 list, where he was ranked the world's 16th most influential artist.