Paul Grabowsky

Artistic Director and Founder/ Conductor/ Piano, Keyboards

Along with being recognised as Australia’s pre-eminent jazz pianist with over 26 recordings to his name, Paul he is also regarded as one of Australia’s foremost screen composers with credits for over 17 film and 13 television scores including HUMAN TOUCH, INNOCENCE, JESSICA, THE JUNGLE BOOK 2, THE LAST DAYS OF CHEZ NOUS, LAST ORDERS, PHOENIX AND SHINER. His works for the stage include the opera LOVE IN THE AGE OF THERAPY, commissioned by the Victorian Arts Centre and Opera Australia, and the multimedia production THE THEFT OF SITA.

Born in Papua New Guinea in 1958, and raised in Melbourne Australia, he began classical piano lessons as a five-year-old, studying with Mack Jost from 1965-1978. He began informal studies in jazz around 1976, and devoted his energies fully to improvised music from 1978. He lived in Munich, Germany from 1980-1985, where he was active on the local and European jazz scenes, performing and/or recording with Johnny Griffin, Chet Baker, Art Farmer, Benny Bailey, Guenther Klatt, Marty Cook and many others. He returned to Australia in 1986.

In 1994, Paul, with the assistance of a small group of committed Melbournians, founded the Australian Art Orchestra and has been its Artistic Director ever since.

Paul produced and presented the television series ACCESS ALL AREAS in January-October 1996, and was Commissioning Editor for ABC Television Arts and Entertainment from November 1996-1998.

He was the Musical Director of TONIGHT LIVE with Steve Vizard from 1990 to 1992 and at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Paul was a composer for the opening and closing ceremonies and the Musical Director for the Paralympics Closing Ceremony. He has won three ARIA awards, an AFI award, a Helpmann Award and was Sidney Myer Performing Artist of the Year in 2000.

In 2007 Paul was awarded the Melbourne Prize (Music) worth $60,000.

Paul is the Artistic Director of the Adelaide Festival and he directs his second Adelaide Festival program in 2012.

You can visit Paul’s website at www.paulgrabowsky.com