Ranieri Wins Kerikeri Piano Competition

Congratulations to pianist Alex Ranieri who has won the $15,000 first prize in New Zealand’s Kerikeri International Piano Competition held recently in the Bay of Islands. Alex also received the Jill Cottle award for the Best Sonata. Ranieri’s award-winning performance included music by Berg, Brahms, Vine, Granados and Messiaen’s Le Loriot,

A graduate of the Queensland Conservatoium of Music from whence he graduated in 2013 with a University Medal and First Class honours in Advanced Performance, Ranieri is presently undertaking a Master’s degree offered jointly by the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne (ANAM) and the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University. Recently he was thrilled to be awarded a $25,000 scholarship from Griffith University to assist in his Master’s studies.    

The Kerikeri competition was established in 1987 and has steadily developed its reputation and appeal, this year attracting 54 entries from 15 different countries.

Shortly, Ranieri begins rehearsals for his next concert with a local group Kupka’s Piano which he helped found. The concert is at the Judith Wright Centre in Fortitude Valley where ‘Kupka’s’ is also resident contemporary music ensemble. After that he heads back to ANAM in Melbourne, where its Artistic Director, Paul Dean says “Alex is enjoying the frequent and demanding opportunities the keri PIanoAcademy gives him to work with both local and visiting artists of international acclaim. I have been a huge fan of Alex’s ever since I heard him perform in his early teens. His achievements at ANAM this year have been remarkable and his win in this prestigious competition is a great credit to his tireless hard work, and the great care of the piano department here at ANAM led by Timothy Young.”