BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES   TONY FENELON

It was inevitable from an early age that music would play a significantly major role in Tony Fenelon's life. As a child, he showed astounding talent as a pianist, and, in later years, studied at the Conservatorium of Music in Melbourne, Australia under famed teacher Mr. Roy Shepherd. His successes included winning the Victorian Final of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Concerto and Vocal Competitions, playing the Liszt Piano Concerto No.2  with the Victorian Symphony Orchestra. He was also winner of the Open and Bach sections at the National Eisteddfod in Canberra, with his performances of Chopin, Liszt and Bach. Shortly after, he obtained the highest marks ever awarded for his Licentiate Diploma in Performing Piano at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.

Tony's insatiable interest in lighter music and a love of the majestic sound of the theatre pipe organ led to his "other" career, leading to his appointment in 1965 as the resident organist at Melbourne's then prestigious Regent Theatre. After completing his Bachelor of Science degree at Melbourne University in 1963, he commenced full time work as a medical electronics engineer at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, a career that culminated in his appointment as head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering in October 1991.

Now an internationally acclaimed artist, Tony has completed eighteen major concert tours overseas including the United States, the U.K. and Japan. In 1980, Tony visited the U.K. where he performed at several venues, including an invitation to perform for the Lancastrian Theatre Organ Trust on the Free Trades Hall Wurlitzer in Manchester. In November 1992, he revisited the U.K. to take part in the opening of the rebuilt Manchester Granada Wurlitzer now installed in the Granada Television Studios Tour complex. He has been invited back to the U.K. in November 1999 to open the newly restored Wurlitzer Theatre organ, formerly in the Free Trades Hall, in its new home in Stockport, Manchester. He will also be performing in London.

He has released seventeen record albums in various countries - his first, at the Regent Theatre, Melbourne, earning him four gold records. He has also recently been exploring the world of electronic music, midi and computers, and has had many of his orchestral arrangements and CD’s featured on ABC FM radio in Australia. Tony’s association with the Roland Corporation will see him performing promotional concerts throughout Australia, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom and New Zealand on Roland’s extensive range of musical instruments.

Tony's concerts provide a tasteful balance between popular tunes and light classics and include music from the films, stage shows, jazz, and great standards. As the piano has always been his first love, his extensive repertoire of piano classics now forms an increasingly large proportion of his concerts, a feature widely requested by his audiences.

In recent years, Tony has been featured regularly as a solo pianist with the Australian Philharmonic Orchestra and the Australian Pops Orchestra, playing works ranging from Rachmaninoff to light classics and pops. His performances have included Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, Rachmaninoff's Concerto No 2, and popular classics. Last November, Tony performed a season with the Philharmonic Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House and the Australian Pops Orchestra at the Melbourne Concert Hall to capacity audiences.

Tony’s latest piano and organ CD, “Tony Plays Duo” featuring light classics and popular ballads, has received great acclaim in the United States, U.K. and Japan and is enjoying a similar reaction throughout Australia.

Tony and his wife Nola were invited to Japan in March and April 1996, as guests of the Roland Corporation, where Tony was a featured artist at the 1996 Organ Fair held in two major locations in that country. Tony returns to Japan for further engagements later this year.

In recent years, Tony and Nola have travelled as guests on several cruises in many parts of the world, with Tony as a featured artist on piano and Roland electronic keyboards. Tony has entertained guests on board ship at some of the world’s most exciting locations, from Alaska to French Polynesia, Norway, the British Isles, Bali and the South Pacific, Italy, Spain and Africa.

With the re-opening of Melbourne's prestigious Regent Theatre and its newly acquired Wurlitzer Organ, Tony found himself back in the same theatre in November, 1997, after 37 years, again being featured on the Mighty Wurlitzer, this time for the re-release of the film “My Fair Lady”. More recently this year, Tony was again featured at the Regent for the season of “Gone with the Wind”.

Due to the increasing overseas and local requests for Tony’s performances, he reached the milestone decision in June 1998 to relinquish his biomedical career in favour of a full time involvement with music. Last July, he was again in the United States where he was invited to perform several concerts with American organist, Lyn Larsen. Tony has been performing duo concerts with Lyn ever since their first meeting in the late 60’s when Lyn first toured Australia. Since that time, they have performed their “Duo” programs throughout Australia and the United States.

Just recently, on Easter Monday, Lyn returned from the USA to join Tony in the presentation of the Inaugural Concert of the prestigious Regent Theatre’s  new Wurlitzer Pipe Organ. This concert was an overwhelming success, drawing an unprecedented record attendance.

A man of great versatility, Tony's dedication, energy, musical integrity and personality make him an artist of constant demand throughout the world.