Divine Art Signs Australian Pianist Rob Hao

Divine Art is honoured to have signed the acclaimed Australian pianist Rob Hao, now resident in England. His debut album will feature premiere recordings of a selection of Piano Etudes by British composer Alison Kay and his own Palimpsest 571 – commissioned as a completion of the unfinished Schubert Sonata D. 571. Other works included are by Chopin, Schubert, Schubert-Liszt and a selection from Michael Finnissy’s English country-tunes – all exploring how composers re-imaginewider musical traditions and styles.

The recording will be made in London in February 2025 with a prospective release in the summer.

Rob Hao is an Australian pianist and composer. His compositions and performances have taken him around Australia, the UK and across continental Europe, with his musicianship having been described as ‘absolute stillness’ to ‘stirring and impetuous’ (SoundsLikeSydney). Rob’s debut at the Sydney Opera House was detailed as ‘full of personality, authenticity and virtuosity’ (ClassikOn Australia) and he has since returned as both composer and performer to the Sydney Opera House and theMelbourne Recital Centre with his project Schubert Overwritten, as well as further performances around festivals in the UK, such as Aldeburgh, Manchester Festival of Song and the Beethoven Piano Society of Europe. In recent seasons he has given regional and world premieres of over thirty works in both ensemble and solo settings. Rob’s work has also been broadcast on ABC Radio National as well as 2MBS Fine Music.

Rob was born in Auckland, New Zealand and raised in Sydney, Australia, where he studied piano with Ransford Elsley. He then moved to London and graduated fromthe Royal College of Music, specialising in both composition and piano where he also won first prize for both disciplines in the Contemporary Music Competition alongside prizes for song accompaniment. Rob has been generously supported in recent years by the Arts Council England, the Francis Routh Trust, Help Musicians, the Australian Music Foundation and the Finzi Trust.

Album Details

• Label: Divine Art
• Catalogue number: DDX 21140
• Title: to be confirmed
• Performer:  Rob Hao (piano)
• Works/composers:
  • English country-tunes, nos. 2, 7 & 8 (Michael Finnissy)
  • Etudes: Nos 10 (Orison II) and 11 (Lullaby) (Alison Kay)
  • Nocturnes, Op. 62 Nos. 1 in B major, and 2 in E major (Frederic Chopin)
  • Der Müller und der Bach (Franz Schubert,  arr. Franz Liszt)
  • Impromptu in A flat, D, 935 (Franz Schubert)
  • Piano Sonata in F sharp minor, D, 571 (Franz Schubert – unfinished)
  • Palimpsest 571 (Robert Hao)
• Engineer: Adaq Khan