Examine individual changes

'@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ {{refimprove|date=January 2017}} -'''Gerard Willems''' [[Member of the Order of Australia|AM]] (born '''Gerardus Maria Willems''', 19 August 1946)<ref name="SMH">{{Cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/arts/piano-mans-keys-to-happiness/2007/04/20/1176697069687.html|title=Piano man's keys to happiness|last=Adamson|first=Judy|date=April 21, 2007|website=smh.com.au|publisher=|access-date=2017-01-17}}</ref> is an [[Australia]]n classical pianist and teacher.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/gerard-willems-mn0001696963|title=Gerard Willems {{!}} Biography & History {{!}} AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=2017-01-23}}</ref> He was the first Australian pianist to record on CD the complete series of [[Piano sonatas (Beethoven)|32&nbsp;piano sonatas]] by [[Ludwig van Beethoven]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sydney.edu.au/music/staff-profiles/gerard.willems.php|title=Associate Professor Gerardus Willems -|last=|first=|date=|website=sydney.edu.au|publisher=The University of Sydney|access-date=2017-01-17}}</ref> He also recorded Beethoven's five&nbsp;piano concertos and the ''[[Diabelli Variations]]'', and is the only pianist to do so using an Australian [[Stuart & Sons]] piano.<ref name=age/> This series of recordings constitutes the largest classical music recording project ever undertaken in Australia,<ref name="buywell">{{Cite web|url=http://www.buywell.com/cgi-bin/buywellic2/afly.html?mv_arg=02918|title=ABC Classics 'Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 'Emperor'' DVD Cat. No. 476 280-7 (or 4762807)|website=www.buywell.com|access-date=2017-01-23}}</ref> and Willems became the best selling classical artist in Australia's recording history.<ref name="US">{{Cite web|url=http://www.usyd.edu.au/news/84.html?newsstoryid=1387|title=News {{!}} The University of Sydney|website=www.usyd.edu.au|access-date=2017-01-23}}</ref> +'''Gerard Willems''' [[Member of the Order of Australia|AM]] (born '''Gerardus Maria Willems''', 19 August 1946)<ref name="SMH">{{Cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/arts/piano-mans-keys-to-happiness/2007/04/20/1176697069687.html|title=Piano man's keys to happiness|last=Adamson|first=Judy|date=April 21, 2007|website=smh.com.au|publisher=|access-date=2017-01-17}}</ref> is an [[Australia]]n classical pianist and teacher.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/gerard-willems-mn0001696963|title=Gerard Willems {{!}} Biography & History {{!}} AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=2017-01-23}}</ref> He was the first Australian pianist to record the complete series of [[Piano sonatas (Beethoven)|32&nbsp;piano sonatas]] by [[Ludwig van Beethoven]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sydney.edu.au/music/staff-profiles/gerard.willems.php|title=Associate Professor Gerardus Willems -|last=|first=|date=|website=sydney.edu.au|publisher=The University of Sydney|access-date=2017-01-17}}</ref> He also recorded Beethoven's five&nbsp;piano concertos, the ''[[Diabelli Variations]]'', C minor variations, Andante favori, Für Elise and the 3 Electoral "Kurfürstensonaten" sonatas as well as a reconstructed "Fantasy Sonata in D <http://ceesnieuwenhuizen.typepad.com/cn/2012/10/ludwig-van-beethoven-fantasia-sonata-in-d-1792-reconstruction-cees-nieuwenhuizen.html>. These recordings feature the Australian designed and manufactured [[Stuart & Sons]] piano.<ref name=age/> This series of recordings constitutes the largest classical music recording project ever undertaken in Australia,<ref name="buywell">{{Cite web|url=http://www.buywell.com/cgi-bin/buywellic2/afly.html?mv_arg=02918|title=ABC Classics 'Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 'Emperor'' DVD Cat. No. 476 280-7 (or 4762807)|website=www.buywell.com|access-date=2017-01-23}}</ref> and Willems became the best selling classical artist in Australia's recording history.<ref name="US">{{Cite web|url=http://www.usyd.edu.au/news/84.html?newsstoryid=1387|title=News {{!}} The University of Sydney|website=www.usyd.edu.au|access-date=2017-01-23}}</ref> ==Biography== -Gerard Willems was born and grew up in [[Tilburg]], [[Netherlands]]. He was named after his maternal grandfather, a church organist, composer and piano builder.<ref name=SMH/><ref name="age">{{Cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/05/1073267951727.html|title=A fitting tribute to a life-long love|last=Dow|first=Steve|date=January 6, 2004|website=www.theage.com.au|publisher=|access-date=2017-01-17}}</ref> He received a scholarship from the Brabants Conservatorium, but the Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1956 caused his parents, fearful of a [[domino effect]], to migrate to [[Australia]] when he was 12, in 1958. Until he was 17, they lived in a migrant camp near [[Wollongong]]; his father died in the camp.<ref name=age/> He entered the [[Sydney Conservatorium of Music]], studying under [[Gordon Watson (pianist)|Gordon Watson]]. After graduation, he was called up for [[national service]], managing to convince the army he was best suited as a musician, and he played the clarinet in army bands.<ref name=SMH/> Willems was employed as the touring pianist for the [[The Australian Ballet|Australian Ballet]],<ref name=SMH/> and travelled on tours with dancers such as [[Margot Fonteyn]], [[Rudolf Nureyev]] and [[Mikhail Baryshnikov]]. He won the Queen Victoria Piano Competition,<ref name="beet">{{Cite web|url=http://www.beethoven-sonatas.com/pianist.html|title=Gerard Willems|website=www.beethoven-sonatas.com|access-date=2017-01-17}}</ref> and later studied under Greville Rothon (assistant to [[Claudio Arrau]]) in Munich. +Gerard Willems was born and grew up in [[Tilburg]], [[Netherlands]]. He was named after his maternal grandfather, a church organist, composer and piano builder.<ref name=SMH/><ref name="age">{{Cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/05/1073267951727.html|title=A fitting tribute to a life-long love|last=Dow|first=Steve|date=January 6, 2004|website=www.theage.com.au|publisher=|access-date=2017-01-17}}</ref> He received a scholarship from the Brabant Conservatorium, but the Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1956 caused his parents, fearful of a [[domino effect]], to migrate to [[Australia]] when he was 12, in 1958. Until he was 17, they lived in a migrant camp near [[Wollongong]]; his father died in the camp.<ref name=age/> He entered the [[Sydney Conservatorium of Music]], studying under [[Gordon Watson (pianist)|Gordon Watson]]. After graduation, he was called up for [[national service]], managing to convince the army he was best suited as a musician, and he played the clarinet in army bands.<ref name=SMH/> Willems was employed as the touring pianist for the [[The Australian Ballet|Australian Ballet]],<ref name=SMH/> and travelled on tours with dancers such as [[Margot Fonteyn]], [[Rudolf Nureyev]] and [[Mikhail Baryshnikov]]. He won the Queen Victoria Piano Competition,<ref name="beet">{{Cite web|url=http://www.beethoven-sonatas.com/pianist.html|title=Gerard Willems|website=www.beethoven-sonatas.com|access-date=2017-01-17}}</ref> and later studied under Greville Rothon (assistant to [[Claudio Arrau]]) in Munich. He made debuts in London 1974, Munich 1977 and Amsterdam 1978. He returned to Sydney in 1981 and has taught as Senior Lecturer,<ref name="beet" /> and later Chair of the Keyboard Unit, at the Sydney Conservatorium 1981-2008 and is currently an Associate Professor at Sydney University.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sydney University staff|url=http://music.sydney.edu.au/people/mr-gerardus-willems}}</ref> @@ -9,19 +9,18 @@ He founded the piano trio Mozartrois, and with them recorded the complete [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]] piano trios, as part of the bicentenary of Mozart’s death in 1991. He has appeared in lieder recitals and chamber music concerts. -Gerard Willems is perhaps best known for his recording of the complete [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]] sonatas, which were released in 1999 and 2000.<ref>{{cite web - |title=Ludwig van Beethoven Complete Piano Sonatas Gerard Willems, Piano Stuart & Sons Piano - |publisher=enjoythemusic.com - |url=http://www.enjoythemusic.com/Magazine/music/0905/classical/beethoven.htm - |accessdate=2009-10-23 -}}{{dead link|date=January 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> These won successive [[ARIA Music Awards]], in [[ARIA Music Awards of 1999|1999]] and [[ARIA Music Awards of 2000|2000]], the first album by a pianist to win the Classical section of the Awards.<ref name=beet/> Although he is not the first pianist to record the complete Beethoven sonatas in Australia, he is the first to do so on CD. [[Michael Brimer]] recorded them in a series of live concerts in 1986 for [[ABC Classic FM]], which were intended for commercial release on cassette tape, although due to a technical issue only a part of the series was released.<ref>Matthew Westwood, "Facing the music", ''[[Limelight (magazine)|ABC Radio 24 Hours]]'', May 2001, p.12</ref> +In 1996, former television producer Brendan Ward persuaded Willems to record Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas <https://www.newsouthbooks.com.au/books/the-beethoven-obsession/ pp.88-96>. These recordings (12 CDs) were released by the ABC in 3 volumes in 1998, 1999 and 2000. They won successive [[ARIA Music Awards]], in [[ARIA Music Awards of 1999|1999]] and [[ARIA Music Awards of 2000|2000]], the first time a pianist won the Classical section of the Awards.<ref name=beet/>. In 2001, he won the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Australian Musical Scholarship. He toured [[Israel]] and held the [[Hephzibah Menuhin]] Chair in Piano as Visiting Professor at the Rubin Academy in [[Jerusalem]].<ref name=beet/> -His recordings of the five Beethoven piano concertos appeared in 2001.<ref name=beet/> These featured Sinfonia Australis under the conductor Antony Walker.<ref name=buywell/> The [[Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)|Piano Concerto No. 5, "Emperor"]] was also filmed for DVD release, a first for this concerto.<ref name=buywell/> +His recordings of the five Beethoven piano concertos were released in 2003 <https://www.newsouthbooks.com.au/books/the-beethoven-obsession/p.203>. These featured Sinfonia Australis under the conductor Antony Walker.<ref name=buywell/> The [[Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)|Piano Concerto No. 5, "Emperor"]] was also released on DVD in 2004, and won the International DVD Association Award for Music Excellence in 2005 <https://www.newsouthbooks.com.au/books/the-beethoven-obsession/p.203>. It is now on YouTube <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvI9wG4_JTM>. -A recording of Mozart favourites, including the ''Variations on the Dutch National Anthem'', appeared in 2006.<ref name=US/> +In 2006, the year of Mozart's 250th birthday, Willems recorded a CD of Mozart favourites for the ABC, including the ''Variations on the Dutch National Anthem''.<ref name=US/> + +In 2010 Willems recorded Beethoven's Diabelli Variations <https://www.abcmusic.com.au/discography/diabelli-variations>. + +In 2013, after he recorded Beethoven's C minor variations, Andante favori, Für Elise, the 3 Electoral "Kurfürstensonaten" sonatas and the reconstructed "Fantasy Sonata in D", the ABC released all the Willems Beethoven recordings in a 14-CD box-set "The Beethoven-Willems Collection" <https://www.abcmusicpublishing.com.au/discography/beethoven-willems-collection>. + +In 2015, Willems recorded "Morning Mood", a 2-CD set of Edvard Grieg's piano music for the ABC, again using the Stuart Piano <https://www.abcmusic.com.au/Willems-Grieg>. -In 2010 he recorded Beethoven's ''[[Diabelli Variations]]'', again the first Australian pianist to do so.<ref name=lime/> He has used [[Stuart & Sons]] pianos for all his Beethoven recordings.<ref name=beet/><ref name="lime">{{Cite web|url=http://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/Article/244142,the-diabelli-challenge.aspx,|title=The Diabelli Challenge|website=www.limelightmagazine.com.au|language=en|access-date=2017-01-23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/music-reviews/story-e6frg8po-1225975082519|title=Music reviews|date=2010-12-22|access-date=2017-01-23}}</ref> -In October 2010, a newly built Stuart & Sons piano containing 102 keys, 14 more than the usual quota, was played for the first time in a public performance (Beethoven's [[Piano Concerto No. 1 (Beethoven)|Piano Concerto No. 1]]). Gerard Willems was the pianist.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/entertainment/music/notes-from-heaven-piano-on-a-grand-scale-20101020-16ucx.html|title=Notes from heaven: piano on a grand scale|last=Meacham|first=Steve|newspaper=Brisbane Times|language=en-US|access-date=2017-01-23}}</ref> ==Honours== '