Ambre Hammond

Ambre Hammond (born 1977 in Cairns) is an Australian classical pianist.

Ambre Hammond learnt to play the piano with her mother Carolyn Hammond from age 3 to 16 years. She gave her first concert at the age of 5. In 1990 Hammond achieved a world record when she was awarded her AMEB Associate and Licentiate Diplomas of music, both in the same year at just 12 years of age. At the age of 16, in Argentina, Hammond won first prize in her first international music competition. The next year, she was invited to return to Argentina to perform in her debut performance with the Orquesta Sinfonica De Córdoba where her performance of the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 was recorded live. Hammond also recorded piano works of Franz Liszt at just 16 years of age, including demanding works such as "Réminiscences de Norma (Bellini)", "Mephisto Waltz No. 1", "Après une lecture de Dante" and "Wilde Jagd". Both recordings have been issued on the Gold Classics label.

Hammond has performed both solo and with orchestras in Australia, Europe (England, Italy, Poland, Spain, Switzerland), North America and South America. She has performed with the SBS Youth Orchestra, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Fribourg Youth Orchestra and the Orchestra of the City in London.

Lalo Schifrin, a renowned Hollywood film score writer has composed a double concerto for Ambre Hammond and trumpeter James Morrison which was premiered on Date|2007-07-19 at the Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Symphony; the concert was later broadcast on ABC Television.

External links

* [http://www.jclm.com.au/detail_sydney_classical_piano_ambrehammond.html Biography]
*MySpace|ambrehammond
* [http://www.redballoondays.com.au/experience/AMB102 Classical CD Recording Private Sitting Experience] , Australia