Accompanist
- By Philip Evans
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Biography of Damien Mansfield
Damien Mansfield studied piano with esteemed English pianist Lance Dossor in Adelaide 1966-1972, while a medical student, and appeared with many of the best-known Australian musicians of his generation in chamber music concerts at the National Music Camps of those years. While working in community child health in inner London, 1973-81, he made time alongside for further training and experience in chamber music, accompaniment and vocal repertoire in master classes and studios with several noted musicians, including Sandor Vegh, Szymon Goldberg, Nathan Millstein, Arthur Hammond and most significantly Geoffrey Parsons. Damien also worked as a repetiteur and coach with the Else Mayer-Lismann Opera Workshop for five years, accompanying their annual performances on London’s South Bank. As a collaborative pianist, he appeared in several states of Australia and the USA, in England, the Netherlands and Canada, drawing special praise from the New York Times critic Robert Sherman for his “expressive intensity”.
Damien resumed active musical work in 2013 after 40 years of medical practice in child health and was soon reestablished as one of Adelaide’s most sought-after musicians. In these years he has worked and performed regularly as pianist and organist with renowned singer Robert Dawe. He has appeared in chamber music for the Friends of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, and in Victoria with the Aequales Ensemble.
He is on the Council of the Accompanists’ Guild of South Australia and has presented several programs for them, through 5MBS broadcast, on the Art of the Collaborative Pianist.
Choir Cecilia is honoured to have Damien as their current accompanist.
