Meet our Alumni

A distinguished concert pianist and composer, Dr Leslie Howard is the world's foremost exponent of the music of Franz Liszt. Howard began playing piano in his infancy and performed for Fox Movietone News at the age of five. By age 13 he could perform Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.2.

He made his debut with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in 1967 and then undertook further training in London, before completing his postgraduate music studies in Italy under Maestro Guido Agosti. In 1986 Howard embarked on a project to produce the complete piano music of Franz Liszt, including premiere recordings from unpublished manuscripts.

Producing more than 90 full-length CDs over 14 years, he was described by the BBC Music Magazine as "the finest living exponent of Liszt". Howard was awarded five Grand Prix du Disques and a special Grand Prix du Disque in honour of his extraordinary accomplishment, which is also listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most extensive achievement by a recording artist.

He has received the Ferenc Liszt Medal of Honour and the Pro Cultura Hungarica Medal and Citation from the Hungarian Government. He also holds the American Liszt Society's Medal of Honour and is President of The British Liszt Society.

His work as a composer includes the opera Hreidar the Fool and the ballet Fruits of the Earth. Among his arrangements is a heart-rending aria from Catalani's opera La Wally, which featured prominently in the popular French film Diva.

Howard is currently an Instructor at the Guildhall School of Music and provides Master Classes at London's Royal College of Music and at the Royal Academy of Music. He has been honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia for his service to the arts as a piano soloist, composer, musicologist and mentor to young musicians. He has also received an Honorary Doctorate from The University of Melbourne.