Geoffrey Lancaster AM (b. 1954), fortepianist and orchestral director, grew up in Dubbo and attended the Canberra School of Music and the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. In 1986, in Bruges, he became the first Australian to win a major international keyboard competition. A leader of the historically inspired performance movement, he has appeared as pianist and conductor with such orchestras as the Leipzig Gewandhaus, Royal Stockholm, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Cologne Gürzenich, Ensemble 415, Concerto Copenhagen, Tafelmusik, and every major Australian orchestra. He was Director of the Tasmanian Symphony Chamber Players and Chief Conductor of La Cetra Barockorchester Basel; has lectured at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and the Royal Academy of Music; and holds several emeritus and professorial appointments. Among his many honours are ARIA and Gramophone awards for some of his more than fifty recordings, Honorary Fellowship of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, and the Order of Australia. He was ACT Australian of the Year in 2006.
Jude Rae painted Geoffrey with a late eighteenth-century Viennese style fortepiano that he commissioned from Paul McNulty of Prague.
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Dr Andrew Lu OAM 2013
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program
© Jude Rae
Dr Andrew Lu AM (1 portrait)
On one level The Companion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves: who we read, who we watch, who we listen to, who we cheer for, who we aspire to be, and who we'll never forget. The Companion is available to buy online and in the Portrait Gallery Store.
An interview with Professor Frank Fenner who describes his life and the creation of his portrait.
Bringing eminent scientist Frank Fenner and artist Jude Rae together for the National Portrait Gallery commission was like matchmaking.
