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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

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Tessa Birnie

1959
Max Dupain OBE

gelatin silver photograph on paper (sheet: 15.3 cm x 10.5 cm, image: 13.3 cm x 10 cm)

Tessa Daphne Birnie OAM (1934-2008), concert pianist, claimed to have decided on a career in music after hearing a piano at her local hall as a four-year old. Birnie was ten when her mother took her to Wellington for professional piano lessons and by age 12 she could sight-read all 32 of Beethoven's piano sonatas. Aged 14, Birnie gave her first recital in Auckland and then toured New Zealand before heading to Europe with her mother, who was a devoted 'travelling companion, business manager, concert organiser and lady-in-waiting' to her daughter. She studied in Paris and London and then settled in Italy where she had further tuition with pianist Karl Schnabel. She made her concert debut in Paris in 1960 and throughout the next two decades enjoyed great international success. From the 1960s, Birnie lived in Sydney in the inner harbour suburb of Middle Cove. She established the Sydney Camerata Orchestra (1961) and the Australian Society for Keyboard Music (1964). Birnie was known as 'the marathon woman of the keyboard', renowned for such ambitious recital projects as the performing of all 450 piano works by Schubert, and for her phenomenal capacity to memorise music. She was awarded the German government's Beethoven Medallion in 1974, the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1985, and in 1997 published her autobiography I'm going to be a pianist.

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Kathleen Barry 2009
© Max Dupain/Copyright Agency, 2024

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

Artist and subject

Max Dupain OBE (age 48 in 1959)

Tessa Daphne Birnie OAM (age 25 in 1959)

Subject professions

Performing arts

Donated by

Kathleen Barry (1 portrait)

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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ABN: 54 74 277 1196

The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

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