Amir Farid

Who is Amir Farid?

Amir Farid is an Iranian-Australian solo pianist and chamber musician based in Melbourne. He is also the pianist member of Benaud Trio as well as the principal accompanist for the senior performing ensemble of the Australian Children's Choir. In 2006 he won the first prize of the prestigious Australian National Piano Award. In 2007 he was granted the Encouragement Award at the 2007 Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition; this Competition is considered as Australia's most prestigious event for solo pianists. In the same year he won The Geoffrey Parsons Award, the only competition in Australia that focuses entirely on the art of piano accompaniment.

Amir Farid is the son of the celebrated Iranian theatre and film artist Manouchehr Farid. Manouchehr Farid is well known for his roles in such films as Khesht va Ā'ineh directed by Ebrahim Golestan, Baluch by Masud Kimiai, and Gharibeh va Meh by Bahram Bayzai. Following the Iranian Revolution of 1979, Manoucher Farid left Iran for the United States of America, where Amir was born. Later the family emigrated to Australia.

Amir Farid studied with Professor Ronald Farren-Price at University of Melbourne, from 1995 until 2004 when he graduated with Honours. Between 2003 and 2005 he attended the Australian National Academy of Music, where he worked with Rita Reichman, Geoffrey Tozer and Timothy Young.