Michael Kieran Harvey
Michael Kieran Harvey (July 7, 1961) is an Australian composer and conductor.
He first came to international prominence by jointly winning with Edith Chen the 1993 International Solo Piano Competition founded by Ivo Pogorelić in Pasadena, California; this was the world's richest piano competition. He played Carl Vine's "Piano Sonata No. 1" there. He entered the competition not believing he could win, but as an excuse to go to Los Angeles to see Frank Zappa, who was very ill, and to seek permission to play his piano music in public. However, Zappa died on the day of the finals and Harvey did not meet him.
Harvey also conducted works by Zappa in public premiere. The Zappa Foundation permitted Michael Kieran Harvey to transcribe Ruth Is Sleeping for one player for its premiere performance in this version at the 38th Warsaw Autumn Festival of Contemporary Music in 1995. He presented the work again at the 1996 Adelaide Festival.
Harvey recorded Frank Zappa's Ruth Is Sleeping on his "Storm Sight" album. It got released in 2001.
His CD, "48 Fugues for Frank" (2010) was dedicated to Zappa. [1]. [2].
