Tom Ward - Australia's Got Talent Audition 2011

Tasmanian born, Tom Ward is one of those rare guitarist virtuoso’s, who can connect with audiences beyond the classical world. Tom has a great sense of style when he is playing music whether it be from the baroque through to the twentieth centaury. He has learnt from the best including Pianist Geoffrey Lancaster, Guitarist Timothy Kain and conductor Carlo Barone, who conducted Tom’s first performa nce of Mauro Giulliani’s A Major Concerto to great acclaim. Tom has performed internationally to audiences in Japan, Thailand, Italy, UK, Germany, France, Australia and recently in China for Expo Shanghai. He performs solo and as a soloist with symphony orchestras having worked with some of the world’s greatest conductors. Tom has also shared the stage and the bill with greats including Tommy Emmanuel, The Buena Vista Social Club and Jason Mraz. Tom is an awarded musician, receiving the Gisborne Music Competition Award in New Zealand, the biggest prize a guitarist can win in Australasia, and was Tasmanian Composer of the Year, awarded by the Australian Society of Composition and Musicology to him at just 15 years of age. When in concert tom is inspired by Australia’s multiculturalism. He features music from South America, Spain, Hungary, Russia, Italy, Brazil, Japan and more. His program will include gypsy show pieces from Spain and Hungary and romantic and dreamy melodies, before taking the audience on a trip to Russia by making the guitar sound like a balalaika folk orchestra with Stepan Rak's ultra dramatic 'Balalaika'.