MR. GORDON SHORTT

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 43, 15 November 1920, Page 5

MR. GORDON SHORTT

9 BRILLIANT PIANIST IN WELLINGTON. Mr. Gordon..Shortt. of Adelaide, one of the most brilliant pianists Australia has produced, is at present in Wellington. lf£. Shortt up till somo ssix .years ago' wus associated with Mr. H. Davies (teacher of stringed instruments) in tlio conduct of a school of musib in Adelaide. Then feeling like all true btudonts, that thero was still much for him, to learn, ho decided to make a pilgrimage to Europe. The outbreak of the war caught him in Berlin, and with many ('hers he was imprisoned at Ruhleben (outside Berlin) 'for tho full term of. tho conflict. That as there was not altogether unprofitable, as there wero many kindred Eqijls among the internees (induing Mr. Horace Hunt, of Wellington), and the association, so brought about, spelt knowledge and experience in the study of technique, harmony, and composition. At. tho termination of the war, Mr. Shortt re-' si'ined his studies under Joseph A r yse, an Hungarian, a great figure in the pianistic world in Germany. His technique i? amazing,, particularly jn tho playing of .pianissimo pass.ißes. and Mr. Shortt set limself the task of mastering its secret. Such was Mr. Shortt's status, even in Berlin, that, he became a teacher there, and was tent unite busy (earning and giving out his learning. Ho decided, a few. months ago to come out to Adelaide to seo his mother, and is now en routo to Australia. At the Vancouver Conservatoire of Music where he called the fncnltv was so struck with his brilliance that he received a. tempting offer to accent an npnointment there. At present forces are at.work to get him to settle in Wellington, and with Arr. Davies (who is nlroady here) to establish n. school of music.