Pamela Page and Max Olding were a distinguished Australian husband and wife team of duo-pianists. Their long and distinguished careers included solo recitals, concertos, chamber music, and accompanying, both nationally and internationally, but were best known as a piano duo. Their performances together were renowned for their consummate artistry, impeccable ensemble and instinctive understanding, specifically the way their distinct musical personalities perfectly complemented each other.
Pamela and Max performed for the opening of ABC Television in 1956. They gave many recitals in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Austria, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and New Zealand. In Australia, they have appeared with all major and many regional orchestras. Their repertoire was extensive and included original two-piano works and concertos as well as arrangements and transcriptions. Many Australian composers dedicated works to them, including Felix Werder, Peter Sculthorpe, Philip Bračanin, John Carmichael, Margaret Sutherland and Larry Sitsky, who composed his Concerto for Two Pianos for them.
Pamela Page and Max Olding were awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001.
Pamela Page (b.1934) has enjoyed a reputation as one of Australia’s finest pianists. As a child prodigy, she was well-known through her concerts, Cinesound documentary film about her, and through ABC broadcasts. At 15, Pamela won a scholarship which enabled her to study with Ronald Kinloch Anderson at Trinity College, London, where she was subsequently awarded the Maude Seton Prize for most outstanding student. She was invited to study with Walter Gieseking in Saarbrucken and to join his masterclass.
Pamela has enjoyed success overseas through appearances for BBC Radio and Television and has appeared extensively throughout Britain and Europe, and has performed in New York to acclaim. Back in Australian, Pamela gave many concerto performances in all capital cities, gave recitals on ABC radio, and made live TV appearances. She also hosted an ABC children's TV show in the 1960’s called "Party Time".
Pamela was appointed as Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Music, University of Queensland, where she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from UQ "in recognition of her distinguished career and significant achievements and service to Queensland and Australia". Pamela Page was also a long-standing examiner for AMEB.
Also a painter, Pamela delved into an exploration of synaesthesia and the special relationship between music and the colours. She has combined her talents in music and painting through bi-media presentations, in which her large-scale abstract realisations of major works of music are synthesised with her accompanying performance of the works, including Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, Liszt's Piano Sonata in b minor, and Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit. These works have been exhibited at many local art galleries.
Pamela and Max were founding patrons of the Australian Piano Duo Festival. In addition to their own performances, Pamela and Max regularly gave masterclasses to young student pianists.
Their committed mentorship, delivered with consummate musicianship, warmth, generosity and sharp insight, has left a profound impact upon multiple generations of Australian musicians.
Max Olding AM (1929-2021) was one of Australia’s most distinguished musicians. He performed in Australia, UK, USA, NZ, Austria, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Korea and Vanuatu as pianist, concerto soloist, chamber musician, duo-pianist and/or conductor, and has given many masterclasses and seminars nationally and internationally.
In 1952, Max won the ABC’s Concerto and Vocal Competition. Two years later in an overseas competition, he met his wife-to-be, Pamela Page, when they shared first prize in the London-based Royal Concert Trust Fund Competition.
As concerto soloist, Max gave several Australian premieres. He also recorded with his wife, and son, violinist Dene Olding.
Max held senior teaching and administrative positions at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music – Griffith University (Deputy Director and Principal Lecturer in piano); Queensland University of Technology (Acting Head and Senior Lecturer); City University of New York (Visiting Professor). He began his tertiary teaching career at the Melbourne University Conservatorium. His extensive list of student successes at both national and international levels has left a profound impact upon multiple generations of Australian musicians.
Max held a 70+ year association with the Australian Music Examinations Board, including as Federal Examiner, and Deputy Chair and Principal Examiner (Instrumental) in Queensland. He also worked extensively in SE Asia and New Zealand for the AMEB in examining and promotional activities.
He chaired many juries and adjudicated at most of Australia’s major music competitions, and acted as external examiner for higher degrees at the University of Melbourne, Western Australia, Tasmania, Queensland, Southern Queensland and Queensland University of Technology.
Max held positions as President of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra Society, and Deputy Chair of the Brisbane Institute of Art. He was a Churchill Fellow; Patron of the Queensland Music Teacher’s Association; Patron of the Queensland Piano Tuners and Technicians Guild; Patron of the Australian Piano Duo Festival, and was a Life Member of the Queensland Accompanists Guild.
He was an Honorary Fellow of the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and a Member of the Order of Australia – AM – in recognition of this service to music and to music education. Max received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Queensland as recognition of his distinguished career and significant achievements, service to Queensland and Australia.
fostering the art of duo pianism | supporting young Australian pianists