Dr Leon Coward

Dr Leon Coward is an award-winning composer-pianist, tertiary qualified pedagogue and MTA accredited teacher (Piano, Music Theory, Musicianship, Violin). He specialises in teaching piano, improvisation, and composition (including Film composition and Orchestration), and performance skills from beginner to HSC and Tertiary level both in-person and via remote/online music instruction, drawing on his extensive experience with distance education and assessment.

Dubbed “full of new invention” and “Chopin-esque” (Critiks UK) for his performances as a composer-performer (piano), Leon is also an award-winning film composer (2BR02B To Be or Naught To Be, dir. Marco Checa Garcia), and has presented his work on composition internationally including at the TATE Liverpool (UK) and at the University of Auckland (New Zealand). An active performer and music researcher, Leon is a founding member, resident composer and soloist with the internationally recognised ensemble Camerata Academica of the Antipodes.

Leon’s qualifications include: Doctor of Philosophy; BA Hons. First Class for his research on music in film, Historically Informed Performance and Improvisation studies (UNE), Studio Pedagogy (Charles Sturt University) and MTA accreditation (piano, violin & theory). He is the recipient of the prestigious Australian Postgraduate Award and his research into music has been published by the University of Otago, New Zealand. Leon is also an active member of the Musicological Society of Australia (MSA) and regularly presents at international conferences.