Frank Hutchens
| Frank Hutchens | |
|---|---|
| Born | 15 January 1892 Leeston, New Zealand |
| Died | 18 October 1965 (aged 73) Mona Vale, New South Wales, Australia |
| Nationality | New Zealander |
| Occupation | Music teacher, concert pianist, composer |
Francis "Frank" Hutchens OBE (15 January 1892 – 18 October 1965) was a pianist, music teacher and composer originally from New Zealand. He became a popular concert pianist in Australia, and was a founding member of the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music, where he taught for fifty years.
Hutchens' parents, Richard Lavers Hutchens and his wife Maria Siles, née Hoskins, both Cornish, migrated to New Zealand in 1879. Richard tried his hand at farming and bootmaking before settling down at Hawera as a piano teacher. Frank Hutchens was born in Leeston near Christchurch on 15 January 1892. He attended Hawera District High School.
In 1904, at the age of twelve, Hutchens had the opportunity to demonstrate his talents after his piano teacher arranged for him to play for the virtuoso Ignaz Paderewski, who was then touring New Zealand. Impressed with the boy's potential, Paderewski encouraged him to study in Europe. The following year, at the age of thirteen, Hutchens travelled alone to London to attend the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied piano and composition with Tobias Matthay and Frederick Corder. At the Academy he won the Sterndale Bennett and Thalberg scholarships, and also the Hine Prize and the Chappell gold medal for pianoforte playing. In 1909, at the age of 17, he became the youngest subprofessor yet appointed to the Academy. In 1911 however, he was forced to return home after his mother fell ill and the family faced financial difficulties.
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