To receive a standing ovation is not unfamiliar for Mark Gasser, renowned English concert pianist and Conservatorium lecturer, but for CQUniversity Mackay music student, Sarah Regan, this accolade marked her professional debut at a recent recital at St Matthew's Church, Albury, last month.

Sarah accompanied Mark Gasser when invited to perform the opening recital of the Albury Festival in NSW (a festival of music engaging world class musicians).

Sarah Regan

Mark's recital of mainstream repertoire included a rare performance of the complete Vingt regards sur l'enfant-Jésus of Olivier Messiaen and a 4-hand performance of the Schubert F Minor Fantasy featuring Sarah Regan as accompaniment, an opportunity that Sarah could not have missed.

The performance was witnessed by Conservatorium staff from Sydney and Melbourne and major Australian composers who had travelled specially to see the Vingt. 

As a third-year Bachelor of Music student, Sarah has been playing piano for 8 years and has studied music for 12 years.  She received a BMA scholarship and chose to continue studying music full time at the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Mackay.

Since her professional debut last month Sarah has now also performed the Warsaw Concerto in a professional engagement with a full symphony orchestra (conducted by Kim Kirkman) in Last Night of the Proms.

"I fell in love with the Warsaw Concerto when I first heard it and it fullfills a long ambition of mine to perform it," said Sarah.

"My main objective for the future is to become a teacher in the arts and to travel and teach overseas. But I never want to stop learning and pushing my abilities even further."

Sarah is grateful to BMA for all their financial assistance throughout her studies. BMA are proud to support and encourage local talent.