By the time she was eight years old the Viennese child Margarete Babinsky had declared to anyone who would listen, and to plenty who wouldn't: "I want to be a pianist," and coming straight to the point as always, she immediately turned the plan into reality. After only one year of piano tuition she was then able to attend the class for especially talented children at the Vienna Academy of Music.

She was awarded the "Vienna Flötenuhr" by the Vienna Mozart Society for her first CD recording of Mozart piano works, this is a distinction previously awarded to such artistic personalities as Andras Schiff, Bo Skovus, the Artis Quartet, Thomas Zehetmair and the Alban Berg Quartet. Despite, or perhaps due to her successes as a soloist, Margateret Babinsky is also much in demand as a chamber music partner. Artists such as Professor Werner Hink, Karin Adam, Luz Leskowitz, Christoph Stradner and Wolfgang Panhofer regularly make music with the Viennese pianist. Everything that Margarete Babinsky turns to is carried out with the highest perfection and concentration, for which reason she has laid aside the violin, because ".I don't want to plague anyone with this tone."

Fiachra Garvey

21-YEAR-OLD pianist Fiachra Garvey of Valleymount will give a lunchtime performance at the National Concert Hall in February. He is one of five Irish pianists chosen to take part in the eighth AXA International Dublin Piano Competition 2009, taking place from February 1 to May 15 at the RDS and National Concert Hall.

Fiachra began playing piano at the age of six with Liz Leonard at the Leeson Park School of Music. At the age of 12, he won a scholarship to study at the Royal Irish Academy of Music with Thérese Fahy.