David Helfgott was born on 19 May 1947 and is an Australian concert pianist whose life inspired the Academy Award-winning film Shine, in which he was portrayed by actors Geoffrey Rush, Noah Taylor and Alex Rafalowicz.
10 Facts About David Helfgott
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David Helfgott won the state final of the ABC Instrumental and Vocal Competition.
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David Helfgott worked as a rehearsal pianist for the Western Australian Opera Company.
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In 1983, his brother Les David Helfgott found him a job working at a Perth wine bar called Riccardo's.
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David Helfgott was the subject of the 1996 film Shine, which dealt with the pianist's formative years and struggle with mental illness.
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David Helfgott was portrayed by actors Geoffrey Rush, Noah Taylor and Alex Rafalowicz.
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David Helfgott generally prefers to perform Romantic music, mostly Mussorgsky, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Liszt, Schumann and Rimsky-Korsakov.
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On stage, David Helfgott is known for his unusual platform manner.
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David Helfgott was awarded an honorary doctorate of music by Edith Cowan University in 2004.
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David Helfgott was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2021 Australia Day Honours.