Penelope Mary Thwaites, born in 1944 in the United Kingdom to Australian parents, is an Australian concert pianist and composer. She grew up in Melbourne, earning a degree in music from Melbourne University in 1966. After studying orchestration with William L Reed and piano with Albert Ferber in London, Thwaites debuted at Wigmore Hall in 1974. She performed with the London Philharmonic and BBC Concert Orchestra, and is known for her interpretations of Australian composers, particularly Percy Grainger, recording over 260 tracks of his music. Her notable albums include Australian Piano Music (1980), Travelling Between Worlds (2008), and From Five Continents (2020). Thwaites also composed the musical Ride! Ride! (1976). She received the International Grainger Society's Medallion in 1992 and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2001.
