Dennis Hennig was an Australian pianist born on February 28, 1951. Early in his career, he worked as a rehearsal class pianist for the Australian Ballet and performed for productions such as Nearly Beloved. He also taught at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. In 1983, Hennig premiered the “Piano Concerto” by Ross Edwards with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, a work specifically dedicated to him. His recording career included the world premiere recordings of Franz Liszt’s symphonic poems and works by Richard Wagner arranged by Carl Tausig, such as excerpts from “Tristan und Isolde”. He also contributed music to the 1986 film Two Friends. Before his death, he completed two CDs of a project to record the complete piano works of Cyril Scott. Hennig died of an AIDS-related condition on January 17, 1993, at age 41. A memorial medal in his name is presented at the Sydney International Piano Competition.
