The Talent Episode 5: pianists Edward Cui and Jack Brunialti-Sykes

Edward Cui started playing piano at the age of 4 and is a Year 7 scholarship student at Scotch College. He studies with Kristian Chong and was awarded his AMusA Diploma (with Distinction) at the age of 10. 
 
Edward has won first prize in various international competitions including the UK Royal International Art Competition, the Global International Youth Arts Festival and a prize winner in the IPPA Conero International Piano Competition, where he also was awarded a prize for ‘Distinguished Performance of a Romantic Work’. Edward was the first prize winner in the Australian PolMusicA competition last year and in many other national competitions in the past. Edward has performed in prestigious venues including the Sydney Opera House, Melbourne’s Federation Square and Beijing World Art Museum.
 
In addition to piano, Edward studies violin with Isin Cakmakcioglu from the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and achieved his AMusA for violin at the age of 11. He also enjoys playing oboe as part of the orchestras at school, and as a violinist, he is part of the Ambassadorial Youth Chamber Orchestra, Scotch College Symphony Orchestra and many other string ensembles at school. Edward is extremely passionate about music and possesses an interesting musical personality with much potential.

 

Edward will perform:

• Karol Szymanowski: Etude in B flat minor Op.4 No.3
• Chopin: Scherzo No. 2 in B-Flat Minor Op. 31

 

Jack Brunialti-Sykes is a young pianist and composer from Melbourne. He began his musical journey in 2019, when he was 8 years old. His curiosity and passion for classical music was immediately apparent.

In 2020 Jack entered and won his first music competition, Eisteddfod by the Bay. 

He was a member of the Victorian State Schools Spectacular Orchestra in 2021 and 2022. In 2023 and 2025, he was selected to play in the Percy Grainger Youth Orchestra.

In 2022, Jack successfully auditioned for Artology’s ‘To Country’ composition program, where his composition was performed by the Adelaide Youth Orchestra.

He is an active member in the local music community, regularly performing with the Southern Area Concert Band plus boosting morale in retirement homes on a regular basis.

Jack has recently been accepted into the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School and is currently studying under the tutelage of Coady Green.

Jack will perform:

• S.Rachmaninov: Etude in F# minor, Op. 39, no. 3
• K.Parker: 4 Musical Sketches, No. 2: ‘Down Longford Way’
• C.Debussy: L’isle Joyeuse