Martha Argerich, the Elusive, Enigmatic ‘Goddess’ of the Piano

At 83, the Argentine-Swiss pianist is at the peak of her powers. But she doesn’t want to talk about it.

“I want to hide.” Argerich in Basel, Switzerland.Credit...Mischa Christen for The New York Times

By Javier C. Hernández

The pianist Martha Argerich had just delivered an electrifying performance on a snowy night in northern Switzerland. Fans were lining up backstage for autographs, and friends were bringing roses and chrysanthemums to her dressing room.

But Argerich, who at 83 is still one of the world’s most astonishing pianists, with enough finger strength to shatter chestnuts or make a Steinway quiver, was nowhere to be seen. She had slipped out a door to smoke a Gauloises cigarette.

“I want to hide,” she said outside the Stadtcasino concert hall in Basel, Switzerland, shrinking beneath her billowy gray hair. “For a moment, I don’t want to be a pianist. Now, I am someone else.”

As she smoked, Argerich, one of classical music’s most elusive and enigmatic artists, obsessed about how she had played the opening flourish of Schumann’s piano concerto that evening with the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana. (Her verdict: “not so good.”) And she became transfixed by the memory of performing the concerto for the first time, as an 11-year-old in Buenos Aires, her hometown.

There, at the Teatro Colón in 1952, a conductor whose name was seared into her memory — Washington Castro — had offered a warning. Never forget, he said: Strange things happen to pianists who play the Schumann concerto.

At 83, Argerich is busier than ever. “They look old now,” she said of her hands, “but they still work.”Credit...Mischa Christen for The New York Times

The pianist Martha Argerich had just delivered an electrifying performance on a snowy night in northern Switzerland. Fans were lining up backstage for autographs, and friends were bringing roses and chrysanthemums to her dressing room.

But Argerich, who at 83 is still one of the world’s most astonishing pianists, with enough finger strength to shatter chestnuts or make a Steinway quiver, was nowhere to be seen. She had slipped out a door to smoke a Gauloises cigarette.

“I want to hide,” she said outside the Stadtcasino concert hall in Basel, Switzerland, shrinking beneath her billowy gray hair. “For a moment, I don’t want to be a pianist. Now, I am someone else.”

There, at the Teatro Colón in 1952, a conductor whose name was seared into her memory — Washington Castro — had offered a warning. Never forget, he said: Strange things happen to pianists who play the Schumann concerto.

First published at The New York Times, April 1, 2025. Updated April 2, 2025

CAPO 2025 Art Auction Event and Grant Winners

2025 Grant Winners.

CAPO announced the winners of 24 awards last Saturday night at Belconnen Arts Centre. The most prestigious award, the Fellowship was presented by CAPO Patron, Genevieve Jacobs AM, to Lucy Irvine, a Canberra-based artist, educator, and researcher whose work brings together sculpture, textiles, design, and architecture. Lucy plans to use the Fellowship to innovate new weaving systems and sculptural forms during a residency in Budapest and to bring this new work to a Canberran audience.

Full list of winners:
Rosalie Gascoigne Memorial Award: Lisa Sammut
Megalo Print Studio Residency Award: Steven Mark Holland
Robert Foster Memorial Award: Phoebe Porter
Tall Foundation Award: Fenja T. Ringl
Shaw and Partners Award: Tom Buckland
Waldren Constructions General Award: Al Munro
Michele Black Memorial Award: Creations Manuka: Jessika Spencer

Craft + Design Canberra Outstanding Practice Award: Julie Ryder
Capital Chemist Award: Mio Kuhnen
MPS People Security Risk Management Performance Awards: Sarah Stewart and Nick Delatovic
All Insure Emerging Artist Awards: Adelaide Worcester, Olivia Kidston and Sophia Childs
Doubleshot Deakin Award: Sophia Cai
Canberra Weekly Award: Lynne Flemons
Home by Holly Award: Cassandra Dove
Radford & Co Sculpture Award: Emeirely Nucifora-Ryan
PhotoAccess Award: Ria Tierney.
Cook Creative Writing Prize: Samuel Townsend
Boris Property Emerging Artist Award: Fi Peel
Craft + Design Canberra Emerging Artist Award: Lisa Jose
Canberra Museum and Gallery Photography Award: Sari Sutton

Find out about each of the winning artists unique projects on our website here.

Exhibition + Public Programs.
Art Auction Event.

Our Art Auction on Saturday 18 October was a wonderful celebration of creativity and community.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us to the talented artists who generously donated their works, and to our sponsors whose support made the night possible.

A special shoutout to our amazing performers and hosts, Genevieve Jacobs, Venus Mantrap, Kokoloco Dance, The Two Step Trio, and Natasha Ruschka for filling the evening with energy, colour, and joy.

View the full album of images here.

View and Shop the exhibition.

The Art Auction exhibition will stay on display at the Generator Gallery at Belconnen Arts Centre until 30 Nov 2025.

Iconic Australian stage and screen legend Toni Lamond dies aged 93

By Kinta Walsh-Cotton, Showbusiness Reporter, Australia

The Australian entertainment industry is mourning the loss of Toni Lamond, after she died on Saturday at the age of 93.

The stage and screen legend was a pioneering entertainer Down Under, with 80 years of experience under her belt.

Born in 1932, Toni began her career at the age of 10, when she started singing on the radio and touring with her parents in variety shows.

Her son, Tony Sheldon, shared several photos to Instagram that documented their life together, including an image of her bottle feeding him when he was a baby. 

Entertainment reporter Peter Ford took to X – formerly known as Twitter – to share his heartbreak over the loss.

'Very sad to hear of showbiz legend Toni Lamond’s death at 93. What a life and career!' he wrote.

Australian showbusiness is mourning the loss of Toni Lamond on Saturday
after she died at the age of 93. Photo: Getty Images

'A list of TV, stage and movie credits as long as your arm – both here and overseas. Fun fact – she was the first woman in the world to host a Tonight Show. 

'She won a Logie & performed on the opening night telecast of GTV 9. Her son Tony Sheldon continues the family showbiz dynasty.' 

Toni had a plethora of talents across musical comedy, dramatic plays, recordings, film, television and cabaret.

Her first starring role was in 1952 alongside Tommy Trinder during The Tommy Trinder Show.

She took to the stage for productions of Oliver, Annie Get Your Gun, The Pajama Game, Gypsy, 42nd Street, and The Pirates of Penzance, among many others.

As for TV, her credits include iconic hits like The Graham Kennedy Show, Bandstand, Murder She Wrote, The Bob Newhart Show, Starsky & Hutch and Denise.

The Mike Walsh Show, The Bert Newton Show, Parkinson in Australia, In Melbourne Today, Good Morning Australia, Division 4, Number 96, and Spicks and Specks are also credited to her.

Toni also starred in The Love Boat, Highway to Heaven, Eight Is Enough, Punky Brewster, The Pirates of Penzance and the films Spotswood and Razzle Dazzle.

Her son, Tony Sheldon, shared several photos to Instagram of his famous mother

She was previously married to performer Frank Sheldon in 1954, but tragedy struck when he died by suicide in 1966 while she was performing Oliver.

Producers famously made her perform the night after his funeral. 

Toni later jetted off to the US in the 1970s to live in Los Angeles, working between America and her home country of Australia for many years.

Her accolades are numerous, with Logie Awards, Mo Awards, and Variety Club Awards all with her name on them.

She also earned the Helpmann Awards Lifetime Achievement, Equity Lifetime Achievement Award, and Centenary Medal for Service to the Arts Community. 

The Victorian Honour Roll of Women and an Order of Australia for Service to the Entertainment Industry are also credited to Toni.

First published at The Daily Mail, November 29, updated November 30, 2025

Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton dies at 79

Actress Diane Keaton arrives to the world premiere of Twentieth Century Fox's film "The Family Stone" at the Mann Village Theater, Dec. 6, 2005, in Westwood, Calif. Photo: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images, FILE

By Megan Forrester and Bethany Braun-Silva

Diane Keaton, the legendary actress known for her Oscar-winning role in "Annie Hall" and iconic performances in "The Godfather" and "The First Wives Club," has died at age 79.

Keaton's death was confirmed by Dori Rath, a producer who worked with her.

No other information about a cause of death was immediately available. The Los Angeles Fire Department said it responded to a medical call to Keaton's Brentwood home at 8:08 a.m. local time on Saturday and took a patient to the hospital.

Keaton rose to fame in the 1970s with her role as Kay Adams in "The Godfather" films and her acclaimed collaborations with director Woody Allen, including "Play It Again, Sam," "Sleeper" and "Annie Hall," the latter of which earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1978.

Known for her offbeat humor and timeless fashion sense, she went on to star in a string of hits spanning generations, from "Baby Boom" and "Father of the Bride" to "The First Wives Club," "Something's Gotta Give" and the "Book Club" franchise.

Born Diane Hall in Los Angeles in 1946, Keaton was the oldest of four children. She studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York before making her Broadway debut in "Hair." Beyond acting, Keaton was a director, producer, photographer and bestselling author.

In 2020, Keaton sat down with ABC News' Juju Chang in an interview that aired on “Good Morning America,” where she revealed details of her complicated relationship with her brother, Randy, and his struggles with mental illness and alcohol.

"When I look back on Randy, I just think wow -- I wish I could've been a better sister," Keaton told ABC News.

In another ABC News interview in 2022, Keaton said she had been "very fortunate to have many opportunities that came my way" and when asked what she would tell her 30-year-old self, she replied she "wouldn't do it."

"What made my life interesting was I had freedom. You know, that I had the opportunity to make my choices with time as it went on," Keaton told ABC News' Will Reeve back in 2022.

Reactions to Keaton's death poured in from celebrities, including her "Father of the Bride" co-star Kimberly Williams-Paisley, who said working with Keaton was "one of the highlights of my life."

Richard Dreyfuss and Diane Keaton pose with their Oscars at the 50th Annual Academy Awards, on April 3, 1978.
Photo: ABC photo Archives / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

"You are one of a kind, and it was thrilling to be in your orbit for a time. Thank you for your kindness, your generosity, your talent, and above all, your laughter," Williams-Paisley wrote in an Instagram post honoring Keaton.

Actress Mary Steenburgen described Keaton as "magic."

"There was no one, nor will there ever be, anyone like her. I loved her and felt blessed to be her friend. My love to her family. What a wonder she was!!!" Steenburgen wrote in a statement.

Keaton is survived by her two children, Dexter, 29, and Duke, 25. She last posted to her public Instagram on April 11, sharing a photo with her beloved Golden Retriever, Reggie.

First published at ABC News, October 12, 2025

Dinner on stage as part of The Dame Edna Show!

By Tony Magee

In the late 1990’s / early 2000’s my friend Lisa McClelland and I went to see Dame Edna Everage at the Canberra Theatre.

Well into the show, she asked who was going out for dinner after the show. Lots of people raised their hands, including me.

She picked me out and asked where we going. 

“We haven’t completely decided yet”

“What’s you name?”

“Tony.”

“And who’s that next to you”

“My friend Lisa”

“Tony and Lisa!”

“You look hungry right now!”

And so a phone was brought on stage and she called up Tossellinis and asked that dinner for two be delivered to the stage door in 20 minutes.

And sure enough, 20 minutes later, dinner arrived! A table with cloth, candle and two chairs was put in place and she motioned to Lisa and I to make our way onto the stage and eat dinner!

We complied and enjoyed ourselves. 

The audience thought the whole thing was hilarious!

This photo was taken as a memento.

Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation Acquires Naming Rights for New Zealand's Singing Competition

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa performs with the Russian National Orchestra directed by Vladimir Spivakov in 2004.
Photo: Dennis Sinkakov / AFP/Getty Images

From 2026, the competition will be known as the Kiri Te Kanawa Song Quest

The Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation has announced that it is the new Principal Naming Rights Partner of New Zealand's foremost singing competition.

Previously known as the Lexus Song Quest and the Mobil Song Quest, the competition will be known as the Kiri Te Kanawa Song Quest from 2026.

The announcement represents a natural next step in the Foundation's relationship with the Song Quest, as the two organizations have been working in partnership for the last decade.

The Song Quest has been running for the last 69 years, and is widely regarded as an international launchpad for New Zealand's best young singers, including Dame Kiri Te Kanawa herself, who won the competition in 1965.

Other past winners of the contest have included Christopher Doig, Malvina Major, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Jonathan Lemalu, Madeleine Pierard, and Anna Leese.

Entries for the 2026 edition of the Song Quest open in December 2025, the semi-finalists will be announced in April 2026, and the Grand Final Gala will take place on Saturday July 11, 2026.

"This is a huge and exciting personal honor," Dame Kiri te Kanawa said. "The Song Quest is a New Zealand icon. It’s a great and venerable institution which over the years has been the catalyst and launch-pad for so many outstanding careers – including my own."

"My Foundation is now taking the leading role in sustaining the Song Quest into the future which is a practical way of ensuring that the opportunity I was given all those years ago will continue to be available to the cream of our young singers."

"My Foundation supports young New Zealand classical singers with exceptional potential. With its invaluable and prestigious on-stage experience and support for our country’s finest young singers, the Song Quest has always been a perfect fit for the Foundation’s work."

First published at The Violin Channel, October 7, 2025

Egypt reopens Amenhotep III’s tomb after 20 years

The reopened tomb, first discovered around 1799, contains ancient Pharaonic drawings. (EPA PHOTO)

By Ahmed Hatem & Samy Magdy in Luxor

Egypt has reopened a tomb of a pharaoh for visitors after more than two decades of renovation in the southern city of Luxor, as it prepares for the official opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

The huge tomb of Amenhotep III, who ruled ancient Egypt between 1390 B.C. and 1350 BC, is located on the western side of the famed Valley of the Kings.

It was found in 1799 by two people and its contents were looted, including the sarcophagus, Egyptian antiquities authorities said.

It has been under a Japanese-led, three-phased restoration project for the past two decades, including renovating paintings of the pharaoh and his wife on the tomb walls, said Mohamed Ismail, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

“It’s a very fascinating tomb,” he told The Associated Press at the scene, adding that it includes a frame of the stolen sarcophagus box, with the lid in place where it would have been.

The tomb starts with a 36-metre-long, 14-metre-deep, downward-sloping passageway beneath the Valley of the Kings.

It includes a main burial chamber for the king, and two other chambers for his wives, Tiye and Sitamun.

Unlike other ancient tombs in the valley, the tomb is not fully decorated, Ismail said.

Its paintings show Amenhotep III with a group of ancient Egyptian gods, and the burial chamber contains inscriptions of scenes from the Book of Dead, which is a collection of spells aimed at directing the dead through the underworld in ancient Egypt.

The mummy of Amenhotep III was moved by ancient priests to the tomb of his grandfather, Amenhotep II, also in the Valley of the Kings, according to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation.

The severely damaged mummy is showcased at the museum along with 16 other mummies of 17 kings and queens of ancient Egypt.

Amenhotep III was one of the most prominent pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty of ancient Egypt, which ruled between 1550 BC and 1292 BC Known as Amenhotep the Great, he ascended the throne as a teenager and ruled for up to 38 years, according to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation.

The tomb’s reopening came less than a month before the official inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum near the Giza Pyramids.

The museum is scheduled to open on November 1.

The re-openings are part of Egypt’s efforts to attract more foreign visitors to revive the tourism sector, a major source of foreign currency.

Tourism, which depends heavily on Egypt’s rich pharaonic artefacts, suffered a long downturn after the political turmoil and violence that followed a 2011 uprising.

First published at Canberra City News, October 5, 2025