MITCHELL, Eric George, OAM (1929 -)Born to Richard and Emily Mitchell, Eric Mitchell grew up in Swan Hill and Kyabram. He was enrolled at Geelong College as a boarder in February 1943, having come from Kyabram Higher Elementary and receiving the
H. V. McKay Scholarship.
After completing his studies at the College in 1945, he studied at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium of Music from 1946-1949. In 1950 he was engaged by the Council of Adult Education as a pianist and accompanist for a three months' tour of Victorian country centres. This tour then took him overseas to London and Italy.
Along with Keith Humble and Max Cooke, Eric went on to post-graduate studies in Paris, at the Ecole Normale de Musique. In Europe, Eric met his future wife Baroness Luise (Isa) von Eckardstein, they married in Glasgow in 1954. In that same year, Eric and Isa moved to Hobart, where he began tutoring the Governor of Tasmania's two daughters, among others.
From his piano teaching in Tasmania, this sparked a love of music education. In 1970 he was awarded a grant by the Australian Council of the Arts to research piano teaching for children. This research took him to the U.S., Hungary, Soviet Union and Japan, where he met Dr Suzuki. Through this connection he would go on to co-found Suzuki Australia, and help establish the Suzuki method of teaching music in other countries such as Finland.
Other achievements include guest lecturing at the Sibelius Academy, and universities in Finland and the U.S. He taught his granddaughter Katerina Mitchell, who is now a world renowned violinist based in London. At his 90th birthday they performed a Mozart piano and violin sonata.
Eric is a founding member of the Australian Society of Music, Tasmanian Chapter, and served as National Vice-President, 1975-1976; Tasmanian Chairman, 1974-1975; Tasmanian Vice-Chairman, 1974-1980. He was also the Foundation President of the Tasmanian Music Teachers Association; Music Lecturer, Tasmanian Adult Education Board, 17 years; and, former Lecturer in Form and Analysis, Tasmanian Conservatorium. He served as an examiner for the Australian Music Examinations Board, Tasmania, and is a former member of the Tasmanian State Committee.
In 2019 Eric was awarded a OAM for service to Music Education, and in his retirement has been spending more composing and performing private recitals.
Sources: Taroona Community Association Newsletter December 2019, The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia honours list (Queen's Birthday 2019), Pegasus (1950, 1952, 1955).