Acclaimed international pianist, Bernadette Harvey, was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2000 by then Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, for her contribution to Australian Music. Bernadette has won many accolades since her first medal in a Sydney Eisteddfod at the age of two and a half, including the ABC ‘Young Performer of the Year’ in 1987.

As guest artist since 2009 at the Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival in Tucson, Arizona, Bernadette now joins her husband, Peter Rejto, as its Co-Artistic director. She has worked with such artists as the Tokyo Quartet, the Dover Quartet, the Shanghai Quartet, the MiróQuartet, and many other artists from all around the world. She presented the world premiere of Pierre Jalbert's Piano Quintet with the Jupiter Quartet, which she subsequently recorded in 2019 for the Canadian label Marquis. She also appeared in Tucson with the Tokyo Quartet and the Shanghai Quartet in the premiere of Carl Vine’s Piano Quintet, Fantasia in 2013. She and the Shanghai Quartet later presented the Australian premiere of the Bright Sheng Piano Quintet, Dance Capriccio. Ms Harvey is renowned for championing new solopiano works, many of which are recorded on the Tall Poppies label. She has established an ongoing commissioning project - “the Sonata Project”- the aims of which are to challenge composers to reflect on their attitudes towards this traditional art form and to compose a substantial new work within its generous boundaries. The first three sonatas were composed by three young Australian women – Jane Stanley, Aristea Melos and Melody Eötvos. A subsequent sonata, ‘Ode’ by Peggy Polias - a reflection on the apocalyptic nature of war, was premiered at her performance/collaboration with the British artist Cornelia Parker’s installation ‘War Room’ at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art in January 2020 for the Sydney Festival. ‘Ode’ has been released in 2025 on Bernadette’s latest CD, Pillars of Creation on Rylstone Records, a recording which features other Australian piano works by Ross Edwards, Tim Dargaville and Donald Hollier.

Bernadette has performed extensively for Musica Viva Australia. She has toured nationally with cellist Jian Wang, Diana Doherty, the Goldner Quartet amongst many others. Her 2022 tour with Harry Bennetts and Miles Mullin-Chivers received high critical praise and featured the world premiere of a stunning new piano trio by Australian composer, Donald Hollier, commissioned by Musica Viva Australia. Bernadette has recorded most of the solo piano music of Ross Edwards, one of Australia’s most well-known and loved composers, who wrote his first piano sonata for her and a shorter two movement work, Sea Star Fantasy. In September of 2024, she gave a performance of Ross Edwards’ Piano Concerto with the North Sydney Symphony Orchestra with Steven Hillinger conducting at the SydneyConservatorium of Music, the first performance in 40 years.

Bernadette is the pianist in the renowned Streeton Trio with Emma Jardine, violin and Rachel Siu, cello and the group has already received high praise for its performances in important Australian chamber music festivals and series. Bernadette will be touring with the Streeton trio for Musica Viva during the middle of 2026.

Bernadette’s latest CD, Pillars of Creation, was released in January 2026 on her record label, Rylstone Records. The recording features Australian solo piano works, 2 of which are world premieres of major piano sonatas written for her by Peggy Polias and Tim Dargaville. It is available for streaming on all the regular platforms.

Bernadette Harvey has played a pivotal role in shaping Kelly Liu’s musical journey. Since beginning her studies with Bernadette in 2015, Kelly has not only developed her technical skills at the piano but also cultivated a deeper artistic identity and a more refined approach to performance—something for which she remains profoundly grateful. Studying with a teacher who is both an accomplished performer and a dedicated educator can be truly transformative. Through her mentorship, Bernadette has provided Kelly with both long-lasting inspiration and a strong foundation for her career path.