Background
Gifford was born in Sydney and educated at Newington College (1985–1990), the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and in Russia at the Moscow Conservatory.
Gifford was born in Sydney and educated at Newington College (1985–1990), the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and in Russia at the Moscow Conservatory.
Moscow Conservatory; Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
He has been a professor of piano at the Conservatory of Palma in Majorca since 2006. Musica Viva describes him as a "major artist of his generation". The Sydney Morning Herald described him as "a virtuosic and musically eloquent soloist".
Gifford"s impressive record of international music competition awards began in 1989, when he was a finalist in the American Broadcasting Company Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards.
He was the highest placed Australian competitor in the history of the competition (this has since been equalled by Daniel Hill, who placed 3rd at the 2004 competition). Gifford has performed with orchestras and in recitals throughout Europe, Russia, Japan, Australasia, and in the United States where he gave his Carnegie Hall debut recital in 1999.
In 1993 he released his first Civil Defense featuring the music of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff. Since 1996, Gifford has been based in Madrid, where he is professor of piano.