The Man

‘Music is the consuming passion of my life’

Recognised as Australia's most distinguished & versatile artist in the field of contemporary music, the name Tycho has earned an International reputation for excellence & is synonymous with high achievement in arranging, composing, conducting & performing.

Thomas (Tommy) Tycho was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1928. The son of a celebrated Operatic soprano he was drawn to music at an early age and began playing the piano when he was three years old. A child prodigy, he performed Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue by the age of 10 with the Budapest Philharmonic, and composed a piano concerto at age 14. He studied with Egon Petri & Zoltan Kodaly and was shaping up to have a brilliant career in classical music when World War II interrupted and Tommy was sent to a forced labour camp. He was lucky to survive.

After the war in 1948, his formidable talent would take him from Budapest to the Middle-East where he became the personal pianist to the Shah of Iran.

Tommy migrated to Sydney, Australia in 1951 and once settled began working with ABC radio as a show pianist on the popular program A Handful of Keys. It was during this time that he started building a substantial collection of orchestrations and original compositions which now form an important component of the Australian arts and entertainment culture.

At the birth of television in 1956, Tommy joined Channel 7 where he soon became their first Musical Director. Network 7 needed a complete musician who could conduct an orchestra, compose, arrange, orchestrate, improvise and perform live - Tommy was the perfect choice. He was one of the first faces seen on Australian television.

Tommy's unique ability to compose and arrange at a moment's notice across a range of genres was put to full use. He wrote hundreds of hours of music for programs including The Mavis Bramston Show, You Can't See 'Round Corners, Riptide and Anzacs.

After more than 15 years shaping the sound of early television, Tommy left to freelance on a number of concert projects including the A Night With....series which opened the Sydney Opera House. These highly successful concerts toured to all the capital cities of Australia and LP records of each concert were released. It was at this time he became known as the Maestro.

During his career Tommy toured as accompanist and musical director for every major local and international performer including Frank Sinatra, Jack Benny, Jerry Lewis, Roy Orbison, Peggy Lee, Sammy Davis Jr, Peter Allen, Anthony Warlow and Julie Anthony to name a few.

He worked with the premiere Symphony orchestras throughout Australia and New Zealand featuring classical and light music programs. His work played an integral role in many official openings including the Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney Football Stadium, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, World Expo 88, Darling Harbour and many more.

Tommy conducted a staggering nine Royal Command Performances.

His iconic orchestration of Advance Australia Fair remains the official version played at major sporting and community events.

Throughout his career Tommy supported, encouraged & mentored many of Australia's finest performers & musicians always giving freely of his time and passing on his expertise to the next generation. He also generously donated his knowledge, skills and energy to a vast array of charitable organisations, most notably the Victor Chang Heart Foundation and Pan Pacific Music Camps.

By nature an extremely humble man, he underestimated the importance of his own compositions instead choosing to enhance the works of others. A number of Tommy's classical compositions are now starting to receive performances and the recognition they deserve. These include a Violin and a Trumpet concerto and a number of chamber & orchestral works.

Tommy received a variety of prestigious awards including the Member of the Order of the British Empire, the Order of Australia and the Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow for contributions to music and the entertainment industry. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the University of Sydney in 2007.

In 2008, he suffered a massive stroke which left him severely paralysed and wheelchair bound.

With a career spanning over 60 years across a variety of musical styles, Maestro Tommy Tycho has left the world a legacy of work few could equal.