Tommy Tycho

Hungarian-born Australian pianist, arranger, composer, and music director, born 11 April 1928, Budapest – died 4 April 2013, Randwick, New South Wales.

Migrating to Australia in 1951, he soon found work with the national broadcaster, ABC Radio, where he became part of a piano duo with Glenn Marks. About a year later, he replaced Marks as the pianist with Jay Wilbur & His String Orchestra. Around 1954, Tycho formed the Thomas Tycho Ensemble, and a little later, Thomas Tycho Quartet. While still working at the ABC, he joined various bands such as Geza Bachmann Ensemble and Georges Pikler's Continental Players.

In 1958, he became musical director at television station ATN 7, the first person to perform this role full time in Australia. By the 1960s, he served as an arranger and conductor at RCA Of Australia Pty. Ltd. working with many artists. He left ATN7 in 1972 to pursue a freelance career. By May 1978, Tycho was managed by Lynn Rich, who put together the Music International Orchestra, later named the Sydney International Orchestra. After Rich's death in 1981, Ken Laing became his manager and the pair worked on many large scale productions including several Royal Command Performances. In 1984, he formed a piano duo with his daughter, Vicky Tycho and the pair recorded and toured together until the 1990s.

Tommy continued to work as a musician until 2008 when he suffered a debilitating stroke.