Piano teacher guilty of abusing students

SYDNEY - Internationally renowned piano professor Victor Makarov was yesterday found guilty of sexually abusing two of his former students in Sydney.

The 52-year-old master pianist has now been convicted in three NSW District Court trials of a total of 26 sex offences against four young men who were under his expert tuition.

Makarov is already serving up to 12 years' jail after being convicted last year of eight offences against one student, including indecent assault and aggravated sexual intercourse by a person in authority.

A trial last month ended with Makarov being convicted of eight offences involving another pupil.

Yesterday, a jury found him guilty of 10 counts of sexual abuse against two more former students.

The offences occurred over a period of more than five years, after Makarov arrived from the Ukraine in the late 1990s to become head of piano studies at the Australian Institute of Music.

He systematically abused the boys -- who were aged between 13 and 16 -- as he groomed them for the concert stage, on some occasions as they practised at the institute's Surry Hills studios.

Makarov had pleaded not guilty at the latest trial to five charges of homosexual intercourse with a minor, four counts of aggravated indecent assault and one of gross indecency.

His two victims, neither of whom can be identified, embraced after the jury today delivered guilty verdicts on all counts.

Speaking outside the Downing Centre District Court, one man said the future looked brighter now that justice had been done.

He described his one-time teacher as "some sort of evil creature" but said: "What doesn't break you makes you stronger".

The other victim said he was "very glad that the justice system works and that ... all can be revealed".

"We feel much better, we feel more free," he said.

"Even the air feels fresher. It's been a burden."

Giving evidence during the trial, the man told the jury he continued to study with Makarov despite being forced into sex.

"I couldn't resist him," he had said.

"It would destroy me. It would destroy my playing."

Makarov also took the stand, saying his students would never have reached their heights of success had they been abused.

"They could never have achieved anything with things like that happening," he told the court.

But after deliberating for more than three days, the jury of two men and 10 women disagreed.

Makarov showed no emotion as the verdicts were handed down, and was remanded in custody by Judge Penelope Hock.

The pianist, who has yet to be sentenced after last month's trial, will face sentencing submissions on October 20 over both his recent convictions.

- AAP