Classical pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk, and his wife Zorica, welcomed their daughter Anna Emilia thirteen months ago.

Alexander is originally from the Ukraine, and came to Australia as a teenager to study before becoming an Australian citizen. He won the Vladimir Horowitz Competition in 1999, the Hamamatsu Competition in 2000, and the Arthur Rubinstein Competition in 2005. Alexander has played with major orchestras all over the world, including Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, Portugal, Mexico, Britain, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, France, South Korea, Poland, Taipei, the Netherlands, Canada and the United States. Now living in Berlin, he visits Australia every year, and this year will be performing at the Melbourne Recital Centre.

Alexander and Zorica met when they were both in high school in Sydney, and he was tutoring her for her piano exams. Zorica now has her Masters in Cultural Administration and is Alexander’s manager; they were married in 2008.

Soccer star Melissa Barbieri, and her husband Geoff Hudson, welcomed their first child on January 30, and have named their daughter Holly Marie.

Melissa began her career with Richmond FC, becoming the first woman to play in the professional men’s league. She joined the national women’s team, the Matildas, in 2002; on her début, Australia beat Canada 1-0. She signed with Melbourne Victory in 2008, and currently plays for the Newcastle Jets. Melissa has a scholarship with the Victorian Institute of Sport, and is captain of the Matildas as well as their goalkeeper.

Melissa and Geoff have been married for about five years.

Basketball player Dave Gruber, and his wife Kara, welcomed their first child on January 31 and have named their daughter Grace Nicole. Grace Gruber was born at 5.30 pm at Figtree Private Hospital, weighed 3.97 kg (8lb 8 oz), and measured 52 cm long.

Dave plays for the Wollongong Hawks. Dave and Kara are both originally from Iowa in the United States, and became Australian citizens almost two years ago.

AFL footballer Dylan Roberton, and his partner Amy Capp, welcomed their first child in November, and have named their son Boston.

Dylan made his AFL debut for the Fremantle Dockers in 2010, and at the end of last season, asked to be traded to a Melbourne team. He was eventually signed with St Kilda, and Dylan has revealed the reason he wanted to go back to Victoria was so that he and Amy could be closer to their families after Boston’s birth.

Amy and Dylan are childhood sweethearts who grew up in Frankston, and have now returned to live there.

Motocross star Brett Metcalfe, and his wife Sheena, welcomed their first child in the middle of last year and named their son Nash Ari.

Brett has been racing motorcycles since he was four years old. He began his pro racing career in 2001, and joined the American Motocross in 2003. In 2005, he won the US Open of Supercross. Brett’s father was also involved in racing, and his brother Shane is a motocross rider as well.

Brett met Sheena in the US; they were married in 2009 and live in southern California. Currently sidelined by injuries sustained last year, Brett and his family recently visited his home town in South Australia, catching up with friends and family over the Christmas break.

(Photo of the Metcalfes from Sheena’s Twitter account)