Vera Bradford had a long and interesting career as a concert pianist. She established the Frankston Music Society in 1967, in order to hold a series of fund-raising chamber music concerts with the intention of starting a Symphony Orchestra in Frankston.

The Frankston Symphony Orchestra was formed in 1968 and Vera Bradford performed some of her favourite concertos with the orchestra, as well as inviting performers such as Ronald Farren-Price and Geoffrey Tozer to play with the orchestra.

In 2004 Ivor Morgan, a former pupil of  Vera Bradford produced a series of CDs featuring Vera Bradford performances which he sold for fundraising, collecting over $3000 towards the aim of establishing a scholarship fund.  He later transferred the whole amount into the Frankston Music Society account in the hope that it would be used in the future for this purpose.

The Concerto Competition aims to realise this vision and commemorate the work of Vera Bradford in enhancing the musical life of the Mornington Peninsula.