How did you get into opera?
"I started off wanting to take singing lessons so I could be a contemporary singer. My mother accidentally enrolled me in classical lessons when I was about 11 or 12, which actually turned out much better than expected. I continued the classical singing lessons as it was something I had a natural talent for, and have grown to adore opera and classical music."
What has been challenging, unexpected or enjoyable during your singing career?
“Challenging moments for me during my singing career have been those that have involved failure. Not getting into the New Zealand Secondary Schools choir crushed me at the time as a year 11, but I had to tell myself that I was a solo singer and needed to work on myself as opposed to choral singing. I had an unexpected moment back when I was about 12 years old when I won a judge’s choice award at a singing competition. Winning that award was unexpected, but gave me my first realisation that I had a special voice. One of the most enjoyable things about pursuing a singing career has been meeting some amazing people. It sounds cheesy, but the people you meet along the way just reinstate why you want to keep on doing what you’re doing.”
What are your goals for the future?
“My short term goals involve completing my bachelor’s and moving overseas to pursue further study. My long-term goal would be to become a household name in the world of opera.”
What do you hope to get out of Lexus Song Quest?
“I hope to entertain New Zealand and do Dunedin and the South Island proud. I would love some exposure to the New Zealand opera scene and to become more widely recognised as a young emerging artist. Lastly, I would love to make some money, as furthering my studies comes at a price which working at Les Mills may never allow me to afford!”
Who inspires your practice? Do you have any creative influences or heroes?
“My teachers Tessa and Judy are huge inspirations to my practice. I love to practice what they teach me with the hope of doing them proud. After having worked with her at opera school, Amina Edris is a huge creative influence. I just really admire her dedication to the art form, and how hard she has worked to produce the incredible sound that she does.”
What does it mean to be a woman in opera? How has it shaped your experience?
“I guess I haven’t had that much experience yet working in the opera world to be exposed to the injustice a female faces.
However I do find that sopranos get a bit of grief for just being ‘another soprano’, as there are so many more of us than any other voice type. I used to feel that adjudicators would award male voices with the top prizes in junior competitions to encourage them to keep on going as they were so rare. However now I am a lot more aware that singing is highly subjective and depends on the preference of one person at one particular time!”
