Biography
My musical journey began in year six of primary school when I was keen to join the band program. Unfortunately, I was late for sign-on day, and, by the time it was my turn to choose an instrument, the horn was the only one left on the shelf. Perhaps it was fate that I ended up with a horn in my hands but that choice has now brought me to the other side of the world to join Sinfonia Smith Square.
From 2017-2020 I undertook a Bachelor of Music at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University (QCGU), studying under the tutelage of Peter Luff, Ysolt Clark and Malcolm Stewart. During this time I gained my first experiences as a working musician, playing with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Queensland Camerata. These opportunities confirmed my love of classical music and of spending my days indoors playing scales!
Upon completing my degree it was time to head south from warm and sunny Brisbane. I was fortunate to be accepted into the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) and lived in Melbourne from 2021 to 2023. There I studied with Ben Jacks and Carla Blackwood who allowed me to explore exactly who I am as a musician, and to focus on my interests in curation and chamber music. Curatorial highlights of this time include a recital of works by Australian living composers for the National Gallery of Victoria’s “Who Are You: Australian Portraiture” exhibition; a chamber music recital at the Melbourne Recital Centre; and three solo recitals. The originality of my programming was recognised in 2022 when I won the ADFAS Yarra Prize for the ‘Most Outstanding Program in an ANAM Recital’. Upon leaving Melbourne I was awarded the ANAM Directors’ Prize, given to a graduating student in recognition of their commitment and dedication to the program.
I have a strong interest in curating accessible and diverse programs to make classical music enjoyable for everyone. I am particularly interested in performing lesser-known compositions, and works by Australian composers and female composers. As a guest on ABC Radio National’s ‘The Music Show’, and as a presenter on 4MBS, Brisbane’s classical music radio station, I was able to reach new audiences and gain experience in music broadcasting.
In 2023 I followed the path well-trodden by many Australian musicians and moved to Europe to undertake a Masters, joining the class of Professor Christian Lampert in Bern, Switzerland. In 2024 I won the position of Praktikantin (academist) with the Sinfonieorchester Basel, joining them for their 2024/25 season for main-stage concerts, theatre, and opera productions. This was a great way to revisit orchestral playing and to present classical music to audiences in a traditional format. While studying in Bern I was able to explore the horn in all its historical and traditional contexts, performing on baroque and natural horn, and alphorn – a very Swiss stereotype indeed!
As well as performing, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed teaching. I held horn teaching positions at Brisbane’s St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School, and All Saints Anglican School on the Gold Coast. When not playing horn I enjoy reading; writing and arranging music; cooking and eating good food; and bike riding – mostly to find good food!