BY GRACE COLLIVET
Soprano Rachael Joyce and collaborative pianist Alexandra Byrne are two artists who are embarking on their careers in the music industry. This May, they will feature in a live performance in the Auburn Tower.
Concert Under the Tower shines the spotlight on several young artists who played in the 2023 Boroondara Eisteddfod, and also includes performances by flautist Issie Brown, cellist Ethan Chiao, string quartet Hua-rmonicas, and Harambee A Cappella.
In this interview, we catch up with Rachael and Alexandra who share their experiences of success in the eisteddfod circuit, discovering their pathways into music, and their goals for their musical futures.
Grace takes us behind the scenes in the Auburn Tower, where she practices her own music and helps with arts administration.
Tell me when you first fell in love with music. When did you know that this was the path you wanted to take?
RACHAEL JOYCE: I have been surrounded by music since birth; my parents would play classical music to get me and my twin sister to sleep as babies. Andreas Scholl was a particular favourite! I played the piano and the violin growing up, and always sang in the school choirs, although I didn’t begin taking private singing lessons until I was about 15.
I vividly remember my first solo, when I was about 10 years old, singing What a Wonderful World for assembly with my primary school orchestra, and thinking that on stage felt like the right place to be!
ALEXANDRA BYRNE: Music was always very present in my house when I was young. I practically lived off Billy Joel, Elton John, the Blues Brothers, and Suzi Quatro, and as a result I grew up playing a lot of jazz and contemporary styles.
It wasn’t until I was in grade 12 that I had a music teacher tell me that you could go to university to study piano, which was a brand new concept for me, and that I really started to play and enjoy classical piano.
What have been your favourite moments of music-making in your careers so far?
R: I have had the privilege of singing in many beautiful venues around Australia, and with some exceptional musicians.
One absolute standout for me has to be the Herald Sun Aria competition in 2023, at the Melbourne Recital Centre, accompanied by the Melbourne Opera Orchestra. This was such a special day, and I was thrilled to have so many members of my family and friends there to share the moment with.
A: A personal highlight of my performance career occurred a few weeks ago. I had the privilege of returning to my hometown of Mossman in Far North Queensland and presenting a recital of art songs by Henri Duparc and Benjamin Britten alongside tenor Ben Glover. The concert was especially significant for me, as I had not performed publicly in Mossman since I moved away in 2010. It was humbling to go back to my roots to share with, engage with, and celebrate the community that supported and nurtured me as a young musician.
What are your aspirations for the future? Do you have any dream opera houses or concert halls that you’d like to perform in?
R: I am very excited to be travelling to Germany later this year as the recipient of the Melbourne Opera and Rotary New Generations Service Exchange scholarship. I will get the opportunity to work with expert coaches and singers in masterclasses and workshops, and perform some recitals over there as well.
I would love to spend some time living in Germany, and performing in some of their highly renowned opera houses. After having visited La Scala on a university trip to Italy in 2018, it is absolutely a dream to perform there. Closer to home, I would love to sing at the Sydney Opera House.
A: As someone who grew up in a remote sugarcane farm community, we had little access to classical music, theatre, music education or programs that young musicians in the city or larger centres could engage with every single day. I could never have fathomed how expansive the music industry is, and how rewarding a career in music can be.
It is because of this that I am passionate about bringing music and music programs — whether they be educational or performance based — to regional and remote areas of Australia. As musicians ourselves, it’s imperative that we inspire and encourage the musicians of tomorrow, especially those who are not aware of the opportunities that lie before them.
You both maintain busy performance and teaching schedules. What are some strategies you use to balance your time whilst juggling commitments and preparing for multiple performances at once?
R: The portfolio careers that most musicians develop require a lot of juggling, and this balance is definitely something that I’m still working out! I try to make sure at the start of each week that I have planned out my teaching so that I can dedicate any blocks of time I have to practice and other performance-related work.
Having admin time carved out in my week is also essential, and an ever-growing to-do list. I find prioritising the repertoire that I am learning is necessary to make sure that I am on top of everything, and I start learning music as far in advance as possible. My number one tool is my colour-coded calendar, which is organised to the minute, for months in advance!
A: I’d be lying if I said that I had mastered the art of balance, and I wish I had a more succinct answer as to how I manage to juggle various commitments! I find sitting down with a coffee and my diary at the start of the week very helpful. I take half an hour or so to prioritise what repertoire I need to focus on that week, as well as allocate time for practice, admin, general life duties and – most importantly – down time.
Tell me a bit about some of the challenges you’re facing at this stage in your careers. What are your biggest obstacles you’re working to overcome at the moment?
R: Finding the right balance between performing work and teaching, as well as giving myself time off, is one of the biggest challenges for me. There is always repertoire to learn, emails to respond to, and lessons to plan, so it is impossible to not bring work home. Finding the balance of staying on top of everything while also not burning out is the key, and having a life outside of work!
A: Honestly, my biggest challenge is something I think most musicians struggle with. Being a musician can be a difficult vocation as the line between being ‘at work’ and what you do in your downtime is often blurred. There’s always an exciting project that someone has pitched to you, a new piece you want to learn or show you want to play.
I’ve started drawing harder lines in the distinction between being ‘at work’ and being ‘off-duty’, and I’ve found it helpful in allowing myself to switch off, put my work down and come back to it another day.
Alex, how does the path of a repetiteur and a collaborative pianist differ from that of a solo pianist? I’m curious about what drew you into the operatic sphere.
A: I knew very early on in my university training that I do not have the disposition or desire to be a solo musician. I think anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I’m much too chatty to be practising in a room by myself all day! I started accompanying instrumentalists and singers, and found myself drawn to vocal repertoire, especially lieder. I started playing for a small student-run company called Brisbane City Opera, vocal workshops, choirs and musical theatre companies.
It wasn’t until my third year at uni that I even heard the word ‘repetiteur’, or realised that there were pianists who specialisied in collaborating with vocalists. Like most paths in my music career to date, I stumbled across opera by following my nose and jumping on board projects that intrigued and excited me.
Rachael, you’ve had admirable success in the eisteddfod circuit. What role do eisteddfods play in the journey of an emerging artist, and what lessons have you learnt on the circuit?
R: Eisteddfods can be a fantastic tool for performance opportunities and gaining valuable feedback from industry experts. However, the competition circuit can be very tough, and it is important not to base the belief in your ability solely on the opinion of competition judges.
The biggest lesson that I have learnt is to trust in my own artistry, and build on this with each performance opportunity and competition.
If you could give a piece of advice to yourself as a first-year right at the start of your music degrees, what would you say?
R: Firstly, I would tell myself to learn German! I have an arts degree with a French major, and took some Spanish electives, but only began taking German lessons with the Goethe-Institut this year. With plans to spend time in Germany, having a couple of extra years of German under my belt would have been handy.
The only other thing I would say would be to enjoy the journey, and take every opportunity that you can to sing and perform, and make beautiful music, because at the end of the day, that’s what I love!
A: One of the beautiful aspects of being a musician is that each career is so personally tailored. No two career paths are the same – and that’s exciting!
Also, go and practice your double thirds, they’ll come in handy.
Rachael and Alex will perform in Concert Under the Tower, 2.30pm May 26 in Auburn Uniting Church.
Image supplied.
