BY CUTCOMMON
Phoebe Gardner has always enjoyed listening to recordings of the Berlin Philharmonic. Now, the violinist has received the rare opportunity to learn from and perform with these world-class musicians through the Karajan Academy’s prestigious Eva Besen Scholarship.
Phoebe, who in 2021 completed her training at the Australian National Academy of Music, will receive mentorship from Berlin Philharmonic concertmaster Noah Bendix-Balgley when she travels to Europe for training this September.
She is the fourth ANAM alum to achieve this rare scholarship opportunity, and she tells CutCommon what it means to her.
Phoebe, congratulations on your scholarship! How does it feel to have a dream come true?
Thank you so much. It’s really exciting, and I’m so grateful to the Karajan Academy and to ANAM for this opportunity.
With your deep personal interest in Berlin Philharmonic, you must have worked really hard to give the scholarship application your very best. How did you find the process of applying for this program?
Any time I’ve worked towards something, it’s always been important for me to feel I’ve given it everything I could, so no matter the outcome, I’ve gained something and I don’t have any regrets.
All the teachers I’ve ever had have always considered the long term, and instilled in me that good things will come from perseverance and remaining open-minded.
You’ve spent years training and involving yourself in the music industry through programs such as the ACO Emerging Artist Program, ANAM’s national tour, and the Mostly Mozart Series. How important is it to pursue all the opportunities so that one day you may land yourself a scholarship like this one?
I have been very fortunate from a young age to have been involved in great educational programs, and each one has given me so much and helped me along this pathway to a career.
Just one that comes to mind is the ACO’s Parramatta Springs program, which I joined when I was 10 years old. Through this program, the ACO provided incredible mentorship, and was just really inspiring and encouraging for me as a young string player.
You’re the fourth ANAM alum to achieve this scholarship. Why do you think ANAM has provided such a solid training ground to enable musicians to go for chances like this one?
ANAM is an incredibly unique program in that the focus is on performance and guiding students in the transition from student to professional.
I was so lucky to have my teacher at ANAM, Dr Robin Wilson, who is incredibly dedicated and so experienced in preparing students for professional auditions and work. So I always felt very prepared going into important auditions and performances.
How do you see this scholarship fitting into your broader career goals?
I’ve always had aspirations to play in one of the leading European, American, or Australian orchestras so this is a wonderful step towards this goal.
What are you most looking forward to when you’re there?
Of course, I’m really looking forward to attending concerts and playing in the Berlin Philharmonic. But I’m also so excited to meet and perform with the other [talent]. I also love the city of Berlin, so I’m really looking forward to getting to explore it more.
What advice would you give to others who are considering taking a big leap towards their career goals?
For me, if there is any opportunity that I know I’d love, I always just take the audition and see what happens!
Learn more about ANAM’s training opportunities on the website.
Images supplied. Featured image of ANAM & ACO tour credit Julian Kingma for ACO.
