BY ZOE DOUGLAS-KINGHORN, LEAD WRITER
Sonya Pigot is a young classical artist who’s not afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve. She is a mesmerising performer, an advocate for animal rights, and a fan of Jane Eyre – as her cover photo on social media reads: “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”
The 21-year-old hails from Hobart, where she started studying piano at the age of 4. Now, in her final year of a Bachelor of Music with Honours at London’s Royal College of Music, she has come a long way from her island home to pursue a stellar career.
Her London highlights include winning first prize in the 2017 Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition, playing at the Royal Albert Hall, and performing to members of the Royal Family and the Australian High Commissioner.
Sonya’s discipline and artistry have seen her achieve a list of awards to her name, from first prize in the Hephzibah Menuhin Memorial Award Piano Competition to performing with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. In 2015, she was awarded the prestigious Nora Goodridge Young Artist Award from the Australian Music Foundation.
We chat with Sonya, from the other side of the world, to find out what it’s like to work as a young international artist.
Sonya, what is it like living in London? Is it hard to be away from your family?
I absolutely love London. The energy of the place is so eclectic, with the hustle and bustle of everyone rushing. It brings with it a feeling of excitement and inspiration.
Also, being as lucky as I am to live in the centre of London, I’m never too far away from sprawling parks that add so much greenery and peace.
It was at first tricky to be away from friends and family. But, as you get older, you feel less reliant on your family and more independent.
Is studying at the Royal College of Music as intense as the montage from the movie Shine?
I thought it would be extremely intense when I arrived and, in many ways, it is – but it isn’t as simplistic as what’s portrayed in Shine.
It really depends on the teacher you have, and your own ambitions. I personally thrive in an environment that pushes me beyond my comfort zone.
Do you get nervous onstage? How do you cope with performance anxiety?
I always get nervous. A good performance relies on the right state of mind. Adrenaline will focus your attention and heighten your senses – the important thing is not to dwell on it too much.
I always have to be alone before going on stage, to get myself as nervous as possible before walking on; overthinking every aspect of what I’m about to do with the score in front of me. When I walk on stage, I let it all go … I try and relax in the knowledge that I did everything I could to prepare.
As a performer, do you prefer to interact with the audience or let the music speak for itself?
Engaging with the audience is what performing is about. If you don’t interact, it’s simply an historical representation of what the composer would have done 200-odd years ago.
No, our job is to bring it to the 21st Century; to interpret it and to imagine and create for an audience now, so it becomes something spontaneous and alive.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Be unapologetic in the way you play and the way you live. Never be afraid to wear your heart on your sleeve.
Do you have any advice for those looking to pursue a career in classical piano?
I think the biggest thing I’ve learnt is to never be afraid of pain. The pain of working hard; of taking a risk or failing. It’s not pleasant, but it’s worth it. Pain has to be your friend if you are to keep going in difficult times – embrace it.
Always work obscenely hard. Make sure to feel as many emotions as possible, through either your own experiences or through art, and be inspired by them. Be arrogant enough to know that you can express them in your playing like no one else can.
We are all fantastically unique. Cultivate your differences unashamedly, because when it comes to art, your individual eccentricities are your biggest strength.
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