BY CUTCOMMON
Breaking into the Australian music industry isn’t easy — so you’re going to want a good start.
The Australian National Academy of Music trains up the next generation of classical and art musicians. The only dedicated performance training institute you’ll find in the country, it gives young players the performance opportunities that can help them build confidence and experience on the stage.
But what’s it really like to get started at ANAM? Are the tutors helpful, and the opportunities all they’re cracked up to be?
In this series, we hear from first-year musicians who tell you why they decided to build their career through ANAM, and how they’re finding the experience so far.
We first chat with Anna Rabinowicz — an impressive Melbourne flautist who has won a bunch of awards during her time studying at Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University. Anna has also been selected for national programs such as the Australian Youth Orchestra, Australian Festival of Chamber Music Winterschool, and Symphony Australia Scholar Conductors’ program.
Let’s meet Anna!
Hello Anna! Let’s talk about where you’ve come from. Before you decided to train at ANAM, what was your biggest achievement in music education?
My final recital at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University was a very rewarding experience. It capped off four years of intensive study.
One of the pieces I performed was Falling Ever Deeper, which was composed in 2014 by Paul Dean. Paul is the head of woodwind at the Queensland Conservatorium, and was the artistic director of ANAM from 2010-2015.
It’s a complex and challenging piece, and it was great to have Paul’s input.
When you decided to take that leap and join ANAM, what did you hope or expect it would offer you that nothing else could?
It was when I was in high school that I first visited ANAM, then located at the South Melbourne Town Hall. It was there that I had my first lesson with the wonderful Virginia Taylor, who was my teacher at the Queensland Conservatorium, and who was the flute teacher here at ANAM for several years.
I also attended some ANAM concerts at the South Melbourne Town Hall, and was inspired by the high standard of musicianship. I was drawn to ANAM by its faculty and its performance-based study program.
What was something you were feeling a little nervous about when you decided to apply — and how do you feel about that now?
When I first found out that I had been offered a place at ANAM, I was excited but also curious because I did not know all that much about the day-to-day activities here.
Since then, everything has fallen into place really well, despite the COVID backdrop.
So what’s it actually like to learn music at ANAM?
There is a great sense of community here. The administration staff, faculty, and musicians are all very dedicated and generous with their time. The variety of performances, workshops, and lessons that we are a part of is incredible.
The schedule here is different every day: some days, we have back-to-back rehearsals for an upcoming concert, while on other days we can focus on our own practice. Some weeks are filled with chamber music or orchestral programs; in other weeks, the schedule allows you more time to focus on your own solo repertoire.
I like the balance and variety that we have, and I am enjoying refining different skills and aspects of my playing through these varied opportunities.
ANAM is unlike other training institutions. You’re studying, but the school does not assign you the identity of ‘student’. You’re performing in ANAM concerts as a professional — an early career artist. How do you feel ANAM’s performance opportunities prepare you for the professional world?
The activities at ANAM are those of the classical music scene.
Many of our performances are directed by leading musicians and conductors, and are a good grounding for our lives as professional musicians.
How would you rate your tutors? And as you reflect on your first year at ANAM, what would you say is the most valuable lesson they taught you?
My teacher here is the wonderful Alison Mitchell, who I first met in Brisbane. It has been terrific for us three flautists to have the opportunity to learn from her.
We have also received valuable input from other faculty members in workshops and tutorials, as well as from visiting musicians, which includes members of the flute sections of the Melbourne, Sydney, and Queensland symphony orchestras. All the teachers here are accomplished musicians in their own right, and are wonderful mentors.
How has your first-year experience challenged, changed, or even reinforced what you believed a career in the music industry could look like?
My experience at ANAM has sharpened my awareness of the opportunities available as a classical musician, and has given me a better understanding of the knowledge and skills that are required to sustain a career as a performer.
What skills are you most looking forward to carrying into your second year?
I’m looking forward to continuing to refine my skills, and to gain more experience in a range of performance and learning opportunities.
Any words of advice for people about to take the same step you’ve taken, and join ANAM for their first year too?
It is a very rewarding and enjoyable experience to study here. It is the ideal environment for anyone looking to pursue a career as a performer.
Follow Anna’s career and live performances on the ANAM website. If you’re a musician and would like to pursue your own first-year experience at ANAM, you’ll have the chance to apply online until 27 June.
Images supplied. Anna captured by Pia Johson.
