Griffith music alumnibased in London and Berlinare collaboratingon atranscontinentalvirtual concert series.
WithCOVIDlockdownsacross Europelimitinglive performance, the trio ofQueensland Conservatorium graduatesdecided tomaketheir own opportunities.
Pianist ElliWelsh is based in London, where she is undertaking post-graduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music. Opera singers Oliver Boyd and Rachel Pines are studying and working in Berlin.
Together,they created Project Lieder,whichis a virtual showcase for their musical talents.
Thetrio’sfirst concert will drop this Sunday.
Baritone Oliver Boyd
“It has everything –humour, heartbreak, love, betrayal,”Oliversaid.
“All of thesesongs are about the twists and turns of love.
“Thelyricsare timeless and relatable, and the music is beautiful— we hope this isthe first of manyconcertsto come.”
The project has been pulled together via Zoom,using iPhones, laptops and basic recording equipment.
Rachel, who graduated from theMaster of Music Studiesin 2016,said the collaboration had allowed the musicians to upskillas theylearnedhow to record, film and edit as the project progressed.
Soprano Rachel Pines
“Hearing the finished audio tracksis wonderful. It’s amazing what you can do with phones, home audio equipment and software,” she said.
“Our creativity keeps feeding off each other, which has been so exciting.
“An added bonushas beenpicking upthesenew skills that are so valuableto young musicians.”
Ellicompleted a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music Studies at the Queensland Conservatorium, andis studying in Londonthanks to the Queensland Conservatorium Ena Williams Award for Postgraduate Study Overseas, worth $40,000.
Pianist Elli Welsh
She saidher studies at the QueenslandConservatoriumtaught her the value of creating her own musical opportunities.
“Being proactive about what you want to do, and seeking those opportunities is important,” Elli said.
“We all met and worked together during our studies at the Conservatoriumand we’repassionate about sharing this music in an engaging, relevant and accessible way.”
Oliver said the connections forgedwhilestudyinggavehim the confidence to create his own path in the industry.
“My time at the Con taught metotake ownership of your craft and creativity,” he said.
“Some of the coaches and collaborators we work with now, were introduced to us through the Con–these connections are invaluable.
“Without the world-class training that we all received beforemoving abroad it isunlikelywe would have had the ability to do projects like this one.
“The Con encourages students to spread theirwings andtake on challenges.”
Tickets to Project Lieder’s debut concert areavailablenow.The concert will premiere on14March at 2pm AEST and is available to view on demand for a further two weeks.
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