Eliza Scott

Year started at NECOM: 2020

Violin, Ensembles, Classroom Music

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT WORKING AT NECOM?

There are too many things to list! But to name just a few… I love the variety that my job offers. Every day I visit multiple schools and teach violin, classroom music, chamber music, string ensembles, flute quartets and string quartets… just to name a few! There is never a dull moment. I also love the NECOM community. The students, teachers and parents that I get to see on a weekly basis are always so encouraging and supportive. It really is a conservatorium without walls. Though, our walls up at the Armidale Teachers’ College are pretty spectacular! I couldn’t imagine working in a cooler building than the ‘big one up on the hill’.

YOUR EARLIEST MUSICAL MEMORY IS

I grew up in an extremely musical family – so all of my earliest memories are accompanied by music. My Aunty taught me the violin, and all of my cousins played instruments, so there was never a quiet moment – especially at Christmas. As a child the best fun would be when Dad and I would jam together, him on the piano or guitar and me on the violin. We still love playing together – it is always a great honour to be joined on stage by my Dad.

WHAT IS ONE MEMORY THAT STANDS OUT AS A HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER SO FAR?

I am so lucky to have had many incredible experiences around the world thanks to my violin. Whilst living in London I had the pleasure of performing for Prince Charles (now King Charles III) at Windsor Castle. It was part of a fundraiser for the Royal College of Music and we got to have Champagne with HRH afterwards. Besides the stress of having to memorise ‘God Save the Queen’ in little under 30 seconds it was a very memorable occasion. Also in London I was invited to a preschool in Kensington to demonstrate the violin. Unbeknownst to me, this was the preschool that Princess Charlotte attended and it was parents day, so the Duchess of Cambridge was also in attendance and came up to say hello afterwards. I walked out of there on Cloud 9! 

IF YOU COULD ONLY KEEP ONE PIECE OF MUSIC IN YOUR COLLECTION, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

That’s a really, really tricky question! If I really could only pick one, it would probably be Sibelius’ Symphony No 2. It was the piece that made me fall in love with orchestral music.

Link to professional bio