NECOM hosted a rewarding scholarship masterclass with vocalist Hannah Fraser.
Hannah Fraser graduated from Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2013 with a Bachelor of Music in Performance. Immediately after her graduation she was selected to work full-time for The Song Company, Australia’s leading A Cappella Vocal Group. Both as a soloist and through her ongoing work with this ensemble, she has collaborated with many highly acclaimed musicians, orchestras and ensembles from around the world.
On the concert platform she has performed Haydn’s Seven Last Words, Handel’s Messiah, Heiligmesse and Saul, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Mozart’s Requiem, Bach’s St John Passion, Hildegard’s Ordo Virtutum, Schumann’s Requiem für Mignon, Girolamo Abos’s Stabat Mater and Durufle’s Requiem.
Her debut operatic role was in Prague and Salzburg, where she performed the role of Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro with Prague Summer Nights Festival under the direction of Sherrill Milnes and Maria Zouves.
Through 2017 Hannah has been living in Italy and studying with renowned vocal coach Sherman Lowe. In 2018, she will return to Europe to perform in the Accademia di Bel Canto Rodolfo Celletti where she will have the opportunity to work with some of the most important experts of operatic singing in Italy.
The Vocal Masterclass for scholarship singers gave them the invaluable opportunity to perform for Hannah and pick up tips and observations for performing. Erin P offered the following insight afterwards:
“My masterclass with Hannah Fraser was an amazing experience. She taught me many things about vocal technique and stage presence. There were three other people involved in the masterclass and all of them received the same amount of enthusiasm for singing that I did. From this experience, I took away the ability to express myself on stage better, during musical theatre performances and improve my vocal technique through vowel modulation.”
Masterclasses offer regional students at NECOM the chance to learn from the most notable music professionals in Australia. As young musicians they can make connections and build networks with major leaders in the music industry through these masterclasses and this is invaluable for their future studies and opportunities.