“I love playing with Camerata! It’s been very special to get to play in this orchestra. Everyone at Camerata approaches everything they do with such enthusiasm and generosity! I’ve loved the recent tour, getting to play with lots of local musicians in the regional communities… and performing with Tenzin Choegyal earlier in the year also stands out as a highlight. There is so much joy and care in this ensemble, and it is so wonderful to be welcomed into making music together.”
Meet Ella Beard, one of our 2024 Upbeat artists!
Ella grew up in a regional town south of Adelaide in South Australia, and moved to Brisbane in 2023. They started off their musical life as a violinist, before falling in love with the viola and its rich and complex sound, when one of their friends lent them their viola.
Ella has always found extraordinary joy in learning their whole life, which made them fall in love with music first, for there is always plenty to learn about music or playing an instrument. Ella knew they wanted to pursue music as a career at a young age. They say, “I am motivated to make music that tells stories, connects communities, broadens perspectives, and has meaningful social impact so that as many people as possible can feel as connected to music as I do.”
Ella first heard of the Upbeat program from a previous Upbeat Artist, who gave the experience a rave review. They love getting to use the sound of their colleagues to inform their own playing and development, and felt excited by the opportunity to do so with Camerata.
Being an Upbeat Artist has afforded them the opportunity to gain not only technical skills that made them more versatile and a sensitive musician, but also gained industry insight that have impacted their career.
Our Upbeat program is designed to foster emerging artists through mentoring from our Artistic Associates, and rehearsals and performance opportunities to gain valuable industry insight and experience.?
We are delighted to have Ella as part of Camerata’s 2024 Upbeat program.?They have so far joined us on several projects including Camerata & Karin Schaupp: Serenade, our 2024 Regional tour, Opera at Jimbour, Camerata & Tenzin Choegyal: Yeshi Dolma & Beef Australia.