How Sophie feels about joining Camerata as an Artistic Associate.

I am thrilled to be appointed as Artistic Associate in Camerata. I joined the Upbeat program in 2020, and while that year may not have been great timing for performance opportunities, I have been lucky enough to guest on many programs since then, so it feels really affirming to become a permanent member of the Camerata family.

The reason Sophie chose music as a career, and Viola as an instrument.

My answer to this question is pretty boring, in the sense that viola was just something I did at school and ended up kind of good at it, so I just… didn’t quit. However, when I was 14, I flew to Brisbane for the Fanfare finals with the Cairns State High School orchestra and was lucky enough to observe a performance workshop at the Conservatorium. This really inspired me to become more serious about music, and I was so excited when I finally got to audition in year 12. When I got into the Con, I learned from John Curro, who is an absolute legend in Australian music. He was an incredible mentor, and I always felt so supported by him, and he believed in me so fiercely that I thought maybe I should believe in myself, too!

To answer the viola choice specifically: the teacher wrote the string instruments on a whiteboard in grade 3, and I had no idea what it was. I originally wanted to choose violin, but they said viola was less screechy, so I said SIGN ME UP! Turns out that was a lie. Viola can be screechy sometimes, but I still stand by my choice.

Sophie’s favourite music pieces.

There is too much good music out there to reduce favourites to just a few. I read Astrid Jorgensen’s memoir recently, and she wrote about how the older you get, the more you realise how impossible this question is to answer. I guess my favourite stuff to play is meaty and punchy, for example, the second movement of Shostakovich’s 8th string quartet – a popular favourite, I think. I also associate favourites with beautiful memories, for example, this year we played the third movement of Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence on tour, and it was always the highlight of my day. It’s one of those pieces where you really can’t help but beam while playing it, and I love catching smiles with my friends across sections, even after pulling hectic days on the tour bus! The glorious viola solo at the beginning of the movement might also have some influence.

Sophie’s experience of joining Camerata and her thoughts on unconducted orchestra.

Camerata has always been a friendly and warm environment to work in. It’s something audience members seem to notice often – that we are a happy ensemble. Being unconducted is awesome. All music is chamber music, and I notice these days, when I play in conducted orchestras, I have to force myself to look at the baton. I think you get so much more information to feel and respond to in an unconducted environment, and the collaborative approach means that we are undeniably a united team. It makes for a pretty euphoric post-concert vibe when we nail it – which is all the time, of course.

Sophie’s most memorable concerts at Camerata this year.

This year’s tour was definitely the highlight of the year. I have been fortunate enough to tour with Camerata every year since 2021, and though this year’s was definitely the most jam-packed, I had an absolute ball. Our evening program was so much fun, and the players in the orchestra are some of my favourites. I generally am someone who tires of human interaction quite easily in the day-to-day, and I love my alone time. I did not ever get sick of these humans. Sometimes I even feel recharged by being AROUND them! That’s when you know you’re surrounded by gold.