You’re going to be featuring in Brisbane Chorale’s upcoming performance of Beethoven’s ‘Mass In C’ as the soprano soloist. What are you most looking forward to about performing this work?
I’m really looking forward to bringing this work to life. It’s one thing to sing it alone in the practice room, but to experience the full scale of Beethoven’s Mass in C with choir and orchestra is something else entirely. The piece balances grandeur with intimacy so beautifully, and being immersed in that sound world is always a thrill. The soprano solos in particular feel so human and heartfelt, and I’m excited to share that warmth in performance with Brisbane Chorale and St Andrew’s Sinfonia.
What performers or artists inspire you the most and why?
I have a few go-to singers I return to again and again – Barbara Bonney, Anna Netrebko and Diana Damrau are constant sources of inspiration. Recently, I was lucky enough to hear Lisette Oropesa in Rigoletto at LA Opera which was an unforgettable experience, and truly an exquisite voice. Closer to home, one of my highlights was singing in a masterclass with Siobhan Stagg for the Queensland Art Song Festival last year. As an Australian soprano of a similar fach who has built such a remarkable international career, she’s someone I deeply admire and aspire to follow.
What is your favourite concert or performance memory so far and why?
Some of my favourite memories come from touring. I’ve travelled with Opera Queensland for the Festival of Outback Opera twice now, and for me there’s nothing better than making music on the road with colleagues who’ve become close friends. The big open-air concerts are especially unforgettable – standing under a vast night sky, singing in the red dust of such a breathtaking landscape, is an experience unlike any other.
As a singer/musician, where would you like to be in five years’ time?
In the next five years, I’d love to be studying and working overseas, continuing to develop my craft and expand my repertoire. Germany is somewhere I can see myself living – it’s close to my Dutch roots and offers incredible opportunities for young opera singers to grow and perform.
Finally, for a bit of fun, please share with us a story of when a performance didn’t quite go as planned and how you got through it!
Last year, I debuted the role of Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro at UQ. Right at the climax of the Act IV Finale – the big moment when all the disguises are revealed – I had a slight wardrobe mishap. I was meant to be disguised as the Countess, with a shawl as the key prop to signal the switch. But when I made my entrance, I’d forgotten the shawl! So instead of the Countess looking like Susanna and Susanna looking like the Countess, Susanna just looked like… Susanna. It meant the poor cast had to do some very quick thinking and convincing acting to make the big reveal work.
