Giuseppina Grech, Musician

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Resident of Spotswood, One of Australia’s most talented and young sopranos

For many years, I was embarrassed to tell everyone I follow opera, as it’s not a typical teenage ‘cool’ thing to do. Opera found me through a curious moment in my life. When I was in year 6 at school a speech therapist I met, felt I had something promising in my voice and suggested I have classical singing lessons.

I became excited about exploring singing and decided to take up private classical singing lessons with Robert Stewart at my school, Westbourne Grammar School. I am indeed indebted to my classical singing teacher Robert Stewart and wife Claire Preston, for encouraging and nurturing my talent. A year after I had been singing with Robert, I remember he turned to me and said “I think you have something really special. You should audition for the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School (VCASS).”

The process was intense with several auditions and interviews and I was very lucky to be accepted at the mere age of 14-years-old. This prestigious school is for gifted musicians and dancers from across the country. This is where I took my talent and vocal studies seriously. I knew I was in the right place with like-minded people. My days at school were long, half the day was devoted to music studies and the other half for academic studies and not to mention 2-3 hours’ music practice each day.

During my adolescent years, I would lie to friends about my passion and what my musical career aspirations were. I was frightened of what people would say if I told them I sing opera. I had a burning desire to become an opera singer.
I graduated from VCASS with a good score and was awarded a VCAA Premier’s Award and a VCE Top Acts Prize from the Department of Education. I went on to further study at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music at The University of Melbourne, pursuing a Bachelor of Music majoring in Classical Voice.

Commencing in 2008, I was the youngest scholar to ever be accepted into Australia Music Events ‘Opera Scholars Australia’ program due to my mature and natural voice. For seven consecutive years, I was a scholarship holder with the program and performed regularly as a soloist and ensemble member at Opera in the Market, Opera in the Alps, Opera by the Loch and Opera in the Caves.

Through AME, I shared the stage with major artists including Yvonne Kenny and Anthony Warlow. I did this programme to get some performance experience. Many young artists find it hard to get performance opportunities and many have to pursue them elsewhere, such as overseas. I performed with many semi-professional companies and applied for a lot of scholarships and grants.

My biggest break after graduation was winning the prestigious fellowship from The Acclaimed Italian Opera Awards which enabled me to sing and study in Italy. In 2014, I studied in Milan at Teatro Accademia Alla Scala and took an intensive masterclass series with world-renowned Soprano Luciana Serra.

The highlight of my stay in Italy was definitely my role as Susanna, in the opera buffa (comic opera) Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) at Teatro Moriconi. It was my first role overseas. From there, I received more scholarships and I began to feel I could do more independent studying and continued to stay in Italy for a further 4 months. The following year, in 2015, I studied in Austria at the AIMS Opera Studio and did an intensive German language course whilst coaching with industry professionals at Vienna State Opera.

My music has given me the opportunity to meet the most interesting and amazing people and it has taken me to beautiful places around the world!

There is a massive opera-loving community in Australia. Unless you are in that world, you don’t know about that world. We are not in a country where opera is part of our culture. In Europe however, opera is a way of life. I was astounded of how many young people attend opera on a regular basis. There are many opera houses in Europe, and it’s relatively reasonable to have a night at the opera equivalent to a movie ticket in Australia. It’s a shame that opera is not recognized as much in Australia. I meet many people who have never attended an opera, they don’t know what they are missing. Opera is so dramatic, it nearly always tells a story of love and tragedy, a bit like real life don’t you think?! Some of the stories are deep and meaningful and send a real message about real life.

In opera, you need to understand the language you sing. I spend time learning languages, translating, researching on the opera, character and setting. It’s amazing how quickly you are able to pick up different languages and pronouncing foreign words. As an opera singer, you are forever learning. I spend a lot of time working with my singing teacher, vocal coach and language coaches. As a third generation Italian, I converse with the elders in my family in Italian.

For years, I’ve always called myself Josephine, however my birth name is really ‘Giuseppina’, I was named after my Nonna or Grandmother. People of Anglo descent find it difficult to pronounce my name so I’ve always gone with ‘Jo’ or ‘Josephine’. Even in all my performances, I was introduced as Josephine.

Since moving to Sydney this year for work with Opera Australia, I have had the pleasure of having an amazing European woman as my new singing teacher. She has been instrumental in persuading me to convert to my birth name ‘Giuseppina.’ I contemplated for months whether I should go by my birth name or continue on as Josephine.

It was only till recently that I have decided to go with my original name, Giuseppina. I felt like I have never accepted who I am, or what the name represents. I now realise how silly I was, not owning my name. This is what gives us our identity and we should all embrace it and be proud.

Australia is such a multi-cultural and beautiful place, where everyone is accepted. It’s ridiculous to feel you can’t be who you really are. I have been told that a lot of performers would kill for a name like mine. I now have a sense of pride, of not only my name, GIUSEPPINA, but of who I am!

I am so lucky to be in a job that I love. In 2016 I toured around Victoria performing the title roles of Isabella and Ferdinand in Opera Australia’s Touring and Outreach production of El Kid. I am so proud to be part of Opera Australia Schools Tour. I, with five other performers, visit schools and put on an hour’s performance to introduce Opera to primary aged children that may have never been exposed to it. We make it fun for the kids and get them involved. It’s so incredibly important to educate the next generation about performance, opera, music and drama. Currently, 2017 I am performing the same tour in New South Wales and living in Sydney.

I’m currently living with an opera singer who also works for Opera Australia. It’s a great setup as we constantly have other international and Australian singers staying with us. The nature of the work, you move to where the work is. A lot of principal artists will sing all over the world performing the same role.
I am what you call a lyric coloratura soprano, which means I am able to sing very high notes and gorgeous lyrical lines.

The best highlight I’ve had so far was performing in Sydney’s Woolworths Carols in the Domain televised on the Channel Seven Network hosted by Sunrise as one of Australia’s finest upcoming opera singers. Working for Australia’s national opera company, Opera Australia, is a big deal for someone as young as I. I’m looking forward to my future engagements with the company and cannot wait to see where my singing career takes me!

Last month, I performed as the featured Soprano for tenor and Australia’s Got Talent winner, Mark Vincent, in his ‘You Raised Me Up’ National Tour. This was such a huge opportunity for me and I was super excited to be sharing the stage with such an established artist and performing some of my favourite pieces from opera to musical theatre.

I am so lucky to have the family I have. We are very close and they are so supportive of my ambitions and aspirations. I love the craziness they all have, there is never a dull moment and life is always special at home. Growing up in an Italian family has given me good family values. There is always a focus on ‘La Famiglia’ and family always comes first.

Together with my family, I grew up in Melbourne’s inner west. As a child I remember we moved around a lot as my parents were into renovating and we would always move into a newly renovated house around the suburbs of Yarraville, Seddon, Newport, Williamstown and now call Spotswood home. I am thankful for the grounding I received and the life lessons I was taught. My parents are extremely hard working and they taught my sister Angelina, my brother Pierluigi and I, that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and work hard. Dreams are meant to be fulfilled and strive to be the best you can be. We all have talents and they have been given to us for a reason. My mother’s finest words are “when you get to the end of your road, you don’t want to leave any of your talents behind.”

Music has taken me to another place where nothing compares. I think music in itself is healing, it’s an explosive expression of humanity. Music speaks what cannot be expressed. It’s something we are all touched by.

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