The Melbourne Review

Home triumphant

June 2012

Danielle de Niese has conquered opera houses from New York to Glyndebourne, ever since becoming the youngest singer to debut as Barbarina in Le Nozze Di Figaro in 1998 at just 19 years of age.

Currently an international opera star and about to make her long-awaited return to her country of birth, de Niese explains how it was Australia that ‘gave her wings’.

“It’s my first time coming back home for a long time,” she admits. “It’s special because I was born there and I had all my initial training there, so it’s very important for me to return to the country of my birth as a professional performer and someone who has gone out into the world and made a career doing what I love. It was such an honour being asked to come back and do a concert with the ACO (Australian Chamber Orchestra), it feels like full circle for me. I’m very aware of the reputation of the ACO obviously – they’re such a forward-thinking group of musicians, I like that they’re modern and eclectic and always focused on the future.”

de Niese adds that she is just as excited about performing the new work by Carl Vine, which is set to words from the Patrick White novel, The Tree Of Man. Of her reputation as a ‘fiery’ performer, de Niese says audiences are in for a “passionate portrayal”.

“This is a world premiere so I jumped at the chance to be a part of a home-grown piece because Carl Vine is an Australian composer. It’s going to be a slightly ‘out of body’ experience in terms of the program because some of the pieces revolve around the subject of death and the afterlife and immortality. It’s going to be very interesting. My aim is to always make sure that audiences experience the performance with the artist, to feel what I’m feeling when I’m on stage. Some people have called me ‘fiery’ or ‘edgy’ but I think it also depends on the character that you’re playing. It’s important to really embody the role that you’re playing.”

These days de Niese is not unlike an “Olympian in my field”, but as she recalls, it all started with the popular television series Young Talent Time when she was just nine years old. Still living in Australia at that time, de Niese looks back on her career and compares herself to the tortoise rather than the hare.

“I feel like an Olympian, where you’ve got a dream and you make it happen. I started out at such a young age and even though it looks like I was given many opportunities, I’ve actually been very selective, very careful and cautious about the choices I’ve made. It’s been a one-step-at-a-time process so, even though on paper I may look like the hare, in reality it’s been more like the tortoise. I think that’s probably the key to any good career anyway – it’s not about how many opportunities come your way, it’s more about choosing the right ones for you. But looking back on my career – it’s been pointed out to me before – it really seems like I’ve been ‘the youngest’ to do everything. For example, I was the youngest to get into the Met (the Metropolitan Opera). A lot of my success also came down to me being very lucky to have such a nurturing family, I’ve had a really supportive team behind me, and that’s very important to have too.”

And although it was after her move to America that de Niese really became the opera star she is today, the singer claims that it’s possible for up-and-coming talent to ‘make it’ without having to necessarily leave Australia.

“In my case, I moved because I felt I had already achieved so much at home,” de Niese explains. “It wasn’t a case necessarily where I wanted to ‘get out’. By the age of 10 I’d already trained in an intensive way and I’d done all the competitions like Rock Eisteddfod and stuff like that. If I hadn’t left Australia I think I would have still had a similar career because people find their way artistically in any circumstance. If I’d just continued on in Australia and had had the same access and support, I don’t think I would have ended up any different. I have these memories of Australia and being a child – whenever there was an audition or a performance, we would turn it into a family trip to Ballarat or Bendigo or some regional area! We always tried to make it fun and exciting. And in some ways, looking back on it, it’s bizarre because I was this little kid and half the time you’re in these gorgeous locations, being a child, playing with farm animals and the other half, you’re there winning competitions!”

Danielle de Niese performs at Melbourne Town Hall on June 17 at 2:30pm and June 18 at 8:00pm

aco.com.au

Image: Chris Dunlop

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