WHEN the Victorian Opera visits Bendigo next week, it will be a homecoming for vocalist Lizzie Barrow.
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Ms Barrow was born and raised in Bendigo before she headed to Melbourne to study music.
After finishing year 12 at Catholic College Bendigo in 2009, Ms Barrow studied a bachelor of music at Australian Catholic University and an honours degree at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.
“I have been so ridiculously lucky and am still counting my blessings,” Ms Barrow said.
“Before joining Victorian Opera I had done a few years of the Victorian Youth Operas, which gets the younger people performing for the love of it and really gives them a first taste of what it will be like.
“It was amazing to do those productions and allows (Victorian Opera) to hear how your voice was progressing.”
Ms Barrow, 25, began training in classical and opera singing shortly after leaving high school.
“When I was younger, I was always singing. I loved to sing,” she said. “My voice developed into a more classical, higher repertoire and my music teacher said to go to a classical teacher and I started learning it from there.”
When Ms Barrow returns to Bendigo to perform The Pied Piper at The Capital next week, she will get to perform with a local chorus that features former teachers, school friends and cast mates.
“I have heard so many good things about the chorus and am so excited and so proud to go back and see how everything has changed,” she said.
“There have been some lovely messages from people in the chorus I have grown up with, who taught me and have worked with that I can’t wait to get there.
“I have been hanging on this through the whole regional Victoria tour to sing in Bendigo.”
Ms Barrow’s performance will follow on from her debut performance at Ulumbarra last year when she sang in the opera’s Remembrance Day tour.
Growing up she has also performed in a number of musicals with the Bendigo Theatre Company at The Capital.
The Victorian Opera’s production is a family show told through song in traditional operatic format written by artistic director Richard Mills.
It sees adults and children from the community perform alongside Victorian Opera’s developing artists and a chamber orchestra.
Victorian Opera’s Pied Piper is on at The Capital on November 4 at 6pm and November 5 at 2pm. Tickets are $34 for adults and $16 for children. Visit www.thecapital.com.au/Whats_On/Pied_Piper.