Next in our catch-up series is soprano Teresa Ingrilli. Teresa appeared on The Talent in Season 1, 2019. Lockdown found Teresa and her housemate soprano Lisette Bolton in the spotlight for the balcony performances they were putting on for their neighbours. You can read more about Balcony Opera here.

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What have you been up to since your last appearance at 3MBS?  

I’m in my last semester of Masters of Music (Opera Performance) at Melbourne Conservatorium, performed in the chorus of Victorian Opera and had the opportunity to perform one of my dream roles; the title role of Puccini’s Suor Angelica with Melbourne University, which we scraped in just before the first lockdown in March! 

How are you doing/coping during lockdown?  

Initially I was quite distressed because of the hard borders (my family is in Western Australia) and the uncertainty of work in the arts industry but now I’ve settled into a bit of a routine now and have started to treat this lockdown like a music camp.

How has COVID impacted your life/music/creativity?  

COVID has encouraged my creativity and reminded me of the core reasons why I am pursuing this path. With the inability to perform live or have any social interactions outside of the home, my housemate and I started to do balcony opera concerts for our neighbours (and our neighbours families via zoom). This has become and important regular date and we’ve built a real local community – we were even interviewed by The Age, ABC Radio National and Weekend Sunrise, which was very exciting.

What’s your number 1 strategy for beating the lockdown blues?  

Developing a routine to focus on what is certain right now. I ensure that I get out of the house for at least 10 mins for a walk around the block (even if raining) and try to do 15 minutes of practice 4 days of the week. I keep my expectations at a minimum as a kindness to myself so that I feel like I’m being productive.

What do you look forward to most post-lockdown?  

Being able to perform with a pianist, standing right next to a real life piano – ahhh the good ol’ days. 

Where/how can we support you and your music?  

Right now using digital channels is imperative for getting potential work. I’d love to see more live opportunities to perform music to digital audiences – even if from our homes to keep us motivated. Also it would be great to receive help developing digital skills so that we can do it on our own, not many artists have their own platforms. 

Follow Teresa:

• Facebook: @teresaingrilli
• Instagram: @teresaingrilli
• Website: https://www.teresaingrilli.com.au/