KIARA MORISHITA-LEE

Year 5

With dreams to play in the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Kiara is well on the way to play on the world stage.

What musical instrument/s do you play?

I play the flute and violin as well as sing (I have also played the piano in the past).

What groups or ensembles are you a part of both at school and outside of school?

Within school I am part of PLC voices, Middle Years Orchestra, Hamilton Strings, Junior Concert Band and the Junior School String Quartet. Outside of school I belong to 2 groups in the Australian Girls Choir, including a special selected performing group.

What age were you when you started playing music?

I started at a very young age. I got captured by music because my older brother was playing the violin and I would always try to copy him with a pair of chopsticks! With the flute, I would just walk around the house blowing into my mum's flute's mouthpiece - which also made my brother annoyed. Singing came along naturally - which means lots of singing in the shower! I started violin at 2 years old, flute at 4, piano at 6, and singing always - but I was part of the Australian Girls Choir when I was at 4 years old.

What are some of your biggest musical achievements?

I've won multiple international and domestic music competitions and awards, and earlier this year I went to Melbourne to perform in the AMEB flute conference. I met lots of different people, musicians, composers and even the CEO of AMEB, Bernard Depasquale! My biggest achievement was to perform in Paris in December last year. I performed in the famous hall, The Amphitheater Cite de la Musique - Philharmonie de Paris. I believe that opportunity got me one step closer to my biggest dream, meeting the famous flute player, Emannuel Pahud.

Do your music commitments ever interfere with school and if yes, how do you manage both?

I try to time manage with my school work along with my other passions like reading and hanging out with friends.

I have to give some credit to my mum as she will always organise my snacks after a long day of rehearsals and practice, and also improved her driving skills of NOT getting lost as she drives me place to place every afternoon. I would also like to thank my teachers that work very hard and try to adjust the homework time schedules to fit everyone's timetable.

What are your dreams for the future when it comes to music?

My dreams for the future are to play with the famous flute player, Emmanuel Pahud in the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra - the orchestra known to be one of the best in the world. I would also want to study overseas when I'm older.

Who has been your biggest influence or inspiration with your music?

The people who are the most supportive to me would be my flute teacher, Jocelyn Fazzone, my parents, my mum for helping me practice and giving up her time and energy on me, and my dad for singing along with me in the car on the way to school.

Emmanuel Pahud for each time I hear your sound on YouTube it helps me to adjust and practice to get as good as you! I would also like to thank my guinea pigs, Oreo and Brownie - now only Oreo, for listening to my music and always being quiet when they need to be while I'm doing a recording for a competition of some sort.