TWO local violinists, Millie and Anna Davidson, were selected to sit front desk in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for Vision Australia’s Carols by Candlelight event at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.
Recently Millie performed with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at Hamer Hall for their Christmas Concert.
Millie and Anna have been members of the Melbourne Youth Orchestra (MYO) for a few years and each year a select group is chosen to do special events, and this was the second year the girls have been chosen to perform at Carols by Candlelight.
In the lead up to the Carols, the girls rehearsed for up to 3 – 8 hours under the tutelage of John Foreman alongside other industry professional musicians and this year they were both chosen as Associate Principals of their respected sections. There is only one rehearsal with the majority of the cast, which is done with a live audience, under microphone and camera.
Anna said this year it was a sold-out event and was a pretty amazing experience to be playing with musicians such as Casey Donavan, Paul Kelly, G Flip, Denis Walter, David Hobson and Marina Prior, just to name a few.
“It is pretty cool to watch acts like Paul Kelly performing meters away from where we are sitting,” she said.
Millie said all the experiences she gained throughout her time with MYO allowed her to perform at these concerts nerve free.
Their mother, Susan Davidson, said she and her husband were so proud of both girls after working extremely hard throughout the year, travelling over 600km each Saturday to play in Melbourne, so it is nice see them following their dreams on the big stage.
“This year was extra special as our family travelled from Brisbane to watch the girls live at the Bowl,” she said.
Both girls have been living in Hamilton since 2017, moving to the area to pursue music and live the country life - earlier this year, Millie (as part of MYO) was invited to take part in an early audition for the Melbourne University Conservatorium of Music.
After the audition, Millie was given an unconditional offer with scholarships for excellence to commence study in 2024, giving peace of mind for the former The Hamilton and Alexandra College Year 12 student.
“Next year I am looking forward to diving into the world of music performance and teaching as well as my interest in immunology and microbiology,” Millie said.
This year, Anna, a Year 10 student at The Hamilton and Alexandra College in 2023, successfully auditioned for The Victorian College of the Arts and was offered a position for Year 11 and 12 for the Music Program for violin studies.
“I am looking forward to extending my music skills in an inspirational environment,” Anna said.
Anna’s dream is to travel to London to study music and architecture - the girls have moved to Melbourne but are looking forward to visiting Hamilton to connect with their country roots.
