Biography
Annalisa Powell began her flute studies at the age of 11 at her local primary school. She was taught by Mr Simon Fisenden until her took up a music scholarship at Churchlands Senior Highschool, a Perth music specialist school, at age 13.
In year 10 she returned to study with Simon until she was accepted into the WA Academy of Performing Arts at 17. During this time she was Principle Flute in her highschool Concert Band and was a member of the WA Flute Choir. She entered and won her sections in the Fremantle Eisteddfod and the Joondalup Eisteddfod in her final years at highschool.
She is now in her fourth year of study at the Conservatorium completing her Bachelor of Music. For the last four years she has been under the tuition of Mary-Anne Blades (Ass. Principal, West Australian Symphony Orchestra), as well as others including Neil Fisenden, Michael Howell and Michael Waye. During her time at the conservatorium she has performed as Principal Flute in the operas “Love Burns” and “A Dinner Engagement” (flute and piccolo), and the musicals “Once On This Island” (flute, piccolo and alto flute) and “West Side Story” (flute and piccolo) alongside Graeme Lyall OAM and the WA Jazz Youth Orchestra.
Her other musical passion is singing, and in 2005-06 she was a singer in the nationally recognised chamber vocal ensemble ‘Eneksis’ under the direction of Micheal McCarthy.
In 2006 Annalisa won the City of Bayswater Music Scholarship and the Open Woodwind Championship of the North of Perth Eisteddfod.
In 2007 she was accepted into the William Bennett International Summer School and the Oxford Flute Summer School in England. She performed at these in July and August this year, and studied under the tuition of Sir William Bennett (International soloist; Principal, English Chamber Orchestra; Head of Flute, Royal Academy of Music), Peter Lloyd (Head of Flute, Royal Northern College of Music; former Principal, BBC Northern Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra), Michael Cox (Principal flute in the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, the Academy of St Martins in the Fields and the London Mozart Players; Professor of Flute, Royal Academy of Music), Ian Clarke (Prof. of Flute, Guildhall School of Music), Katherine Kemler, Kate Hill, Siobhan Grealy and others.
Upon her return she won the prestigious Barbara MacLeod Scholarship, a $12000 award given to the most outstanding female final year student. With this scholarship she will be returning to London in 2008 to continue her flute studies with Michael Cox and Ian Clarke, as well as returning to perform at the two summer schools mentioned above.
For the past two years she has attended the Paul Edmund-Davies masterclasses and in September this year attended the Sydney Flute Festival, later travelling to Canberra to receive lessons off Vernon Hill and Virginia Taylor (Head of Woodwind, Australian National University).
In November Annalisa will be presenting her Graduation recital, featuring works by Martinu, Saint-Saens, Rodney Bennett and Hue.