Above: Jessica Aszodi first appeared in the Gazette in November 2000.By Callan Date
WHEN former Beaconsfield local Jessica Aszodi decided to sing for her supper and make a fulltime career out of her gifted voice, some were sceptical.
But the 20yearold has left the doubters in her wake and is well on the way to becoming a finely tuned operatic star.
Gazette readers first heard about Jessica’s dulcet tones in 2000 when she featured in the newspaper after being selected for a part in an Australian Opera Company show.
Six years on and the first step of a long journey is nearing completion.
The Victorian College of the Arts student will graduate in 10 weeks with a Bachelor of Musical Performance degree and is incredibly excited at the prospect.
Juggling regular performances with a significant study load and regular trips back to Beaconsfield to visit family has proved difficult but manageable for the soprano.
“The college is really flexible when it comes to performances and they really encourage you to perform as much as possible,” Jessica said.
The singer made her debut at the proclaimed Melbourne International Arts Festival in 2005 and wowed audiences with a rendition of Luciano Berio’s work and a piece by Australian composer David Chisholm.
“Performing at that festival last year would be the major highlight of my career so far.”
It also left an impression on an acclaimed music critic who described Jessica’s performance as “the highlight of my festival”.
But before the packed out theatres and rave reviews, Jessica had to make the daunting decision to follow her dream.
“It was hard to convince some local people back home that you could make a career out of it.”
All forms of art run through the blood of the former St. Margaret’s School student and if Jessica isn’t taking centre stage at a theatre herself, she may well be seen visiting a gallery and admiring the work of other artists.
Jessica had the privilege of finetuning her voice by working with some worldrenowned mentors and talks fondly of the tutelage provided by Anna Connelly throughout her time at the college.
“I toured throughout Europe and the USA a couple of years ago and made some great contacts with the international coaches I met.”
Jessica hopes to jet off again in the near future to explore further musical opportunities and continue hitting the right notes both on and off the stage.
