Higher Degree by Research Candidate University of Sydney

Anna Fraser has gained a reputation as a versatile Sydney based soprano. Specialising in the colourful and expressive interpretation of early and contemporary repertoire, Anna performs in a myriad of traditional and exploratory programming in Australia and abroad. Equally at home as a dramatist on stage, Anna is a strong exponent of music education, expertly demonstrating the versatility and virtuosity of a cappella singing to inspire and guide the next generation of young vocal artists and composers. Anna was a core ensemble member of the Song Company for over a decade and regularly performs with a number of Australia’s professional ensembles: Pinchgut Opera, Sydney Chamber Opera, Bach Akademie Australia, Cantillation, Australian Haydn Ensemble, Australian Classical and Romantic Orchestra, Salut! Baroque, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Ensemble Offspring, to name a few. Anna has collaborated with international ensembles such as The Wallfisch Band, Asko|Schönberg Ensemble and the New Zealand String Quartet.

Anna has been performing with Pinchgut Opera since 2004 with notable roles in productions of L’Orfeo, Dardanus, L’Ormindo, Castor et Pollux and Médée. With Sydney Chamber Opera, performing with the Company since 2017 in staged works and recital programs, Anna most recently premiered Mary Finsterer’s acclaimed opera Antarctica, an international collaboration with Asko|Schönberg for the Holland Festival (2022), and Sydney Festival (2023).

Anna is currently a Sydney Conservatorium of Music Doctorate of Musical Arts candidate with the Historical Performance unit and is a research assistant with the Australian Research Council project Shock of the Old: Rediscovering the Sounds of Bel Canto 1700-1900. The collaborative research work aims to tap into emulative and cyclical investigative processes of historical vocal practices with the aim to ascertain how historical sound effects and colours were achieved in practical terms and how we can actively utilise them in modern creative practices.

Personal website link -> Anna Fraser