1998 School Magazine

61rlS Grammar ^, choul iru3riSbane 1998

El' ~a, ^z

Dilen:urias of a Diva. .

or Brisbane born soprano Lisa Gasteen, opera singin is not all wine and roses. Separation from her family, financial instability and an unpredictable workload are the ric h must pay for her success. IUDY HAINSWORTH reports Lisa Gasteen was initiated into the musical world teenager when she portrayed Katisha in the GIIbert and SUIliv musical, 7be Mikado, at her high school, SL Peters Luth College. Having caught the singing germ, she coinme d tertiary edLication at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music where she studied jazz, contemporary and opera sin in . I 1985, Lisa made her debut performance as the Hi h P ' Hida with the Lyric Opera of Queensland. After a string of roles with Opera Australia and the Vi I Stale Opera, Lisa's career was boosted by her trium h t Ih prestigious Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 1991. Sh has performed internationally with the Metropolitan O , Deutsche Oper, Scottish Opera and We Ish National O Early in her career, Lisa made a wish list of roles that sh wanted to play. She has already performed them all. B Ih of forty-one, Lisa has achieved fame and success as an star. However, behind the lights and glamour, her life is far f perfect. ,

Ms Gasteen frequently doubts that she made the ri ht car choice. "I often regret becoming an opera singer, " she reve I . Although she loves singing with orchestras and ch ' d performing in operas, her occupation has various disadva - rages. Opera singing is a very time-consuming profession Ih I separates Lisa from her family, restricts her social activities d makes her worry about financial security. Lisa confesses, "I h 10 make lots of personal sacrifices. My life is full of disa ' I- merits. " Lisa lives at Lake Coino, near the Italian city of Milan, w'th her hLisband Barry and their two children, a ten- - Id daughter called Eve and a nine-year-old son named He Lisa's job makes life difficult for the whole famil . "O singing is not good for family life", she maintains. For approximately two to five months a year, Ms Gasteen I away from home. Barry and the children miss Lisa ternbl wh she is travelling. iris very difficult for Barry to be se atated f his wife. "if he needs someone to talk to on a Sunda ' h , there's no one there, " remarks Lisa's sister-in-law, Jan. Eve understands that her mother has to be away from home, but h still dislikes it. Henry often complains that he does not L' enough.

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