Meet the Soloist: Lauren Borg

Meet Lauren Borg, flute soloist in the Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra concert on Friday 25 March. Lauren will be performing Carl Reinecke's Flute Concerto, in a concert that also features music by Rossini and Haydn.

Lauren moved from Tasmania to South Australia to study flute with Associate Professor Elizabeth Koch AM at the Elder Conservatorium of Music. She is in the third year of the Bachelor of Music (Advanced) Degree. Lauren is a member of the Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra and is the Principal Flute of the Adelaide Youth Orchestra. In 2021 she was a member of the Australian Youth Orchestra National Music Camp.

Lauren has been a prize winner at the Hobart Eisteddfod in 2019 and Adelaide Eisteddfod in 2021. At the Adelaide Eisteddfod she also received the MTASA Grace Barbara Turner Award for excellence in performance and in 2020 Lauren was awarded first place in  the Flute Society of SA David Cubbin  Memorial Competition. Lauren received the Australian Music Examinations Board 2020 Licentiate prize upon the completion of the LMusA flute exam with distinction.

Lauren has been the recipient of several awards and prizes, including the Selborne Moutray Russell Prize, the Elizabeth Matthews Prize and the Thyne Reid Foundation Music Scholarship which has assisted her greatly with her studies. Lauren is a regular performer for Recitals Australia and the Flinders Street Baptist Church concert series. In 2021 she performed in the Elder Conservatorium Top Class concert and made her solo debut performing the Mercadante Flute Concerto with the Adelaide Youth Orchestra in Elder Hall.

Q & A

Where are you from originally?

I was born in Tasmania and lived in Richmond. I grew up with my family in an old farmhouse on 5 acres of land with many pets. When I was 18, I moved to Adelaide to study flute with Associate Professor Elizabeth Koch AM at the Elder Conservatorium of Music.

Can you describe your experience studying at the Elder Conservatorium of Music so far?

My experience studying at the Elder Conservatorium of Music has been fantastic. I've learned so much in my flute lessons with Elizabeth Koch and has always come away from these lessons feeling inspired.

The classes at the Conservatorium are fantastic because we receive valuable feedback from various conservatorium teachers and also from guest musicians. I also enjoy chamber music class because we get to play music in small ensembles with our peers and learn about the subtleties of chamber music.

As a member of the Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra I am able to improve my playing in an orchestral setting. I also enjoy the benefits of the advanced stream of study, which includes completing projects of our choosing aimed towards our music interests.

Performing the Reinecke Flute Concerto with the Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra in the beautiful Elder Hall will certainly be one of my most exciting experiences while studying at the Elder Conservatorium.

What are your future plans as a musician? 

I am hoping to become a professional orchestral flautist. Once I complete my Bachelor of Music, I hope to complete my honours year at the Elder Conservatorium. After this, it would be fantastic to travel to Europe and study with teachers in various countries.

When did you begin learning your instrument?

I was 12 years old when I started playing the flute. I began to play the flute because we had to pick an instrument to play as part of our curriculum. I chose the flute because it was easy to carry around, a very good choice in hindsight! When I was 13 years old, I joined my first music ensemble, which was my high school band. I first began to receive private lessons when I was 14 years old with Rosemary Holloway. I continued to study with Rosemary for four years. She spoke highly of the Elder Conservatorium and encouraged me to move to Adelaide to continue my music studies. I enjoyed my lessons with her so much that I decided I wanted to make a career out of music.

Can you tell us something about your instrument?

I play on an Altus Japanese handmade flute. It is sterling silver bonded with a thick layer of 18K gold. I have had this flute for eight months and love it! I love the sound, which is a blend of edge from the silver and warmth from the gold. All the hours I spent waitressing paid off in the end!

Who is your musical inspiration?

I listen to many flautists online and am particularly inspired by Emmanuel Pahud. An inspiring experience was hearing flautist Denis Bouriakov perform live at the Australian Flute Festival in 2019.

For more information on the Lunchtime Concert Series, visit the website.