Brieley is a pianist, student and piano teacher as well as being Artistic Director of DeClassified Music. She was also Artistic Director of the Commercial Road Chamber Music Series (2011/12), the precursor to DeClassified Music.
During the week, Brieley can be found in New Farm practicing for some upcoming concert and working towards her Doctorate of Musical Arts at Griffith University. Later in the day she can be seen running off to teach piano to a delightful selection of youngins. On weekends Brieley is often playing chamber music and eating scones with Artico Ensemble at some small community venue around Brisbane.
Brieley has recently been involved in the release of four chamber music CDs over 2012/13 – Flashpoint 1 and I read the old dream slowly with Collusion Music, a self-titled album from Artico Ensemble, and arrangements of Mahler’s Symphony No.2 and Beethoven’s Symphony No.1 with pianists Stephen Emmerson, Angela Turner and Stewart Kelly.
Previous to the commencement of doctoral studies, Brieley completed postgraduate studies at the Royal College of Music in London with Distinction, Queensland Conservatorium and Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne. Brieley’s undergraduate degree was completed at age 18 at the Queensland Conservatorium, where she was awarded the main prizes and scholarships for performance such as the Brisbane Club Award. She was awarded her Associate Diploma in Music from the AMEB at age 11.
Brieley has appeared as soloist with orchestras such as the Adelaide Symphony, Melbourne Symphony, Queensland Symphony, and the Nizchny-Novgorod Orchestra, she was Keyboard Winner in the Symphony Australia Young Performer Awards (2006) and was awarded second place in the Kerikeri International/National Piano Competition in New Zealand (2010).
Brieley’s primary teachers have been Natasha Vlassenko, Oleg Stepanov, Pamela Page, Rita Reichman, Timothy Young, and Ruth Nye.
Brieley’s concerts
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We asked Brieley a few questions
- How old were you when you decided to be a musician and what led you the instrument(s) you now play?I started to play the piano when I was rather small, like most people. But knowing I needed to be a musician forever came about after I did a few years of hospitality work in my early 20s. It made me crave music making and the mind set involved.
My mum initially led me to the piano – quite literally.
- When you’re not rehearsing/performing/teaching, where are you most likely to be?I tried to think of something amazing to answer here, but I came up with nothing that would make me appear cool or hip. Seriously, if I’m not rehearsing/performing/teaching I would most likely be at home practising, sleeping, eating, working on DeClassified Music or studying. Occasionally I get out to a local cafe or bar and get high on coffee or alcohol.
- After you finish a concert, what is the first drink you want to have in your hand?If I am sensible: water. It gets hot on stage. But when I am overcome with the effort and relief and forget I should be sensible: champagne.
- If there weren’t external factors involved, how long do you think a concert should go for?Depends on the repertoire and type of event. Nothing overly long though. Unless it’s really awesome. Or Mahler.
- When should we clap?I reckon it’s best to adhere to tradition and wait to the end of works we could class as “high art.” I feel that such compositions need silence for the performer/s to concentrate and to allow for a listening individual’s cerebral enjoyment and private emotional journey. However, if the repertoire is highly energetic, less cerebral and more blatantly fun, then clap and yell approval whenever.
