September 1, 2022, is a date Barham Public School student, Zofia Giorgio, will have etched in her memory forever. Not every child at the tender age of 11 can say they have performed at the Sydney Opera House, but Zofia can. She was selected by her recorder teacher to play the instrument in the Descant 1 section of the Festival of Instrumental Music in Sydney along with other students from various schools in New South Wales.

Having only picked up the recorder a little over a year ago, it seems that Zofia had a talent that was about to be discovered. Not only was this a pleasant surprise to Zofia, but also to her mother, Katrina, who also plays.

I caught up with Zofia this week to hear about her experience.

How did you become interested in the recorder?

Our principal started a recorder club and I asked Mum if I could join. She was happy for me to do that, and she taught me to play by ear which is how she learned. 

How did you find yourself performing at the Sydney Opera House?

I had been selected by our principal, Mrs Buchanan, to go to Strings and Recorder Camp in Borambola near Wagga Wagga, and from there, four of us were chosen from quite a few others to go to the Opera House. I was also one of two students chosen to give a speech as well. We were told before we went there that we would have to learn three songs by heart six weeks before, so I had to learn very quickly how to read music. Mum was very helpful with that.

Was there a lot of preparation before the big night in Sydney?

I was practicing for an hour a day with Mum listening and letting me know if it didn’t sound right. 

What does it feel like to be able to say you performed at the Sydney Opera House?

It was a big experience! The best thing about it was coming from a small town like Barham and playing at the Opera House. It is something I will never forget. Performing in front of thousands of people was just great.