Singer, musician, educator
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Welcome to the home page of Laura Bernay, a versatile performer with talents as a singer, flautist and pianist. She has had an extremely varied career spanning many facets of the entertainment industry. Laura grew up in the U.S.A. on the east coast in a musical family and learned to sing just about every style of music she heard from jazz, country, folk, blues to classical, cabaret and music theatre. She is an accomplished flautist and studied classical flute as well as voice at the prestigious Victorian College of the Arts where she graduated in Melbourne.
Laura is known for her sensational “cross-over” styles of singing. The flexibility and beautiful vocal quality she possesses are testimonies to her many years of performing in so many different styles.
“Jazz standards , French chansons and the occasional perfectly judged blues or country number made for a very satisfying, often moving evening with Laura Bernay and her quartet. Totally at home on the stage, Laura’s beautiful voice, easy manner, and formidable musicianship held the packed house rapt. Glorious jazz musicians provided the perfect backbone for this very classy entertainment!”
Stuart Maunder-General former Director New Zealand Opera; AM, Theatre Director; current Artistic Director South Australian Opera Company
In addition to performing Laura has a passion for teaching singing. She is a sessional lecturer in voice for WAAPA (WA Academy of Performing Arts) teaching classical and music theatre vocal styles. She runs a very successful private teaching studio with junior singers as well with ages from 8-17. (Singing Lessons). Laura is a registered member of ANATS (Australian National Association of Teachers of Singing) which means she has tertiary qualifications to teach singing and music. To be a member of ANATS one has to apply with proof of these qualifications and experience as a teacher and performer. As an added string to her bow Laura’s other passion is languages, particularly French and Spanish. This enriches her teaching of interesting repertoire particularly in classical voice where knowledge of Italian, German and French is expected. Laura is halfway through her degree at UWA majoring in French and Spanish and has been a fluent speaker of French for many years.
Giving Me the Confidence to Tackle Challenging Pieces
I began training with Laura when I moved to Perth to study a Diploma of Music Theatre at WAAPA at the beginning of 2019. Throughout the year Laura gave me confidence to tackle genuinely challenging songs and to explore my voice's range and capability. Laura nurtured and pushed me into achieving things I didn't know were possible. I considered I was an alto before I started training with Laura-but oh how wrong I was. I was amazed to see how much I could improve in just one year. Laura's training was undoubtedly integral into my successful music theatre Bachelor auditions. I was accepted in both courses at the VCA and also WAAPA. I have chosen to go to WAAPA again next year. Thank you so much Laura, for being a teacher and a friend.Maddy Betts
2019 Diploma of Music Theatre Graduate WAAPA
Bachelor of Music Theatre 2020-22 WAAPA
Dreams Really Do Come True
I started studying with Laura at the age of 15, I was so eager and ready to learn and grow.She took me in and refined and strengthened my voice, she showed me new areas of my voice I was never comfortable to sing in and she allowed me to discover the vast capabilities of the voice! Not only that, but Laura became a friend to me, her compassion and love for her students truly comes through in her teaching, I was so thankful to have her year after year, and to be able to stretch myself to new levels, knowing that I was in a safe and fun environment.
Throughout year 12 in 2017 we prepared for my first WAAPA audition, her vast knowledge allowed us to prepare with great strength, and at the end of that year I successfully auditioned and was accepted into the fantastic New Diploma of Musical Theatre course!
Throughout 2018 Laura and I worked together for my most successful year yet. I auditioned again at the end of the year for the Bachelor of Music Theatre course. To my great joy I was accepted!!! Laura and I talked that evening with such ...
Most Fruitful Year of Tuition
"My time with Laura in 2017 was one of the most fruitful years of tuition I could have hoped for. The rapport between me and Laura was instant and I was able to trust her judgement and guidance wholeheartedly. I felt her interest in me as a singer was to help me become the best performer I could be and to encourage me to develop artistically in the direction where my interests and abilities were leading me. Laura's knowledge, experience and her own skill as a musician across genres were especially inspiring. I wanted to explore myself musically and see what I was capable of and that is exactly what we did!Laura’s technical approach to singing and musicianship was exactly what I needed to help me grow through my year in Diploma Music Industry - Classical Voice at WAAPA. My vocal training and musical education had been put on hold for two years while I trained in Classical Ballet in London, I knew I was behind my peers musically and I needed to catch up … and catch up we did!
In November/December 2017 I toured Australia to audition for University/Conservatorium Courses in Classical Voice and Musical ...
Helping Me to Develop a Unique Musical Identity
"Learning of the singing gesture with Laura was uncommonly satisfying. In my initial lesson, erroneous vocal behaviour was identified, to be gradually remedied by sapient instruction. Laura encouraged me to develop a unique musical identity. Happy was each lesson, with our friendship growing akin to the voice."
Keaton Staszewski-Hose (age 20) WAAPA Classical Voice (2017-2020)
My Voice Is the Best It's Ever Been
“I studied singing with Laura for two years in 2016&2017, and I can say with absolute certainty that I made more progress in that time than I had during the last seven years I’d been singing. My voice is in the best place it’s ever been – I feel so different when I sing now as opposed to when I started with her. Laura has taught me so many things about singing that I had no idea about before. She knows absolutely everything about the voice! Laura is such a positive and encouraging teacher. She puts so much time and effort into me as a student. I can’t recommend her highly enough! After just one year of training with Laura, I got offered places into three different courses at both WAAPA and the VCA for 2017 and 2018. I believe I owe a huge part of my successes to you, Laura – I simply could not have done it without you!”Grace Arangio (age 20)
Latest News
Highlights at Gondwana Sydney 2020
January 19, 2020
Here is Josephine Ellis (age 12 in yellow) having a great time with Gondwana Choirs rehearsing excerpts from “Peter Pan” in Sydney. January 2020.
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