In the Spotlight: Clare Gorton
We sat down with DSO’s new Principal Viola, Clare Gorton.
Clare is from Melbourne and has now been in Darwin since 2021. She is a high school teacher who in her spare time plays and performs with DSO. This year she landed the job as Principal Viola.
What drew you to the Viola?
I started violin when I was six, when I got a violin for my birthday. I went to university and studied violin, then in my Honours year I swapped to Viola. I have only been playing Viola for maybe a bit over 10 years.
How did you end up in the Top End?
I initially moved from Melbourne to the NT for work. I got a job teaching at Katherine High School, and then things like DSO and other music opportunities made me move to Darwin a few years later.
What made you join DSO?
Initially when I moved up, I thought it was hitting pause on my music playing a little bit, because I’d been freelancing a fair bit in Melbourne. And I definitely thought at first moving to the NT, I’d be playing less, and was kind of looking for a bit of a break from it. But I just kind of fell into playing a lot more, which I’ve really loved.
This year you will take on a new role in DSO as Principal Viola. How do you feel about your new role this year?
It’s exciting. It’s such a good opportunity, especially going into a year where we are going on tour, it feels extra special. I love being part of the orchestra, and being able to be a bigger part of it is really special. So I feel very lucky.
How do you prepare for a musical performance?
I used to have all these rituals in place, like I wouldn’t have coffee the day of a performance, just to keep the anxiety in check, and all these rituals around eating lots of bananas and drinking coconut water. But I don’t really do any of that anymore. I find that in the environment of DSO, I don’t really get nervous anymore, so I don’t actually need to do these things, which is really nice. It feels really accessible and community orientated, and not something that feels like this big, scary, daunting performance. It’s just playing music with my friends.
Can you share a memorable experience on stage?
I found the times we’ve done chamber music really special. We did a chamber music festival two years ago, and chamber music is my favorite thing. Because it’s small groups of people who really connect with the other players, you’re playing with in a way that’s really magical. It’s a lot more pressure, because if you’re playing in a string quartet, there’s only four people – you are so exposed but you’re also so connected to what the other people in the ensemble are doing. That’s my favourite.
What is the most orchestral challenging piece you have played?
The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky was pretty challenging. I’ve played it before when I was in university, but it was a real stretch for the orchestra in a really positive way.
Be sure to see Clare performing in Romance and Revolution, and other DSO concerts, in 2025!