DSO in Space
Rhiannon Oakhill will be heading into space in her first show after her new appointment as principal double bass with the Darwin Symphony Orchestra (DSO), after almost a decade with the organisation.
By Tamara Howie
Oakhill, 25, had a yarn with Off The Leash about her time in the DSO and the orchestra’s next intergalactic show.
What attracted you to the double bass?
I’d always played music from a very young age. I started with piano and guitar and then I tried the clarinet, which wasn’t for me, but I wanted something that I could play in a group setting, and double bass seemed to tick those boxes.
It’s the biggest instrument in the orchestra, and not many people played it and that was intriguing to me, plus rock bands use it, jazz bands use it – it’s not just confined to one genre, which I was very drawn to.
You’ve been in the DSO for 10 years – what’s made you stick around for so long?
The DSO felt like home right away – the people are fantastic and it’s a community in itself. More broadly the role that the DSO has within Darwin and the wider community is quite special – I feel like there’s an ownership and audiences are incredibly proud of the orchestra and they love our shows, especially the outdoors and pop-rock concerts.
SAT 23 MAR | 6.30PM | PRE-SHOW TALK 5.30PM | DARWIN CONVENTION CENTRE | $60 | $50 CONC | $30 U 30 | dso.org.au
