Classical music may seem like the elitist entertainment of yesteryear, but one young opera singer wants to make the exciting world of Pavarotti, Mozart and Sullivan accessible to all.

Growing up in a musical family where both her parents worked as musicians, Genevieve Gray was surrounded by music from a young age.

“I used to get to go and sit in in gigs sometimes and we had a great collection of CDs, so I was introduced to a really broad range of music,” Gray says. 

Having completed Year 12 last year, Gray has become an aspiring musician in her own right, studying a Bachelor of Music at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, the equal highest-ranked institution in Australia for performing arts, specialising in classical voice.

She is one of fewer than 20 applicants who were chosen to be a part of the esteemed Early Voices Choir at Melbourne University, a credit to her classical singing talents, which she says has been inspired by a range of influences.

"For a lot of classical music kids, they remember the first time they heard Pavarotti ... singing the famous 'Nessun dorma'. That was definitely a moment for me," she says.

She also admires American Nadine Sierra and her performance in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette at the Met Opera.

"Performers like that, I feel so overwhelmed by the power [of their voice] and the feeling in it."

Australian-Mauritian soprano Stacey Alleaume as well as American Broadway star Audra McDonald have also had a big influence on Gray’s musical journey.

“I absolutely fell in love with [Alleaume] when I saw her as Violetta in [Verdi’s] La Traviata last year … She’s definitely someone to look out for,” she says.

“Audra McDonald is a huge professional idol of mine. She trained classically first but her heart was really in music theatre," she says. "So she’s definitely a big inspiration.”

Now Gray wants to go down a similar path to that of McDonald in becoming a professional opera singer and taking part in the theatrical aspect of classical music — performing operas and telling some of the most dramatic stories of history through her voice.

Gray will take further steps on her classical journey and down the path of her idols, with her first recital as part of Melbourne University’s Early Voices Choir on May 26.

But she doesn’t fit the stereotype of 'operatic prima donna' and laments the exclusivity and elitism of the industry.

"I've been very lucky in my education in that I’ve had access to a lot of opportunities, but that sadly isn’t the case for a lot of young people who wish to pursue music.”

She bemoaned the decision of the Victorian Government to cut funding from Melbourne Youth Orchestras, a program aimed at people who otherwise could not access a proper musical education —such as regional Australians and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds — and opportunities to excel in the classical music industry.

“It [the funding cut] just makes the music industry more and more elitist and you’re only hearing voices of certain people and that's a real problem and something that's really upsetting,” she says. 

Apart from better funding, Gray says the solution to addressing elitism is through the power of education.

“I really think education is so important," she says. "There needs to be more programs for students to have a chance to engage in music and in the arts more broadly.”

She also stresses the importance of sharing work from diverse cultures.

"Particularly coming from the classical world, sharing work by First Nations artists and by artists from other cultures that have been so historically underrepresented, that is really important.”

Victorian Opera is one organisation that seeks to champion diversity, and Gray commends their staging of Deborah Cheetham’s Parrwang Lifts the Sky, a creation story of the Wadawurrung people of west Victoria. This not only elevates Indigenous Australians as the original storytellers of this ancient land but also celebrates the role of classical music and opera in Indigenous cultures.

Gray says that, as a member of an underfunded industry, she urges all supporters and fans of classical music to attend recitals and operas to help classical musicians.

"You can stream a lot of concerts online now, which is great if you’re not able to come to a performance,” she says.

She also calls for greater support for programs such as Victorian Opera that aim to make the classical industry more inclusive.

“Funding to education programs [such as Victorian Opera] ... they are the way we get more people from different backgrounds into the world of music.”

For young musicians, Gray’s advice is to listen to as much music as you can, even if it’s not from the classical genre.

“The wider you’re listening, the more you’ll learn from fellow musicians in different fields.”

Gray and many other talented Victorian opera singers will be performing at Victorian Opera’s staging of OperaBox on May 31 and June 1 at Melba Hall.