BMus (Hons I)
At St Margaret’s 2001-2013; Arts Captain
Xenia Puskarz Thomas graduated from St Margaret’s in 2013 and since then has continued to pursue her dream of becoming a professional opera singer. The mezzo soprano began her formal studies with her mentor, internationally renowned soprano Margaret Baker Genovesi, at 16 years of age. She continued her training with Dr Margaret Schindler at the Griffith University Queensland Conservatorium and graduated with a Bachelor of Music with first class honours and the University Medal for Academic Achievement in 2018. That same year, she also received the prestigious Lady Fairfax New York Scholarship.
Currently, Xenia is spending time in New York working with mentors at the Metropolitan Opera, Juilliard School and Curtis Institute of Music.
Xenia was the recipient of the 2019 Amelia Joscelyne Scholarship and became a named scholar of the Melba Opera Trust.
Recent professional engagements include: Opera at Jimbour with Opera Queensland; Bangalow Music Festival with Southern Cross Soloists; and the Helpmann nominated ‘Home’ concert with Camerata. Xenia also represented Australia in the 2017 China-Australia Film Festival Gala in Wuhan, China.
From Prep through to Year 12 at St Margaret’s, Xenia was always involved in music-making, especially as a member of the school’s choral and strings programs. In addition, she studied both French and German, languages which she said served as an important foundation for her further tertiary study in opera. Xenia said she received extraordinary support and encouragement from her teachers and colleagues at St Margaret’s and counts herself lucky to be a ‘Maggies Girl’.
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