Phillippa Lusty

At the age of 10, Phillippa had entered and won her first competition and later that year, gained 2 music scholarships. When she was 12, she gained a scholarship to Wells Cathedral School as a specialist violinist after her teacher suggested that she auditioned. It was during her time at Wells that Phillippa decided to focus on singing; although singing was second study, Pippa became the youngest member of the school’s senior and chapel choir as well as the youngest singer to perform with the Big-Band. She performed far more frequently as a singer than a violinist and was put forward for a prodigious music award. At 13, Pippa became the county Strings and Opera champion in several adult categories and became recognised as the most promising you musician for Cornwall. Phillippa also made her radio debut that year, singing Panis Angelicus for BBC Radio Cornwall. She recently had the chance to be on air again after being in the final 4 in a national competition on ClassicFm. Pippa was thrilled to discover that her own song, Guiding Light, was the most listened-to song of the competition: “The coverage and feedback that followed was just fantastic. I received so many positive messages and comments, even from unexpected sources such as punk and heavy metal bands!” Subsequent radio interviews with Radio Cornwall and Atlantic Fm were both very positive with Guiding Light being given airplay. West Country newspapers covered Pippa’s story for 3 weeks. As a result of this local media coverage, Pippa was asked to perform for the mayor of Truro’s inauguration ceremony which took place in June. At 15, Phillippa performed with her choir to over 25,000 people at Birmingham’s NEC arena with the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and London’s Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the world renowned ‘Classical Spectacular’. The following year, Pippa competed with the same choir and won a silver medal in the choir Olympics. It was an event which involved choirs from all over the world and took place in Bremen, Germany. Pippa has played in several youth orchestras, including the National Children’s Orchestra and in June 2006 she toured Poland with the Cornwall Youth Orchestra. In 2005, Phillippa passed both her grade 8 violin and singing with distinction Growing up in the hotel trade, as well as waitressing and cleaning, singing on a Wednesday night to the hotel guests became part of the routine for Pippa. During one of these performances, a regular guest and friend of many years heard Phillippa sing for the first time and introduced Pippa to her primary inspiration, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, who he knew through fitting her carpets!: “Kiri has encouraged me tremendously since then and I will always be grateful for that.” Aside from music Pippa loves being out and about with her friends. Spending time on the beach and surfing is one of Pippa’s favourite past-times.