Emma Bathgate
Vocal Creator, Performer and Workshop Facilitator
Melbourne singer and performer Emma Bathgate is dedicated to her craft. Her work encompasses singing and live performance.
Known for her award winning cabaret show The Dilapidated Diva (1998-2005) Emma recently created and produced independent performance work Church of Burt in 2019. The show was an audience interactive work exploring white amnesia in present day Australia through the pop orchestral music of Burt Baccharach and is a new collaboration with dancer Janette Hoe.
Emma spent her early 20’s in London mentored and performing in the UK and Europe with London musicians from the post punk improvisational scene through the London Music Collective. She studied at Central St Martin’s School of Art and Lambeth College with a focus on public performance art.
Emma has worked in deep music partnership over the years with trumpeter Andy Diagram, concert harpist Natalia Mann and more recently here in Melbourne with guitarist and music producer Simon Eszeky. In 2000 Emma met her own singing teacher Mira Melton. Mira taught Emma for fifteen years in the Bel Canto Opera tradition. Ukrainian born Mira studied at St Petersburg Conservatorium in Russia. Emma also took classes from Alexander Technique teachers –Jenny Thirtle and Ria Somardjo. Along with Afghani Sufi singer Khalil Gudaz 2010 and in New Dehli with Ustadma Zila Khan 2011. In 2008-9 Emma studied with Sam Evans – table player – in vocal rhythm method.
Photo by Douglas Brook