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Mia Matthiessen (Matt) is a vibrant young songstress with extensive experience across a multitude of stylesand genres. Her vocal prowess, versatility and ‘chameleon’ characteristics have seen her perform in a wildarray of set ups. From the performance of sizzlin’ cabaret and sultry jazz with The Perth Cabaret Collective, to larger than life, soul-filled, Motown-era hits with The Milford Street Shakers, to singing the fun and funky music of the 1980s, and then everything in between – Mia can do it all!
Mia’s passion for music began in high school as she was accepted into the Gifted and Talented program at John Curtin College of the Arts. During her early years Mia delved into the world of Music Theatre, stepping into the spotlight as she brought to life lead roles in both of her senior musicals – playing 'Wendy' in Peter Pan and 'Adelaide' in Guys and Dolls. Turning 18, Mia’s singing teacher introduced her to the music of Aretha Franklin. Aretha’s music spiralled Mia’s career in a direction she had never expected it to; she’d fallen headover heels in love with the big, soulful voices of the 1960s – Aretha, Tina Turner, Etta James and Barbra Streisand. She decided to temporarily close the door on her Music Theatre dreams and went on to audition for The West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) where, five years later, she graduated with her Honours in Contemporary Voice.
Whilst studying for and writing her Honours dissertation, Mia developed a fascination with vocal pedagogy. Once she finished her studies, Mia realised there was a generation of up-and-coming vocalists hungry to learn how to sing sustainably. This ignited within Mia a desire to help other vocalists find their sound and navigate their instrument well. In 2020 Mia had the absolute honour of stepping into the Head Lecturer of the Music Artist Vocal Program at WAAPA. Since then, she has taken the Head of Music position at Mount Pleasant College and is thriving in her new leadership position.
Since graduating from WAAPA in 2017, Mia has had some wonderful performance opportunities, including one of her favourite gigs to date where she had the privilege of singing for Prince Charles at his 67th birthday celebrations. Another notable performance for Mia was singing at the opening of our incredible Optus Stadium. She has had the wonderful opportunity to sing with The Perth Symphony Orchestra on anumber of occasions including ‘Romance On The Green’ and Claremont’s ‘Le Parc Lumiere’ in 2020. This year she was honoured to be asked by Tower Music, Perth’s elite music agency, to sing as Adele in their incredibly successful Adele and Ed Sheeran tribute. Mia is also privileged to front Perth’s renowned and absolutely outstanding 11-piece ‘60s soul band, The Milford Street Shakers.
It has been said that watching Mia perform is like catching morning rays of sunshine; piercing through the clouds on a warm spring day. Mia sings with authenticity and honesty, and possesses the ability to captivate an audience with her priceless joyous energy. She is the perfect addition to any event.