ABOUT
VÉRONIQUE Serret
Véronique is a violinist, vocalist and composer effortlessly bridging the divide between classical and contemporary art forms.
Folk, rock, experimental jazz, dance and improvisation all contribute to her musical palette. One of Australia’s most versatile musicians, Véronique is equally at home on the concert hall platform and the rock’n’roll stage. The “Girl from Guildford” carving a niche for herself directing string sections for rock bands, indie artists, feature films and studio sessions.
In demand as a leader, chamber musician, mentor and collaborative artist, Véronique is known for her inclusive soundworld, her musical flexibility and willingness to collaborate across genres as well as her work on the 6 string electric violin.
A soloist and collaborative artist, Véronique has deep gratitude for her early rigorous classical training and her many teachers and mentors along the way. Over many decades she has been fortunate to work extensively with Bangarra Dance Theatre, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Sydney Dance Company and as concertmaster of the Darwin Symphony.
She has directed live string sections for
Gurrumul, Jonsi, Fleet Foxes, Neil Finn, Sarah Blasko, Amanda Palmer, Cinematic Orchestra, Neil Gaiman, Damon Albarn, Kate Miller Heidke, Ed Kuepper, Martha Marlow and Mike Patton.
She has played in bands with indigenous songman Archie Roach, been in residence with Laurie Anderson, performed at major festivals including Barunga, Garma, MoFo, WoMad and Woodford and recently guested with iconic Ohio band The Breeders on their 2024 Australian tour.
As a contemporary classical soloist Véronique performed Arvo Part’s Tabula Rasa with the Sydney Symphony at the Sydney Opera House, Peteris Vasks Lonely Angel at Four Winds Festival, she gave the Australian premiere of Boulez’s Anthemes and Brian Howard’s Desires Ingrained- both for solo violin- as well as Cathy Milliken’s Crie and Holly Harrison’s Ice Giant, both written especially for her. In 2022, Véronique gave the Australian premiere of Unsuk Chin’s Double Bind for Backstage Music and recently performed Nico Muhly’s electric violin concerto - Seeing is Believing with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra at Mona Foma 2023.
VÉRONIQUE’S own music blendS loops, delays, reverbs and vocals redefining the expression of the violin.
Utilising both her acoustic and 6 string electric violins, various percussive elements and field recordings, she orchestrates her evershifting landscape.
A regular in the recording studio, Véronique regularly collaborates with Australia’s film composers and can be heard on countless Australian soundtracks. In the late 1990s Véronique co-founded the band CODA and since 2010 she has been a member of Joanna Newsom’s international touring band as a multi-instrumentalist and backing vocalist.
Véronique is now dedicated to the creation of new music and the exploration of sound through diverse collaborations. She is a member of art music group Ensemble Offspring and has her own duo project with didgeridoo legend William Barton. Together their recent compositions include Bushfire Requiem (2020) commissioned by Artology, for Sydney Festival,( this work has since been orchestrated for both full symphony orchestra and string chamber orchestra) and was most recently performed with the Sydney Symphony for 2024 Symphony Under the Stars in Parramatta Park, Songlines of our Universe (2021) written whilst in residence at the Sydney Observatory, Heartland (2019) commissioned by Canberra International Festival of Music and Kalkani (2020) commissioned by the ABC. This work features in a beautiful award-winning dance film URRITJARA by Tim Georgeson.
Their debut duo album HEARTLAND was nominated for an ARIA (2022) and won Best Album at the 2023 AIR awards.
In 2014 she released her debut classical album JS Bach’s Partita No.2 in D minor after touring this work internationally on stage with Sydney Dance Company. In 2022 she released her first album on the electric 6 string violin PRIMA VOLTA featuring 4 commissions written for her whilst in residence at Campbelltown Arts Centre.
In 2020, Véronique was fortunate to spend time in residence at the Peggy Glanville Hicks house in Sydney’s Paddington where she developed her own unique compositional voice. She was awarded a Career Development grant (2019) by the Australia Council for the Arts enabling her to continue exploring this path of creativity and quiet activism through music.
Véronique plays a 1900 Leandro Bisiach violin and a 6 string custom violin by Paul Davies.
She is passionate about inclusivity, the environment, and ashtanga yoga.
NEW solo album
Véronique is due to release her NEW solo album MIGRATING BIRD ON MAY 24. It is written with entirely original songs.
Subscribe to Véronique’s Newsletter below to stay up to date with its release and more.