"The fantastic Australian singer Liz Van Dort - what a voice!"
Olaf Parusel, film and TV composer, band 'Stoa'
"...world class, extremely talented and with perfect vocal control, Liz can literally sing and improvise anything. She can also precisely duplicate a vocal line multiple times. She's fantastic to work with, remotely or in the studio."
Harry Williamson, musician and producer
"Classical, rock, folk, pop, jazz, experimental; Liz pushes the boundaries of what's possible vocally."
Atmosphere magazine
Blast from the past...
Recently discovered this 'Making of...' DVD from a German TV series from 2005. Here's a grab from it. Had great fun recording the vocal tracks for this, and getting the right sound to suit the theme.
Vocal samples: random bits and pieces from TV, short film, music releases, live shows and more
FILM & TV
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‘A Pocket Full of Rye’ (ITV 2008)
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‘In the town where I was born’ (Sky)
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Geschichte Mitteldeutschlands ‘Kunz von Kaufungen’ (Ottonia, Germany 2005)
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Jackie Kennedy - ‘Jack and Jackie’
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TVCs - Just Jeans, HBA Australia
SESSIONS
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Session singer, Australia (Spring Studios) - various artists
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Session singer, UK (Angel, Livingston, Real World studios) - various artists
RELEASES
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Various artists 'Effleuremont' (Prikosnovenie)
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Various artists 'Lightwaves' (Kalinkaland, Deutschland)
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Elvan ‘Who is Elvan’
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Sting & the Radioactors 'Nuclear Waste' (2 tracks, produced by Simon Heyworth)
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Faraway 'Far From the Madding Crowd' (Resurgence) (UK)
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Faraway 'Far From the Madding Crowd' (Prikosnovenie) (France)
KEY PERFORMANCES
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Reading festival
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Glastonbury festival (with Rory Macleod & Guy Evans)
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Womad, Reading (with Billy Bragg)
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Whirl-y-gig
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Bataclan, Paris
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Womadelaide
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Bath festival (with Andy Summers)
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Melbourne Festival Spiegeltent
EARLY YEARS
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Early bands: 'Next Best Thing', 'What the Funk'
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Classical singing AMEB, HSC Music A
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Amateur musicals and theatre, madrigal and choral groups
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Founding member and child soloist, Australian Children's Choir (tours, concerts, TV performances)
More about me. I started my singing career as a child soloist in the Australian Children's Choir. From the age of 8, I was studying singing, touring and performing at concerts and on local TV shows... After starting classical singing extensively and completing my university degree, I switched to rock and pop, performing in local bands and theatre productions and doing session work.... I found my classical training gave me an edge in this musical scene, as I could easily produce exactly the right sound needed to fit the music.
I then formed ambient music duo Faraway with my former partner, British musician Harry Williamson. Harry had been heavily involved with the prog rock scene and was known for his collaborations with the band Gong, former Genesis guitarist Anthony Phillips and for having a Genesis song named after him. Together we moved to the UK and joined the ambient music scene that was evolving in the 1990s.
An article at the time noted: "Part of the explosion of ambient and experimental music, Faraway's unusual sound has been likened to that of Massive Attack, Dead Can Dance, Enigma and Deep Forest, and they are popular throughout Europe".
Over these years, I also did a lot of session work, which I loved. Working with excellent producers and being able to use my voice as an instrument to produce exactly the right sound required, for a TV or film project or to support another musician, gives me a huge amount of joy. And I got some amazing encouragement from people like Peter Gabriel at Real World studios... more