Photos by Dan Govan

Taxi Rank/Rho Thomas is a non-binary, Australian multidisciplinary performer, choreomusicologist, educator and performing arts producer based in London.

Drag

Taxi Rank blends classical and contemporary music with drag, fashion and performance art. Their practice involves postmodernist, minimalist composition, amalgamating live instruments and vocals with lip-sync, samples, music production and choreography.

Taxi was a recipient of Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP) funding from Arts Council England, Apr 2023-Feb 2024. Taxi worked with mentors Stephanie Schober, Becky Stockley and Oren Lazovski during a period of professional development to refine their choreomusical practice, while incorporating queer theory and drag elements. Workshops on this queer “dancer-musician” creative practice were delivered in Berlin, Jul 2023, and in London, Feb 2024.

Taxi made their drag debut winning the Finalment drag competition in Lisbon, Dec 2016. They first graced the London stage in May 2018 at Her Upstairs for Taylor Trash’s Trash Bash. Taxi has since performed for Cybil’s House at The White Swan, ShayShay’s The TheyThey Show, multiple events at The Glory, Bar Wotever at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT), for private charity events plus video production.

Lecturer

Taxi has been a lecturer, instrumental and chamber music teacher and ensemble conductor since 2015. They have taught at institutions such as the City Literary Institute, Morley College London, Music Education Islington, plus guest lectures and private tuition.

Taxi is currently developing a lecture recital/concert programme featuring LGBT composers from 20th-21st centuries plus newly composed works. Taxi has also devised a lecture series on Queer Music History and Classical Drag.

MusicIAN

Rho is a regular session musician. Sessions include the Mary Quant documentary for House of Noise, London based Australian chamber orchestra Ruthless Jabiru, Daniel Sonabend’s soundtrack for the film Act/Or as well as for productions like Simone Spagnolo’s The Colour Blue, Danyal Dhondy’s Just So and Paradise of the Assassins for Tara Arts. Also for film/television composers such as Jonathan Hill. Other sessions were 3MBS Live at the Convent in Abbotsford, Melbourne, the Victorian College of the Arts Symphony Orchestra at ABC Studios, the Trinity Laban Contemporary Music Group and Wren Ensemble. Chamber music sessions include the Southern Sky Trio, Trio Hirtenlied and Aubert Trio.

As a chamber musician Rho performed the Weber Grand Duo Concertant with Dr Leslie Howard for the annual Liszt Society concert in 2012. Rho has performed as a guest with a number of ensembles at venues across London. Rho joined the Aubert Trio, for three annual seasons which included lunchtime concerts in London and surrounds, the Maldon Festival and two tours of the Charente and Dordogne regions in France.

Rho has played the clarinet on the London opera fringe from November 2010 until present. Productions include Pagliacci, Madama Butterfly, La Boheme, Don Giovanni and Hansel and Gretel with companies such as OperaUpClose, Tête à Tête, OperaInSpace, LiveArtShow, HeadFirst Productions and St Paul’s Opera. They have also played in Simone Spagnolo’s new works, The Colour Blue and Faust, Alberta.

Producer

Taxi/Rho has been a freelance producer in the performing arts sector since 2008. Events include a regular concert series for St Vincent’s Hospital Foundation Melbourne, restaging collaborative music and dance work at the Southbank Centre Clore Ballroom and a commission for the Resolution Festival 2015 at The Place. Film production includes short opera films for the London Opera Quartet, educational videos as digital training resources at the City Literary Institute and music videos as a drag artist. Rho produced all undergraduate dance productions at Trinity Laban’s Bonnie Bird Theatre 2021-2023 and is currently Producer for The Place, London Contemporary Dance School.


Studies

  • City and Guilds Level 3 Award in Education and Training: City Literary Institute, 2016

  • MMus: Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, 2013-2015 - Michael Whight, Fiona Cross

  • FRSM: Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, 2012 - Joy Farrall

  • BMus Hons: Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, 2006-2009 - Robert Schubert

  • Type-2: Junior Academy, Canberra School of Music, 2002-2005 - Rachel Best-Allen & Alan Vivian, Saxophone: Ben Goldsmith

  • Other teachers include: Colin Lawson, Angela Malsbury, Nick Carpenter, Barnaby Robson

Awards

  • Trinity College London scholar - Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance

  • Second place, open clarinet section - McDonald’s Performing Arts Challenge, Sydney Cultural Council

  • First place, open clarinet section - Australian National Eisteddfod

  • Second place, open woodwind section - Australian National Eisteddfod

  • Dux in Music - Narrabundah College

  • Music Scholarship - Narrabundah College

  • Microsoft Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievement - ACT Department of Education

  • Bandmasters Trophy - Alfred Deakin High School

  • Di Fox Memorial Award - Alfred Deakin High School

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