Joanna is a conductor, singer and vocal coach, known for the quality sound she gets from the choirs she works with.
This summer she stepped down as Principal Conductor of National Youth Choir (9-15 years; female and non-binary). Highlights of the role have included appearances as conductor at the Royal Albert Hall, several recording projects, and commissions including Joanna Marsh’s A Short Story of Falling which was shortlisted for an Ivor Novello Award. She prepared the National Youth Choir (18-25 years) for Brahms’ Requiem at the BBC Proms 2022 with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Ilan Volkov. She looks forward to continuing her relationship with NYC, including a recording for the NMC label with the Emerging Professional Composers and Fellows this Autumn.
Joanna is conductor of two mixed choirs in central London: the Whitehall Choir and Constanza Chorus. She has conducted these choirs at venues including Cadogan Hall, St John’s Smith Square, St Peter’s Basilica, Rome, and Thomaskirche, Leipzig; and with orchestras including the London Mozart Players and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Constanza Chorus recently joined the BBC Symphony Chorus at the BBC Proms 2024 (Holst The Cloud Messenger) and 2023 (Beethoven Ninth Symphony).
Formerly Artistic Director of the award-winning Farnham Youth Choir. Highlights of her time included the choir winning two gold medals in the 2019 European Choir Games in Sweden, performing at Notre Dame, Paris, and a performance at the live final of the The X Factor at Wembley Arena.
A highly experienced vocal leader and animateur, she has worked for Royal Opera House, Glyndebourne, Philharmonia Orchestra, Gabrieli ROAR, National Youth Choir of Poland, National Youth Choir of Wales, and the UK Choir Festival. She has taught on singing courses for both Lacock and Helicon.
Joanna gained a postgraduate diploma in singing with distinction at the Royal College of Music, before turning to conducting, and has worked with some of the UK’s top professional choirs including BBC Singers, Philharmonia Voices, Britten Sinfonia Voices, Gabrieli Consort, London Voices and Sonoro. She teaches singing and conducting, including for ABCD and was the co-editor with Neil Ferris for OUP’s upper-voice collection As You Sing.