Joanna Tomlinson Choral Director

Conducting

Joanna is Artistic Director of the Military Wives Choirs – a network of over 70 choirs worldwide, bringing together women who have connections to the military. In 2010 she founded Constanza Chorus, and with them she has conducted the London Mozart Players and Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment. Constanza Chorus has appeared at the BBC Proms, sung Mass at St Peter's Basilica, Rome and at Thomaskirche, Leipzig. With Whitehall Choir, she has made première recordings of works by Cecilia McDowall and William Mathias and performed regularly at St John's Smith Square.

Joanna often features as guest conductor with the BBC Symphony Chorus, Epiphoni and at the Royal Opera House on their Sing at the ROH programme. She has also delivered workshops and community singing programmes for Glyndebourne Opera, the Association of British Choral Directors and Association of Teachers of Singing.

As Principal Conductor of National Youth Choir’s age 9-15 Female/Non-Binary choir for five years, she made numerous recordings and conducted at venues including the Royal Albert Hall in London. She prepared the age 18-25 choir for a performance of Brahms' Requiem at the BBC Proms 2022 with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Ilan Volkov, for which the choir received outstanding reviews. In her time as Artistic Director of the internationally renowned Farnham Youth Choir they were winners of two gold medals in the 2019 European Choir Games and featured in the live final of ITV’s X-Factor in 2018.

Joanna was co-editor for As you sing, an upper-voice collection published by Oxford University Press. She has worked as an adjudicator, including for Leith Hill Festival.

Joanna has studied conducting with tutors including Sîan Edwards, George Hurst, Neil Ferris and Peter Hanke.

Singing

Joanna studied at the Royal College of Music where she gained the post-graduate diploma in Singing, with Distinction. She has sung with world-class professional choral groups such as the BBC Singers, London Voices, Gabrieli Consort, Philharmonia Voices and Sonoro.

She has appeared as the soprano soloist in core repertoire such as Mozart Requiem and Bach Christmas Oratorio, as well as in new works including Cecilia McDowall's A Time for all seasons.

Joanna has taught singing for 20 years and is in demand as a vocal workshop leader for choirs around the country. She has presented seminars for the Association of British Choral Directors on tuning for choirs, vocal health, and on female voice change. She is vocal coach for Helicon Arts Summer Singing Courses.

Joanna is a member of Association of Teachers of Singing, and has studied on vocal pedagogy courses including with Ron Morris, Meribeth Dayme and Jenevora Williams.

Audio Samples