Yorkshire born soprano Ann Wilkes, studied at the Royal Northern College of Music both for her undergraduate studies, where she was awarded a first-class honours degree, and her masters where she studied with Louise Winter. Her roles at RNCM included Suor Dolcina in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, Moth in Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and chorus in Mozart’s CosÌ fan tutti.
Ann Wilkes has performed solos with the Colne Valley Male Voice Choir, Marsden Silver Band, Mill House Green Male Voice Choir, Oldershaw Singers, New Mill Male Voice Choir and Steeton Male Voice Choir and at the Buxton Festival. Ann has sung oratorios from Liverpool to Hull: Dvorak’s Stabat Mater, Haydn’s Creation, Handel’s Messiah, Mendelssohn’s Hymn of Praise and Poulenc’s Gloria. Upcoming concerts include: Handel’s Messiah with Amadeus: The Chamber Choir and Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana with Bolton Symphony Orchestra and the choir of BCMCS.
Ann also enjoys performing contemporary pieces and is thrilled to have been one of the featured soloists in the world premiere of Citizens of Nowhere, composed by RNCM alumna Anna Appleby at the Tête-à-Tête Opera Festival in 2017. Recently she sang Fireworks by Grace Mason, a solo written for Ann with symphony orchestra. She has sung annually at Slaithwaite Good Companions (a meeting group for elderly people likely to become isolated) since she was seven years old. Ann was a founding member of Offstage Opera who aimed to make opera more accessible.
Ann lives in Manchester and works as Creative Producer and Fundraiser for Manchester International Roots Orchestra (an orchestra founded to bring together musicians from refugee and migrant backgrounds with those who are classically trained), with whom she also sings, and as a fundraiser with a range of other arts organisations and charities.
Lorna Day is a mezzo soprano recently graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music, receiving a First Class BMus (hons) degree and MMus degree with Distinction under the tutelage of Jane Irwin. She won the RNCM Elsie Thurston Prize, was a finalist in the Kennedy Strauss Award and was highly commended in the Frost/Brownson Song Cycle Competition. Lorna has sung various operatic roles in the operas and opera scenes whilst at the RNCM, and has performed with Longborough Festival Opera Chorus in Orfeo ed Euridice. She is a keen singer on the concert platform – recent highlights include Elgar The Music Makers with Stafford Choral Society and Rossini Petite messe solennelle with Chipping Norton Choral Society. In Autumn 2021, she has been performing in Norway with the Bergen National Opera Chorus in Rusalka, and as a guest singer with the Edvard Grieg Kor
Daniel Joy (tenor) studied music at Durham University where he gained a first class music degree and was awarded the Eve Myra Kisch Price Prize for outstanding academic achievement. He then studied on the postgraduate vocal course at The Royal College of Music and graduated with distinction from the opera course at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, studying with Adrian Thompson.
These studies were generously supported by The Countess of Munster, The Arts & Humanities Research Council, The Josephine Baker Trust, The Michael James Music Trust, The John Wates Charitable Trust, The Sir Richard Stapley Trust, The Kathleen Trust, The Worshipful Company of Innholders and The Vandervell Foundation. Daniel is also the recipient of several Grange Park Opera study scholarship and currently studies with David Pollard.
Midlands born baritone, Edward Robinson studied at the Royal Northern College of Music as the Oglesby Trust and Drapers de Turckheim Scholar, under the tutorship of the internationally acclaimed baritone, Quentin Hayes.
Edward’s passion for opera has lead him to perform in a number of innovative productions during his career. Edward’s operatic achievements include the role of Pilgrim The Pilgrim’s Progress, Marco Gianni Schicchi, Don Pedro Much Ado About Nothing, Silas The Orphans of Koombu, Valens Theodora, Bobinet La Vie Parisienne, Le Surintendant des plaisirs Cendrillon, Sicario Macbeth, Antonio Le Nozze di Figaro and Boy 2 Trouble in Tahiti; performing with Dorset Opera Festival, Clonter Opera, Northern Opera Group and as a young artist at The Buxton International Festival, 2018 and 2019.
As a baritone soloist, Edward has performed at venues such as the Opéra Comique, Paris, Birmingham Symphony Hall and The Sage, Gateshead. Recent concerts as guest soloist, include Bramhs’ Requiem, Faure’s Requiem, Haydn’s Creation, Handel’s Messiah and Alexander’s Feast, Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs and a staged performance of his Songs of Travel with the RNCM Chamber Orchestra. Edward also premiered a solo work at the Leeds Lieder Festival, 2017 and gives recitals as a musician for the organisation Live Music Now.
Edward ensemble experience on the concert and oratorio platform most notable include a performance of Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder and Berlioz Requiem at the Grieghallen, Norway and at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall.
Upon graduating from the Royal Northern College of Music Edward was awarded the Robin Kay Memorial Prize for Opera Singing. The award is given annually to the singer the college deems to have the most promising career in opera. Edward joins an esteemed list of winners that includes Sir Simon Keenleyside, Amanda Roocroft, Kang Wang and Kathryn Rudge. Edward has also won awards such as The Brigitte Fassbaender Award for Lieder, The Dean and Chadlington Singing Competition Audience Prize, the Harriet Cohen Memorial Award and Staffordshire Young Singer of the Year.
When not performing Edward is a facilitator for educational and outreach opera. Leading vocal workshops and assisting choirs, Edward has worked with Chango Music, Clonter Opera Outreach, Stagecoach and Chant Productions.
