In her own words: 

I am very excited to have been offered the opportunity to work with the National Youth Girls’ Choir and to nurture the next generation of young voices. I love the passion and energy that this age group can bring to their music-making and look forward to inspiring a life-long enjoyment of choral music. I’m particularly looking forward to joining the larger National Youth Choir family and to be a part of the continued success they have in providing outstanding choral experiences for young singers.

Joanna Tomlinson is a conductor, singer and vocal coach. In addition to her role as Principal Conductor of National Youth Choir Girls’ Choir, she is Conductor of the Whitehall Choir and Constanza Chorus in London. She is on the tutor panel for the Association of British Choral Directors.  She has conducted at venues including Cadogan Hall, St John’s Smith Square, St Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Notre Dame, Paris and Thomaskirche, Leipzig. She recently stepped down as Artistic Director of Farnham Youth Choir, winners of two gold medals in the 2019 European Choir Games in Sweden.  As guest conductor Joanna has worked with choirs including National Youth Choir and Chamber Choir of Great Britain, BBC Symphony Chorus, RCM Chorus, Epiphoni, Joyful Company of Singers and Wimbledon Choral Society.

A highly experienced vocal leader and animateur, she has worked for Royal Opera House, Glyndebourne, Philharmonia Orchestra, Gabrieli Consort ROAR outreach programme, 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 singing holidays.

Joanna gained a postgraduate diploma in singing with distinction at the Royal College of Music, before turning to conducting and has worked as a soloist and with some of the UK’s top professional choirs including BBC Singers, Philharmonia Voices, Britten Sinfonia Voices, Gabrieli Consort, London Voices and Sonoro. 

Joanna has conducted orchestras including the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and London Mozart Players. She was the co-editor with Neil Ferris for OUP’s upper-voice collection As You Sing.  She teaches singing and conducting and has worked as an adjudicator including for Leith Hill Festival.