Sopranos

Born in South Wales, Áine Smith began singing with the Nidus Children’s Choir. With this group, she performed a number of times at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, and in 2015, competed in the World Choir Games in Riga, Latvia.

Áine went on to read Music at Merton College Oxford, graduating in 2021 with a first-class degree. In the summer of 2022, she completed a postgraduate MSt in Musicology with Distinction. Throughout her time at Oxford, Áine held a choral scholarship at Merton as well as participating in a lot of student music-making.

Now based in London, Áine is an Associate Artist with Tenebrae, and performs regularly with other groups. Áine is an alumna of the Genesis Sixteen Programme and is extremely passionate about access into both higher education and choral music. She particularly enjoys working on the Tenebrae Singing Schools initiative to introduce choral singing to primary students.

 

Graduating from Durham in 2021 with 1st Class Honours, Natalie Houlston moved last year from Yorkshire to London to pursue her career in singing, specifically as a Choral Scholar at St Martin in the Fields. She is super excited to start as an Emerging Artist this coming year.

She now sings regularly with Ora Singers and has recently enjoyed making her debut at the BBC Proms, where she sang with the chorus of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment performing Bach’s Mass in B Minor. Since moving to London, Natalie has sung with Chamber Choir Ireland, Tenebrae and is looking forward to her first performance with The Sixteen this Christmas. In her spare time, Natalie can be found beachcombing for her other love, sea glass, on the North-East coast for her small business, Zephyr Jewellery.

Alto

Lowri Bufton is an alto from Brecon in Mid Wales. She began singing at Brecon Cathedral as a chorister where she then went on to be a choral scholar. After finishing school she moved to London where she studied a Bachelor of music at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, graduating in 2022. Throughout her time at Trinity Laban she sang in the Old Royal Naval College Chapel Choir where she held a senior scholarship in her final year. After graduating she began as an alto choral scholar on the choral scholarship programme at St Martin in the Fields, singing weekly services at St Martins and St Stephen Walbrook. Lowri also held an alto choral scholarship at St Saviours church Pimlico. Lowri is extremely excited to be the Alto on the emerging artist programme and to continue to build her                                                                            freelance career in London along side the scheme.

Tenor

Born in London, Justin Soriano was as a chorister at Westminster Cathedral under the direction of Martin Baker where he was awarded the position of Head Chorister for his final year there. He undertook a Chemistry degree at Imperial College London and has held choral scholarships at London Youth Chamber Choir, Chelmsford Cathedral, Croydon Minster, Sloane Square Choral Society and St Martin-in-the-Fields. Justin is a regular tenor at St Alban’s Holborn but also deputises around the London circuit. He was under the tutelage of Stuart MacIntyre and is looking forward to starting at the Royal Academy of Music in September where he will study under Richard Berkeley-Steele.

 

 

Bass

Will Harmer is a London-based singer, composer and pianist. He has been a bass choral scholar at St Martin-in-the-Fields for 2022-23 and is an alumni of Genesis Sixteen and Keble College Choir, Oxford. He worked at St Hilda’s College Oxford as their Graduate Musician-in-Residence and recently accompanied recitals at Cheltenham Festivals and St James’ Piccadilly. As a composer, Will won the BBC Proms Inspire Composition Competition and has been commissioned by the BBC Singers, Oxford Lieder and Ludlow Festival, and his composition ‘Cetus’ for Annemarie Federle was premiered on BBC television. He currently studies at the Royal Academy of Music with Morgan Hayes.

Dominic Felts is a Bass-Baritone from Lincolnshire, now living in London. In July 2023, he graduated from the Master of Music programme at Trinity Laban Conservatoire with Distinction. Dominic’s keen interest in ensemble performance has been nurtured through young artist programmes with The Sixteen and Stile Antico and now he sings regularly with London-based groups such as the Philharmonia Chorus, Exodus and Opera Rara Chorus. Dominic is also a member of the VOCES8 UK Scholars 2023/24. As a budding solo artist, Dominic has won both the Trinity Laban English Song and Lillian Ash French Song Competitions, as well as taking on significant solo roles in the Postgraduate Opera Scenes. When he is not performing, Dominic enjoys assisting on music outreach and education programmes, most recently working with Gabrieli Roar for a performance of Elgar’s ‘Dream of Gerontius’. From September 2023, Dominic returns to Trinity Laban part-time for the Artist Diploma course, generously supported by the Morag Noble, Kathleen Roberts and Elliot Rosenblatt Memorial Scholarships, whilst he continues to forge his path in his freelance career.