As part of the Monteverdi ensembles' residency with Spitalfields Music Winter Festival 2008, the Monteverdi Choir Apprentices devised and performed a lunchtime concert for 176 school children from schools around Tower Hamlets. Please visit our Education page to read their feedback on this event.

We are most grateful to the following individuals, companies and charitable foundations for their generous support of the Apprenticeship scheme 2008-9:

The Kohn Foundation

Reed Elsevier

The ESG Robinson Charitable Trust

Morny Hay Davison

The participants in this year's Monteverdi Choir Apprenticeship Scheme:

Zoe Brown - Soprano
was a choral scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge and currently studies with Felicity Cook and Ashley Stafford. Zoe toured with Trinity Choir in the UK and in Germany, Peru, the USA and Switzerland, appearing as a soloist on Trinity recordings. Zoe is a member of Laudibus and the National Youth Choirs of Britain where she is the soprano 1 section leader. Zoe also sings with Polyphony and the choir of St Peter’s Eaton Square.

Susanna Fairbairn- Soprano
gained an Instrumental Scholarship to study music at Magdalen College, Oxford, where she sang and recorded with all the major Oxford choirs. She has performed internationally, touring Europe, Mexico and Argentina. In 2006 Susanna took up a Lay Vicar Choral place at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. She studies with Alison Wells, and will begin postgraduate studies at Trinity College of Music this Autumn.

Robyn Parton - Soprano
has recently graduated from Worcester College, Oxford, where she studied Music, was a Choral Scholar, President of the college music society, conducted the orchestra, received academic and compositional prizes and inaugurated Worcester College Garden Opera. Robyn sang with British Youth Opera in The Magic Flute in 2007 and is featured as a soloist in Stephen Fry’s film Bright Young Things.

Lucy Roberts - Soprano
read music at Cambridge University where she sang with the choirs of Clare College and Gonville & Caius College, undertaking international tours with both, and recording for Naxos with Clare. Operatic roles include Hansel in Hansel and Gretel and Zerlina in Don Giovanni and she sang the soprano part in Jeremy Thurlow’s A Sudden Cartography of Song. She has sung with English Voices, The Choir of London, The Dmitri Ensemble and The Solomon Choir. Lucy studies singing with Ashley Stafford.

Emma Walshe - Soprano
read Music at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. She was a member of the Cambridge University Chamber Choir, the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, and the Gloucester Cathedral Youth Choir. Emma sings with the Cambridge Clerkes and Platinum Consort. Recent solo performances include Shchedrin’s The Sealed Angel at Spitalfields Festival and at Oundle International Festival. Emma currently studies with Ashley Stafford.

Chloe Morgan - Mezzo-soprano
Is currently on the classical course at Trinity College of Music with Ameral Gunson and Geoffrey Prately. She is a member of The TCM Chamber Choir under Stephen Jackson and a scholar at the Old Royal Naval college Chapel. With these choirs she has toured extensively across the U.K and Europe.

Simon Ponsford - Counter-tenor
Has recently graduated from King’s College, Cambridge, where he sang in the Chapel Choir. With King’s he has performed in national and international television and radio broadcasts, and toured Brazil, South Korea, Singapore and the USA. Simon recently made his operatic debut as David in the stage-premiere of Samuel Hogarth’s David and Goliath. He has studied singing with Bronwen Mills and currently studies with Ashley Stafford.

Christopher Borrett - Bass
Read music at New College, Oxford and studies singing under Bronwen Mills. As well as being a member of New College’s choir, Christopher performs regularly as a bass soloist in concert, and on CD and stage. Christopher is musical director of New Chamber Opera Studio and also conducted a symphony orchestra whilst at Oxford.