ABOUT

Joana is an accomplished performer and teacher of voice, having trained in both her native Portugal and in London, where she now lives and works. 

She is passionate about bringing together her love of music with a dedication to helping all people, from seasoned professionals to aspiring amateurs, who want to enrich their lives through being musical. In particular, Joana is energised by the opportunities there are for music to nurture the growth of young people into thriving adults.

Early Years and Training

Joana began her musical journey at the age of 9, taking up the piano at the Conservatório de Música D. Dinis in Lisbon, Portugal. At 14, she was admitted to the Escola de Música do Conservatório Nacional, Portugal’s premier music conservatoire, where she began to explore her fondness of singing. 

Joana came to London in 2009 to study at the Vocal Department of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, under the tutelage of Susan Waters. She graduated with a Bachelor of Music with Honours in 2013, continuing her training with Waters to complete the Artist Masters in Performance programme in Vocal Studies in 2015. Since leaving the Guildhall School, Joana has pursued a Certificate for Music Educators: Early Childhood from the Centre for Research in Early Childhood, to complement her enthusiasm for sharing the gift of music with babies and young children. 

Performance Career

Joana has been fortunate to have many opportunities to perform in public. She has sung music from The Lord of the Rings and Titanic with the Lisbon Film Orchestra and has performed as a soloist for the Orquestra XXI, a leading performing group in Portugal comprised of Portuguese living overseas. Of her many opera credits, she recalls most fondly her experience playing Despina in Cosí Fan Tutte with Clonter Opera. Joana also produces and performs in an annual opera project in her native Portugal, where she played the title role in their 2019 production of Rita by Gaetano Donizetti. 

A Dedication to Teaching

In addition to her private practice, Joana taught piano to children under five at The Square School, a Montessori nursery in Holland Park, and was responsible for leading the music curriculum at MEplace Nursery and Kensington Kindergarten. She has led the music programme for the OK Foundation, a community-based charity in Tottenham, and was affiliated as a piano and singing instructor with the Fireworks Music School and London Piano Lessons.