NYCGB Fellows 2023, Emily Varney, Chris O'Leary, Antonio Oliveira, Sarina Rattan

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Emily Varney

Emily is a choral leader, soprano and actor based in London. She is a Music Specialist for the Artis Foundation, Course Tutor for the Hallé Youth Ensembles, and resident Teacher of Singing at Esher College. A former scholar at the Manchester Oratory and Salford Cathedral, she is a Genesis Sixteen alumnus, singing regularly with Kantos, and is in demand as a soloist of operatic and oratorio repertoire. She is
passionate about theatrical performances of choral music, training at Gary Condés Acting Intensive and alum of The Inspire Acting Studio, and Orange Tree Theatre’s Young Company. Emily is a first-class graduate from RNCM and is looking forward to starting her master’s in September at RAM.

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Chris O'Leary

Born and raised in Glasgow, Chris first moved to England to study music at the University of Oxford where he was a choral scholar with Christ Church Cathedral Choir, directed numerous student ensembles, and was awarded the Clifford Smith Prize for Music. Now based in London, he recently completed his Masters in Musicology and Ethnomusicology at King’s College London, receiving the Hilda Margaret Watts Prize for graduating top of his year. Since graduating, he continues to perform regularly with the KCL Chapel Choir where he was the Ouseley Trust Scholar and featured as the soloist on a recording of Rachmaninov’s Vespers. He frequently sings with professional choirs and ensembles across the country and freelances as a conductor, and has been selected for masterclasses with Sir Thomas Allen CBE, Peter Stark, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra. Chris is currently a Lay Clerk at St George’s Cathedral, teaches and directs the choir at a prep school, and is thrilled to be working with NYCGB this year to develop as a choral leader.

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Antonio Oliveira 

Antonio is a singer, choral leader and teacher from London. He was a founding member of the youth choir Inner Voices in 2011, and went on to study music at the University of Hull. He has performed with the London Youth Choirs, University of Hull Chapel Choir, One World Freedom Chorus, BBC Proms Youth Choir, Thomas Tallis Society Choir, London Handel Festival and the St John the Divine Choir.

Antonio is passionate about providing opportunities for quality music making and singing to young people, and does this through his work with the London Youth Choirs, Ark Academies and Southwark Music Service.

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Sarina Rattan

Sarina is a British-Indian musician who grew up in London. She is a recent music graduate of The University of Birmingham where she specialised in choral conducting. She is currently working as a music teacher and keyboard tutor with Brent Music Service and is the director of a workplace choir for Merkle, an advertising agency.

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