Joana Seara was born in Lisbon. She took her BMus and MMus degrees at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London , and is now on her first year of Opera Course, studying with Laura Sarti. Awards include a Gulbenkian Scholarship (2001-2003), a Wingate Scholarship (2004), a Sybil Tutton Award (2004) and her studies are sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Barbers and the E M Behrens Charitable Trust.

Operatic performances include Don Giovanni (Zerlina) with Young London Opera, in Holland , Night Square (Mother) by J. D. Templeton, at the GSMD, and scenes as Countess, Susanna, Rodelinda, Mrs Ford (Nicolai’s Merry Wives of Windsor ), Helena, Mimi, Cleopatra and Donna Elvira. She also enjoys singing art song repertoire having been taught by Robin Bowman, Eugene Asti, Ian Burnside, Paul Hamburger and Sarah Walker.

Concert performances include Vaughan Williams’s Sea Symphony, Mozart’s version of the Handel’s Messiah, Jommelli’s Three Motets, Scarlati’s Stabat Mater and Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater. Joana has also sung in major oratorio works under Corboz, Matta, Eldoro, Brьggen and Zilm in Europe, Israel and Japan as soloist and member of the renowned Gulbenkian Choir. She has participated in masterclasses with Felicity Lott, Christa Ludwig, Jill Feldman, Emma Kirkby and Martin Lloyd-Evans. Future performances include the GSMD’s Gold Medal final, in the Barbican, and Mahler’s Symphony no 2.

(2005)