THE CLASS OF ‘25
These young aspiring soloists sing with the Oxford Bach Soloists across the year. They make up the core of the chorus and help to maintain its musical integrity, and develop their own talents by taking on the challenges of step-out solos during our concerts. German language coaching is also provided as part of their training.
THANK YOU
We are very grateful to our donors for supporting the Choral Scholarship programme. This year’s cohort has been generously funded by our Friends in the Dresden Court and a number of private donors who wish to remain anonymous. You can find out more information on our benefactors here.
SUPPORT US
Friends in the Dresden Court support young singers through our Choral Scholarship programme. You, too, can give this transformative opportunity by joining the Dresden Court from just £83.33 a month (£66.66 with Gift Aid).
TRUSTS & FOUNDATIONS
We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of a number of grant-making bodies who support our Choral Scholarship programme. We are always keen to develop relationships with Trusts and Foundations whose missions align with what we do. To find out more, please contact Lauren Martin on lauren@oxfordbachsoloists.com.
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Meet the Scholars
Find out more about our individual Choral Scholars of 2025
Isobel Cleverley, Soprano
Isobel Cleverley is currently completing her undergraduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music, with a scholarship. She is an active member of the Academy Baroque ensemble, contributing to the recent ‘Bach in Leipzig’, and ongoing ‘Resounding Shores’ concert series, where she has worked with conductors such as Dame Jane Glover, Ian Ledingham and John Butt. She has recently performed with Dunedin Consort in Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh, in an Academy side-by-side project. Isobel regularly performs as a soloist in oratorio repertoire, with recent highlights including Brahms ‘Deutsches Requiem’ and Haydn’s ‘The Creation’. She is also a keen choral singer, and has held scholarships at All Saints, Fulham and St Marks, Hamilton Terrace. Isobel currently studies with Alex Ashworth and Anna Tilbrook.
Talia Lieberman, Soprano
Talia Lieberman, a recent graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, holds a first-class honours degree in vocal performance. During her tenure as a student, she served as a choral clerk at The Cardiff Oratory and currently holds a choral scholarship at St. James’s Church, Piccadilly. In addition to her scholarship, she is also a member of two esteemed young artist programmes for the 2024-2025 season: Genesis Sixteen, The Sixteen’s highly regarded training program for emerging professional singers, and Vox Next Gen, the young artist program of the professional choir Vox Urbane.
In addition to her passion for choral music, Talia has also developed an interest in the world of opera. She has performed in productions such as Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel, Dornröschen and the Welsh National Opera’s Opera Gala. Most notably, last spring she made her principal role debut as Il Gatto in Respighi’s La Bella Dormente Nel Bosco.
Núria Prats Illanas, Mezzo-Soprano
Spanish mezzo-soprano Núria Prats Illanas received her bachelor’s degree with First-class honours from the Royal Academy of Music and is currently in the first year of her master’s degree, studying with Alex Ashworth and Iain Ledingham.
Since moving to London, Núria has performed in the Bach cantatas and Resounding Shores series at the Academy, participated in a side-by-side with the AAM and Dame Emma Kirby and performed with various ensembles, including the Philharmonia Chorus. She has also been a member of the chorus in the RAO production of Stravinsky’s Rake’s Progress, directed by Trevor Pinnock.
Recent concert highlights include performing Purcell’s “Hail, Bright Cecila!” in a SIDE–BY–SIDE project with John Butt and the Dunedin consort in London and Edinburgh, Bach’s cantata BWV 4 in St Andrew’s, and being part of the chorus of Handel’s Messiah at the BBC Proms.
Rhys Williams, Tenor
Rhys grew up in the north of England and is currently studying for a DPhil in aerospace engineering at the University of Oxford, where he sings at The Queen’s College under the direction of Prof Owen Rees. Prior to coming to Oxford, he studied at the universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh, where he sang in parallel to his studies. Whilst in Scotland, he studied singing with Sir Eric von Ibler. In 2021, Rhys spent a year on academic exchange at the University of Maryland, USA, where he sang with the University of Maryland Chamber Singers under the direction of Prof Edward Maclary. Whilst studying for his master’s degree at Cambridge, Rhys sang with the choir of Sidney Sussex College, under the direction of Dr David Skinner. He is also an alumnus of Genesis Sixteen, and is a keen pianist, organist, and violinist.
