about
Intertwined with her life on stage, London-born soprano Emily Varney leads and curates imaginative, inclusive music projects across the UK that respond to and expand the world of a production. She collaborates with festivals, ensembles, schools, and opera companies to design musical encounters that connect communities through performance, participation, and shared creativity.
Emily is grateful for the support of the Wayne Sleep Foundation, The Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust, Steinberg, The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust, The Ofenheim Trust, Making Music,
and AOTOS.
Emily performs across Europe as both a soloist and ensemble singer in concert, recital, and operatic repertoire.
Recent performance highlights include Ravel’s Trois Poèmes de Mallarmé as part of the Royal Academy of Music’s collaboration with Leipzig’s Klassic Underground and lighting designer Ric Mountjoy, and concerts with the Academy Baroque Soloists under Eamonn Dougan and Margaret Faultless.
Her solo concert repertoire spans works by Bach (Weihnachtsoratorium), Brahms (Ein deutsches Requiem), Charpentier (Missa de Minuit de Noël), Dvořák (Mass in D), Handel (Dixit Dominus, Messiah), Haydn (Lord Nelson Mass), Monteverdi (Vespers of 1610), Mozart (Coronation Mass), McDowall (Ave Maris Stella), Pickett (Goddess Gia, world premiere), Poulenc (Gloria), Rutter (Requiem), Schubert (Mass in G), Todd (Mass in Blue), and Vivaldi (Gloria).
She recently graduated with Distinction from the Master of Arts programme at the Royal Academy of Music, where she studied as a Josephine Baker Artist under Mary Nelson, with coaching from James Baillieu and Joseph Middleton. An alumna of Genesis Sixteen and the National Youth Choir Fellowship, she also holds a First-Class Bachelor of Music degree from the Royal Northern College of Music.
@ Roscoe Rutter
Operatic roles include Erste Knabe (Die Zauberflöte), Pepík and Frog (The Cunning Little Vixen), and Second Fairy (The Fairy Queen), with scene performances as Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Juliette (Die tote Stadt), Laurette (Docteur Miracle), Marzellina (Fidelio), and Miss Ellen (Lakmé).
A keen interpreter of contemporary music, Emily has premiered works by Steven Pickett with the Hallé Orchestra, Ben Parry at Snape Maltings, and for the NMC label, performing commissions by Emily Hazrati, Will Harmer, Alex Tay, and Millicent B James.
@ Roscoe Rutter
Emily leads a varied career as a creative music facilitator, devising projects that specialise in music participation. Her work in community engagement has taken her across the UK, collaborating with organisations that champion inclusive music-making including Artis Foundation, Cathedral Music Trust, Deal Arts Festival, National Youth Choirs, Hallé Youth Ensembles, Opera Holland Park Inspire, Lambeth Music Service, London Youth Choirs, The London Handel Festival, Open Academy, Blackburn Cathedral and St George’s Cathedral Southwark, and The Sixteen.
If you are able to support these organisations or are interested in taking part, please get in touch via the linked websites.
For an up to date CV and repertoire list, please contact directly. Do not reproduce without permission.