Avalon Summerfield

Avalon is a mezzo soprano and committed music educator, who enjoys a varied portfolio of singing work alongside teaching and outreach roles. Avalon read Music at the University of York, where she developed a strong interest in consort singing, contemporary music, and historical performance. She then further specialised in historical performance at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Highlights included regular coaching with Dame Emma Kirkby, performing Ferrandini's solo cantata ‘Il pianto di Maria’ for the opening concert of the London Handel Festival, and singing in the chorus for multiple performances of ‘Gabriel’ with Alison Balsam. Choral singing has been a life-long passion, rooted in seven years of rewarding choristership at Lincoln Cathedral. Avalon has continued professional church music work throughout studying and working life, as well as singing with Vache Baroque, I Fagiolini, Sansara, and the Armonico Consort. She has held scholarships with VOCES8 and Stile Antico, and most recently was awarded an apprenticeship with the Monteverdi Choirfor 2023-2024. Avalon has appeared on several recordings, most recently a CD of choral miniatures by Paul Edwards, ‘Five Elements’ by Paul Honey which was broadcast on BBC Radio 3, and a variety of vocal music for the video game ‘Runescape’. Avalon is equally dedicated to music education, particularly in the healthy development of young voices, and in widening access to music for young people of all backgrounds. She is a trustee and co-founder of music education charity, Leicester MusicFest, which brings performance opportunities, workshops and concerts to the diverse community of Leicester. Avalon has been a junior fellow on the vocal course led by Veronica Campbell and Dr Ron Morris at Aberystwyth Musicfest for a number of years, and remains closely involved with the course’s future development. Avalon is a disciple of Janice Chapman’s vocal pedagogy and Dr Morris’s clinical research on the voice, and puts vocal health at the core of her teaching practice. She is pleased to be able to apply this in her role as singing teacher for the choristers and choral scholars of Leicester Cathedral, as well as working with changing voices in schools and private practice. Avalon is especially at home where education and outreach meet performance, and was recently delighted to perform a series of rarely heard arias in a ‘lecture-recital’ for Cambridge Handel Opera.