Lebendige Lieder: SongEasel Young Artist Platform

Soprano JJ Lam read Computer Science at Trinity College, Cambridge, where she sang in the chapel choir under Stephen Layton. After a brief career in finance, she retrained as a performer, graduating in 2024 from the MA Musical Theatre course at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. She has also trained at Mountview, New Earth Theatre, National Youth Theatre and Morley Opera School. JJ was selected as a 2025 Serena Fenwick artist with British Youth Opera, and sang the national anthem at a televised Women’s Six Nations rugby fixture in April 2025. An experienced recitalist and choral soloist, she is currently the Soprano Choral Scholar at St George’s Beckenham and West London Chorus. JJ recently made their professional theatrical debut as Pitti-Sing in The Mikado at Tabard Theatre, Chiswick. This summer she will be singing in the Chorus in the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company at Buxton Opera House.

Mezzo-soprano Samantha Lewis is a Masters and APD graduate of The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Previously, she trained in Veterinary Science at Harper Adams University. Upon graduating with distinction, she was awarded the Postgraduate Course Prize and the St Clare Barfield Rosebowl for Operatic Distinction. She has performed many roles, including Cendrillon Cendrillon and Hänsel Hänsel and Gretel; she was also a mentee on The Royal Opera House’s Jette Parker Artist Programme mentorship scheme. She is currently enjoying experimenting with British Sign Language within her performances, in which she debuted at the Llangollen eisteddfod’s International Pendine Voice of the Future, in which she got to the semifinal. She also was semi-finalist in The London Song Festival 2022 and additionally, won The Edward Brooke’s English Song Prize. She is also looking forward to developing the role of the Mother and Witch Hänsel and Gretel with The Merry Opera Company.

Eva Stone-Barney is a Canadian mezzo-soprano pursuing her Masters in Vocal Studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she studies with Samantha Malk. She holds degrees in vocal performance and musicology from McGill University and the University of Toronto, where her SSHRC-funded thesis explored innovation in classical vocal recital. Recent highlights include performing as Ramiro in scenes from Mozart’s La finta giardiniera (Guildhall), as chorus in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus (Guildhall), and as New Ofglen in The Handmaid’s Tale (Banff Centre). Passionate about art song and recital programming, Eva has recently participated in song projects at Guildhall led by pianists Iain Burnside and Bretton Brown. She has performed major choral works with professional ensembles across Canada, and twice represented Quebec in the National Youth Choir. She is a 2024–2025 Jackman Scholar (LGAC) and was named a 2021 RBC Emerging Artist Fellow by the Association for Opera in Canada. Beyond performance, Eva is an active music scholar and writer.

British-Italian baritone Maximilian Catalano is currently pursuing his Master’s degree at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under the tutelage of David Pollard. Having completed a degree in International Relations and Politics from Cardiff University, he decided to pursue a career in classical singing. Since then he has performed in recitals organised by Alistair McGowan, Dylan Perez, Iain Burnside and Graham Johnson. Maximilian maintains relationships with choral societies in Tring, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hillingdon as well as performing for the Adbaston Concert Society. In 2024 Maximilian made his operatic debut as Schaunard La bohème (Aylesbury Opera). He has since performed in Die Fledermaus (Guildhall Opera School), Götterdämmerung (Regents Opera) and chorus in The Flying Dutchman (Opera Holland Park). He has also had the honour of singing Raffael and Adam in the Indian debut of Haydn The Creation. This summer Maximilian will join the Waterperry Opera Festival as part of their Young Artist Programme.