Joanna Forest

Classical soprano crossover Joanna Forest has maintained a lifelong dedication to performance across theater and vocal disciplines. Born in Epping, Essex in 1977, she first developed an interest in the stage during her pre-teen years, which prompted her to apply to The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts at age 13; that same year she stepped onto the West End stage for the first time, portraying Collette in Bernadette the Musical. During her teenage period she accumulated numerous credits in theater, television, and film while also contributing voiceover work. At age 21 she received a breast cancer diagnosis, at that point ranking among the youngest recorded cases, yet she achieved complete recovery following treatment and resolute effort. Consequently she became a prominent advocate for CoppaFeel, appearing at one of its benefit concerts held in partnership with The Sun newspaper at the Palace Theatre London in 2014. The next year, after completing several large-scale engagements, she entered the studio to cut her debut album, working extensively with the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Stars Are Rising appeared in 2017 on Arts Records.