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ANASTASIA MICKLETHWAITE
Flute & Voice
Anastasia has sung for as long as she can remember. An early favourite was "Froggie Went a Courtin' ", sung over and over whilst travelling the length and breadth of Great Britain on family holidays. She would sing loudly and enthusiastically from the back seat of an AZLK Moscovitch, with a touring caravan being pulled behind it, for hours. Anastasia first sang in choirs at Junior School, when she attended Holy Cross School near Barnsley and sang with Thalia Wild.
Those early years of music making had a profound effect on Anastasia and after gaining a scholarship to Ackworth School, she soon gained a place at Chetham's School of Music where she developed her love of choral music and then started formal singing lessons aged 16 with John Powell. A Choral Exhibition to Trinity College in Cambridge followed and Anastasia enjoyed four wonderful years singing with Dr Richard Marlow, Tim Brown and Dr Stephen Cleobury.
Growing up she sang with Chetham's Chamber Choir, Cambridge University Chamber Choir, Trinity College Choir and The National Youth Choir of Great Britain.
When Anastasia moved to London in 1991, she quickly become part of the capital's choral scene, performing with many ensembles, including The Joyful Company of Singers, The Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields Chorus, The Monteverdi Choir, The Royal Philharmonic Choir, The London Chamber Choir, The Tallis Chamber Choir, The Purcell Singers, The New English Chamber Choir and many other ensembles.
Anastasia was asked to audition for The Sixteen in 1994, but an opportunity arose to relocate to New York, where she sang with some of the best professional choirs in the city and was in demand as a choral singer and contralto soloist in Manhattan and across the East Coast, performing regularly at St Bart's on Park Avenue, St Luke's in the Village, The Cathedral of St John the Divine, Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.
Since returning to the UK in 2002 to set up Furness Music Centre, Anastasia's choral focus largely moved to conducting, working with The National Youth Choirs of GB, The National Children's Choir of GB, Lakeland Opera, Ulverston International Music Festival and various community choirs across South Cumbria. Anastasia also develops school choirs and has established and directed several Big Sing events for children. In her first two weeks at St George's School in Windsor, she conducted in front of HM The Queen. During her first year at Sedbergh School, she led the school's Chamber Choir to success, gaining first place in a national Prep School choral competition.
Anastasia still enjoys choral singing herself when time permits, raising money for charitable causes as a member of various groups including Fiery Furness, Vox Celestis and The Scottish Vocal Ensemble. She retains her passion for English Sacred Music and sings regularly in Cathedrals across the country with The Cathedral Chamber Choir and The Ramsey Singers. Anastasia also sings with Luminatus a professional chamber choir based in the East Midlands.
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