Coloratura soprano Joanne Whalley trained at Morley college and since then has gone on to become a competition winner at Opera Festival Scotland where she sang Berg's "Lied Der Lulu" and Donizetti's "Quel guardo il Cavaliere". 

She has just sung the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor for which her performance of the mad scene was described as “truly chilling” and “expertly performed”. She has also recently sung Barena in Jenůfa, Sandmänchenn in Hänsel und Gretel and performed the world premiere of composer Jacob Bride’s Songs to Aphrodite; in May 2023, she also sang the role of Giannetta for Tealeaf Productions in L’elisir d’Amore. She has also sung and covered the roles of Barbarina (Marriage of Figaro), Sandmänchenn/Taumann (Hänsel und Gretel), Cousin (Madama Butterfly), Cathleen (Riders to the Sea), Anne (Merry Wives of Windsor) and the title role in Patience.

As well as opera performance, Joanne is in demand for recitals and concert performances for which she has enjoyed singing lieder, contemporary song and operatic repertoire. She is noted for her engaging performances which have been described as “charming” and displaying “total enjoyment and confidence”.

At Morley College, Joanne performed in excerpts from operas including the title role in Alcina, Princesse (L'enfant et les Sortilèges), Hélène (Une éducation manquée), Soeur Constance (Dialogues des Carmélites) and Poppea (L'incoronazione di Poppea). She currently studies privately with mezzo soprano Chloe Latchmore.