Francesca Aquilina (soprano) was awarded a scholarship in 2006 to the Ian Tomlin Academy of Music receiving a Bachelor of Music (honours) first class degree. She was awarded the Harold Gray Prize from the university for excellence in her main study (voice). Francesca has been studying singing with Gillian Zammit for the past ten years and is also taking lessons from Juliette Bisazza. While in Edinburgh she was under the tutelage of vocal coach and mezzo-soprano Joan Busby.

Francesca has participated in a number of concerts through Edinburgh Napier University and in 2007 came first in the operatic arias and ensembles category in the Edinburgh Festival competition. Francesca has also participated in several workshops including classes with Denise Mullholand, Daniel Leichti, Jane Webster and Claire Debono. Last summer she attended Oxenfoord International Summer School where she had the opportunity to work with Paul Wayne Griffiths, Linda Ormiston and Fiona Dobie amongst others.

In 2008 she sang the role of ‘Gretel’ in Humperdink Hansel and Gretel and most recently played the part of ‘Bastienna’ in Mozart Bastien and Bastienna as well as taking part in the Benjamin Britten double bill ‘The Little Sweep’ and ‘Noye’s Fludde’ at the Manoel Theatre last November.