The Sixteen Announces the 12th Cohort of Genesis Sixteen and Celebrates Training 250 Young Singers

25 August 2022

The Sixteen is pleased to announce the names of the 22 young singers who will join Genesis Sixteen’s 12th cohort this month.

Supported by the Genesis Foundation, Genesis Sixteen is The Sixteen’s free young artists’ scheme for 18-23-year-olds which aims to nurture the next generation of talented ensemble singers. Now entering its 12th year, Genesis Sixteen is the UK’s first ever fully funded programme of its kind. Participants, of which there are now more than 250, have gone on to perform, record and tour with professional groups, including The Sixteen.

The new cohort are:

Each year, Genesis Sixteen also offers a conducting scholarship, which is fully funded and offers young conductors the opportunity to be mentored by conductor Harry Christophers CBE and associate conductor Eamonn Dougan, as well as the chance to work with some of the best young ensemble singers in the country. The scholar is given the chance to observe each course, sing with the choir, lead their own rehearsals, and conduct several pieces throughout the year, including for BBC Radio 3 broadcast. The ninth Genesis Sixteen Conducting Scholar will be Olivia Shotton, who recently received her MA Choral Conducting from the Royal Academy of Music, where she studied under Patrick Russill.

During the course of a year, a series of week-long and weekend courses are led by key figures from The Sixteen, including founder and conductor Harry Christophers CBE and Associate Conductor Eamonn Dougan, who provide one-to-one coaching to the singers. Participants also receive group tuition, individual mentoring, one-per-part consort training from members of The Sixteen and masterclasses run by some of the world’s top vocal experts. Support from the Genesis Foundation means participants receive free tuition and a bursary to cover all additional costs.

Harry Christophers CBE, Founder & Conductor of The Sixteen and Eamonn Dougan, Associate Conductor of The Sixteen say: “We are now embarking on the twelfth year of Genesis Sixteen and have assembled another excellent group of singers from all over the country. We cannot thank John Studzinski and the Genesis Foundation enough for having the vision and determination to help us make this programme the success story it is. Both Eamonn and I feel a buzz of excitement at each new intake. Allowing personalities to develop and express themselves through their singing and to communicate to everyone around them without inhibition is at the forefront of what we are about – the rewards are plentiful. But above all, singing is fun, it’s collaborative and with Genesis Sixteen lifelong friendships are created. We are so proud of what our young singers have achieved and will continue to achieve. This, our twelfth “cohort”, will be no exception.

John Studzinski CBE, Founder & Chairman of the Genesis Foundation said: “Since its inception in 2011, over 250 singers have now come through this ground-breaking programme. Our initial goal was to identify and nurture young artists with potential and provide them with world-class mentoring. To say the programme has surpassed our expectations is an understatement. Seeing the heights these singers and conductors reach as they come out of Genesis Sixteen is a testament to , their talent and passion and to the quality of the mentorship provided by Harry Christophers. We are so proud to have created and enabled this programme for as long as we have.”

Olivia Shotton, ninth Genesis Sixteen Conducting Scholar says: “I am really excited to get started as the Genesis Sixteen Conducting Scholar. The chance to work with singers of this calibre whilst being mentored by Harry and Eamonn is an amazing opportunity, made even more valuable by the fact that the courses are spread across a whole year, which will really allow me to develop as a conductor.”

Applications for the 2023-24 choir will open in November 2022, with applications for the conducting scholar opening in April/May 2023.