Kate Symonds-Joy was educated at Cambridge University, where she graduated with a First Class Music degree from Gonville and Caius College. She then studied on the Royal Academy Opera course with Lillian Watson and Audrey Hyland, undertaking rôles including Medea in Cavalli’s Giasone and Dorabella in Mozart’s Così fan tutte, conducted by Jane Glover, Ino in Handel’s Semele with Sir Charles Mackerras, and Florence Pike in Britten’s Albert Herring, directed by John Copley.

Other projects include the mezzo-soprano solos in danced performances of Handel’s Messiah with Bordeaux Opera, the title rôle in Bizet’s Carmen for Kentish Opera, Ravel’s Chansons madécasses at the Purcell Room, Rutter’s Feel the Spirit at the Barbican, Handel arias for a concert with the Bydgoszcz Philharmonic in Warsaw, Mozart’s Requiem in Snape Maltings, Haydn’s Harmoniemesse in Cadogan Hall, a tour of Handel’s Messiah with the London Festival Orchestra, Verdi’s Requiem in the Thaxted Festival and Baba the Turk (cover) for Garsington Opera.

Recitals include the Wigmore Hall as part of the Royal Academy Song Circle, Haydn’s Arianna a Naxos for Cambridge University’s 800th Anniversary Celebrations, and Schumann Lieder with Malcolm Martineau on the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme.