Choral Scholars
Islington Choral Society is proud to run a Choral Scholarship programme, appointing four Choral Scholars each year to provide musical support for our members at rehearsals, play a leading role in our concerts and join us on tour.
Our 2026-27 Choral Scholars
Elisabeth Cullen
Soprano Elisabeth is in her final year studying Voice with Mary Nelson at the Royal Academy of Music and is in demand as a soloist and recitalist. She was highly commended in the 2024 Michael Head Song Prize and, in 2025 ,she was commended in the Elena Gerhardt Lieder prize and the Major Von Sommeren-Godfrey English Song Prize. She is conductor of Taplow Children’s Choir and Boys’ Choir in Berkshire, Solo Cantor at St Mary’s Church, Cadogan Street, London, and works with the National Youth Choir.
Rachael Simone
Mezzo-soprano Rachael, a Pegasus Opera Mentee, recently graduated in Vocal Studies from the Royal Academy of Music. Supported by The Dame Patricia Routledge Award, she has appeared in Royal Academy Opera choruses, and performed in Resounding Shores projects. She has toured with The Constellation Choir, and performed at the Royal Albert Hall and Royal Festival Hall. She has worked with London Voices, sung frequently with the London and National Youth Chamber Choirs. Her solo engagements include Mahler with Sir John Eliot Gardiner, and the title role in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas.
Zeshaan Shain
Tenor Zeshaan graduated from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance with a first-class degree in Vocal Performance. He has sung for The Opera Makers and for the Black British Classical Foundation, performing solo arias in Handel’s Messiah. He continued his vocal studies at Morley Opera College. He works leads workshops and events at Blackheath Halls, and returns to Trinity Laban for their CoLab festival, leading performance showcases in Barbershop and Close Harmony. He was one of Sing for Pleasure’s Young Conducting Scholars 25/26, training in Vocal Leadership and Choral Conducting. He currently works at the Redbridge Music Service as a singing teacher and choral leader.
Sam Gray
A bass-baritone from Birmingham, Sam is now based in London. He was a Choral Scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he also conducted the University Chamber Choir and the Opera Society. Since leaving university, he has sung and played in several churches around London, enjoying the variety of music that London parishes have to offer. He works as a Music Administrator for the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, as well as an Assistant Leader for London Youth Choirs, and a pastoral worker for the National Youth Choir. Alongside singing and conducting, Sam is a keen keyboard player, regularly accompanying solo singers, instrumentalists and choirs, and playing within session bands and orchestras.
Our Previous Choral Scholars
Isabel was a Choral Scholar at Girton College, Cambridge. She studied at Morley Opera School, and is now studying for a Master’s at the Royal Northern College of Music.
Isabel Benson
Roshan began his singing career as a chorister at Guildford Cathedral. He went on to read Natural Sciences at Cambridge University, where he sang with The Choir of Trinity College under Stephen Layton.
Roshan Patel
Luke is a graduate of St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, with an MPhil in Population Health Sciences. He was a choral scholar at St Catharine’s, and sang in The Bach Choir and the Fourth Choir.
Luke Muschialli
Alexandra studied Performance at the Royal College of Music as the Stephen Catto Memorial Scholar. She has a Bachelor of Music from the RCM, under soprano Patricia Rozario, and was the Douglas and Hilda Simmonds Scholar.
Alexandra Cooper
Megan started singing with Berkshire Youth Choir, and was a Choral Scholar at All Saints' Church, Wokingham. She has a BA in Music from the University of Cambridge, and sang in The Choir of Queens’ College.
Megan Webb