Classical soprano crossover Joanna Forest has been pursuing her career from an early age, going on to become a successful performer in multiple disciplines in the world of theater and singing. Born in Epping, Essex in 1977, Forest began to take an interest in performance in her pre-teens, leading to her application for The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts at age 13; in the same year she made her West End debut, playing Collette in Bernadette the Musical. Throughout her teenage years, Forest made multiple theater, television, and film appearances, as well as voiceover work. At age 21, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and at the time was considered one of the youngest-ever sufferers of the disease; thankfully, through treatment and determination, she made a full recovery. As a result, Forest would go on to become a key supporter of the charity CoppaFeel, even performing at a CoppaFeel charity event -- in partnership with The Sun newspaper -- at the Palace Theatre London in 2014. The following year, after a variety of large-scale performances, Forest settled into the studio to record her debut album, featuring extensive collaboration with the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Stars Are Rising was released in 2017 via Arts Records. ~ Liam Martin