Apollo5 Biographies

Clare Stewart – Soprano

Clare is a member of the senior management team of the Voces8 Foundation, helping the charity work with over 40,000 students every year and is responsible for developing Apollo5 and our wide-reaching education programme, based at the Voces8 Centre. She has a PGDip and an MA Hons from the University of St Andrews, where she was a Choral Scholar.  Clare has a deep passion for the arts and alongside her work in music has also spent a number of years as a consultant to many top galleries and exhibitions, particularly within the sphere of contemporary art. Along the way she has picked up some unusual skills such as welding and lime mortar pointing! Clare has created original artwork for Apollo5’s album covers over the years and enjoys that creative outlet. Clare founded Apollo5 in 2010 and loves the variety which comes with performing, leading education outreach and travelling the world with Apollo5!

Penelope Appleyard – Soprano

Penny has been in Apollo5 since 2016, enjoying the opportunity to combine her passion for early music with her love of pop and other lighter styles. Most importantly, however, she is in charge of the group’s Secret Santa, and enjoys collecting Christmas baubles when away on tour – not as easy as it sounds in certain locations! Additionally as the group’s only non-coffee drinker, she is on a mission to find a decent cup of tea in every destination. Penny graduated from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire specialising in early music, and was awarded honorary membership in 2019. She enjoys a busy international freelance career as a soloist and ensemble singer, and teaches flute and singing in between. She lives with her family in the countryside and when not working can be found sketching, gardening and playing table tennis!

Oscar Golden-Lee – Tenor

Oscar first sang for Apollo5 in 2019 in the coastal town of Fano, Italy. Used to specialising in early music, it was somewhat of a shock for him to be making his pop, jazz and beatbox debut at his first concert. After just about recovering from this, Oscar joined the group officially as first tenor. As part of Apollo5 he particularly enjoys exploring a variety of repertoire, delivering workshops to a wide range of ages and abilities, and travelling to many unforgettable destinations.

Outside of music, Oscar is a transport enthusiast, lover of cooking and a keen runner and cyclist, as well as a useful pair of legs at his weekly 5-a-side, although he’s yet to be able to control the ball…! When not playing sport, Oscar can be found gazing into the sky watching planes overhead and identifying their aircraft type.

Oli Martin-Smith – Tenor

Oli joined Apollo5 in the autumn of 2016. Singing has been a part of his life from the age of 7 and, since then, he has been in choirs, performed with big bands and played various roles in shows and operas as well as completing a degree at the Guildhall school of Music and Drama. As well as singing, Oli is keen to keep himself fit and trained as a personal trainer and skiing instructor, although it may not look like it now! (Oli’s own words!) Singing with Apollo5 is something of a dream job due to the diversity of musical styles which the group performs, as well as the responsibility and creativity that comes with being part of a close-knit team.