Iona Kaye is an English singer who graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music with a first-class honour's degree. Born in Yorkshire, Iona’s journey into classical music began in her late teens with the Opera North Youth Chorus, sparking a passion that led her to pursue classical singing at RNCM.

During her studies, Iona was an RNCM Songster, and performed in Janáček's The Cunning Little Vixen and Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus. She also portrayed Shining One in Vaughan William's The Pilgrim's Progress, and Smeralinda in Jonathan Dove's The Little Green Swallow for RNCM opera scenes. A passionate recitalist, Iona has performed at numerous venues, including Buxton Pavilion Arts Centre and Oxford’s Holywell Music Room. Her solo achievements include placing first in the RNCM English Song Competition and securing third prize in The Dorothy Richardson English Song Prize in 2022 and 2023. As a Song Easel Young Artist this year, Iona recently had a song masterclass with Roderick William.

Amidst her classical singing pursuits, Iona co-founded NOMAD, a Manchester-based collective who won the Elias Chamber Music Prize and performed at Factory International's Aviva Studios for MIF. Her creative ingenuity shined in NOMAD's immersive theatre piece, "The Gardener’s Daughter," where Iona loved juggling the hats of storywriter, artistic director, and performer. Beyond music, Iona finds solace in nature, and enjoys running and climbing.