Toria Burrell

Toria Burrell was born in Crawley, West Sussex, England. Before moving to the US, she was known as "Victoria" to her family and "Vicki" to her school friends. She won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, London, and attended there as a Junior Scholar from age 14 - 18. While there, her "first study" was flute, her "second study" was piano, and she also had training in orchestral playing, singing, theory and composition. She then went on to do a Masters Degree in English Literature at Clare College, Cambridge. While there, she sang with Queens Chapel Choir, played flute in the Cambridge University Symphony Orchestra, and various other music ensembles. She also spent a year acting with "Footlights", the Amateur Dramatic Club of Cambridge. ("Footlights" boasts many famous alumni from Cambridge, such as Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson, Hugh Laurie, and John Cleese, among others). Toria met her husband, David Hrencecin, while at Cambridge, and moved to the US with him in 1996. Since moving to the US, Toria has continued her extensive music career. In 1999, she founded and directed the Chicago Chamber Choir, and later became their composer-in-residence. After taking a hiatus for a few years, she came back to the CCC, as a full time singer, board member, and assistant to Timm Adams, the director. In 2012, Toria was asked to join the professional choir, Cor Cantiamo, and is a full-time alto with the ensemble, working with director, Eric Johnson. For many years, Toria was a private instructor of piano, flute, composition and voice. She continues to be a professional pianist, accompanist, flautist and singer for weddings, parties, shows, concerts, etc. Toria is also a writer, Reiki practitioner, and certified Doula. And mother of 2 children: Tristan 14, Sophie 11.