As a classics student at Oxford Emma Kirkby sang for pleasure in choirs and small groups. She joined the Taverner Choir in 1971, and in 1973 began her long association with The Consort of Musicke, developing her historically informed style with the help of the many musicians with whom she has collaborated over the years. She has built long-term relationships with chamber groups and orchestras such as The Academy of Ancient Music, London Baroque, Fretwork, Freiburger Barockorchester, L’Orfeo Barockorchester (of Linz), Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Florilegium, and also enjoys partnerships with the harpsichordist Lars Ulrik Mortensen, the pianist James Lisney and, in particular, the lutenists Anthony Rooley and Jakob Lindberg. Several hundred recordings document her wide repertoire, from Hildegard of Bingen to Stravinsky and Amy Beach. In 1999 she was voted Artist of the Year by Classic FM Radio listeners; in November 2000 she was appointed an Officer, and in June 2007 a Dame Commander, of the Order of the British Empire. She is widely recognised in both popular and critical media for an approach to singing that values ensemble, clarity and stillness alongside the more usual factors of volume and display.