Joanna was born in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. She studied at the Royal College of Music with Ruth Gerald, where she gained a First Class Honours degree and Postgraduate Diplomas in Performance and Advanced Performance (Accompaniment) with Distinction.

Since graduating in 1999, Joanna has enjoyed a busy and varied career as a freelance pianist. She enjoys travelling, having performed extensively across the UK, and foreign trips have included visits to Paris, Bologna, Ascona, Chicago, Vancouver and Hong Kong. In London she made her Wigmore Hall debut in 2003. Much of her work is at the Royal College of Music, where she accompanies for masterclasses, concerts, auditions and exams. As an orchestral pianist she has worked with the Royal Philharmonic, BBC Concert and Elgar Chamber Orchestras. Joanna also teaches piano, is musical director for the musical theatre group 'Rainbow 2000' and adjudicates.