Soprano Cheryl Enever and Tenor Jon Valender are joined by pianist Nicholas O’Neill for an evening of opera exploring themes of love, loss and jealousy through the works of Verdi, Puccini and Bizet.
Scenes from operas by some of the best-known composers will be brought to life by Cheryl and Jon’s infectious love of telling stories. It promises to be a wonderful evening!
Cheryl and Jon first met while working for the English Touring Opera. They soon realised they shared a passion for opera and a dangerously similar sense of humour! Since then, they have often performed together in various programmes and venues. Their most recent (and unusual) performance was at Parliament Hill Lido, where they provided operatic accompaniment for a synchronised swimming team.
Cheryl has sung many operatic roles for companies, including the Royal Opera House, where she created the role of Joanna in its community Opera Ludd and Isis. Among her favourite characters are Tosca and Violetta, who she sang for at the Bermuda Festival in Luxembourg and London, and Tatyana, who sang for the English Touring Opera on a UK tour. Cheryl is passionate about contemporary music and created the title role of Juliana in Joseph Phibbs’ opera, Miss Julie, based on Strindberg’s play, to great critical acclaim.
Jon has taken lead roles in the UK for the English Touring Opera, Scottish Opera, Opera North and the Ryedale Festival and has regularly worked in Bangkok, Luxembourg, Italy, Ireland and Germany. Roles have included Mozart’s Idomeneo, Florestan (Fidelio), and Erik (Der fliegende Höllander). Whilst his favourite works are all by Wagner, he tries not to inflict them on others and has even suggested a posthumous editor to make them a little more palatable!
Their accompanist, Nicholas O’Neill, is an award-winning composer and musician. Known for his versatility, he is also a vastly experienced pianist, organist and conductor. He has worked with Cheryl and Jon on many occasions and has agreed to perform with them again despite this. In 2012, he was awarded the American Guild of Organists Marilyn Mason Award for Organ Composition for his Festive Voluntary; he shared the Barbara Johnstone Composition Prize in 1995, won the Gregynog Young Composers’ Award in 1993, and in 1992, he was unanimously awarded the first prize in the Norwich Festival Composition Competition. He has been shortlisted for the William Mathias, Cornelius Cardew, Oare String Orchestra, Purcell and Vocalis composition awards.
