Operajeni Opera singer classical and crossover singer

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Price Guide

The guide prices below are for events within 20 miles of Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey. Outside this area extra travel expenses will apply. Please get in touch for an accurate quote.
Funeral Services: £325
Wedding Ceremony (Organist to be provided) or Backing tracks up to 30 minutes: £482
Recitals with pianist - 2 x 40 minute halves: £896
Individual events can be tailored to your requirements POA
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About / Biography

Born in Glasgow of Scots / Irish heritage, soprano Jeni is an artist of exceptional versatility, with a repertoire that spans everything from Baroque to Broadway. Her unique skills as a singing actor have delighted audiences all over the world and she is equally at home singing operatic heroines to Music Theatre’s feisty leading ladies.

Jeni is a prize winning graduate of both the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama ( Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) and the Opera School of the Royal College of Music , including the prestigious President Emerita Award.

​Throughout her long career, Jeni has worked all over the world, not just singing for major companies but also for clients larege and small, happily tailoring her unique style and repertoire to their personal requests, anything form small intimate and private events, wedding, funerals, birthdays, wedding anniversaries and family occasions, to corporate events and recitals and large gala concerts.

Through her long standing association with Much Loved Production's "Last Night of the Proms" and Magic of the Musicals" concerts Jeni has diplayed her wide range in programmes encompassing opera, G& S, Broadway hits and much more

Highlights in recent seasons include Professor Prentice in the world premiere of Anthropocene and First Lady The Magic Flute for Scottish Opera; Greta Fiorentino Street Scene at the Teatro Real and Opéra de Monte-Carlo - winner of the prestigious; Diamont ’opera award, Woglinde and Waldvogel Der Ring des Nibelungen for Opera North; Lilli Vanessi/Katharine Kiss Me, Kate for Welsh National Opera and Opera North; and Susie Trevor Lady, Be Good! at the Teatro de la Zarzuela and Teatro di San Carlos. and Karolina in Smetana's "The two widows" at the Litomysil Festival in the Czech republic ( a co production with Birmigham City opera.)

Her varied stage roles have included Paquette Candide (Théâtre du Châtelet, Teatro alla Scala and Hyogo Performing Arts Centre, Japan); also for Théâtre du Châtelet – Zdenka Arabella and Sister Margaretta/Baroness Elsa The Sound of Music; Tytania A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Musetta La bohème, Susanna The Marriage of Figaro, Trixie Let ‘em Eat Cake, Gretel Hansel & Gretel and La Princesse L’enfant et les sortilèges (Opera North); Emma Jones Street Scene (Opéra de Toulon). Roles for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden include Guardian of the Threshold Die Frau ohne Schatten, First Heavenly Voice Palestrina, Barbarina Le nozze di Figaro and Blumenmädchen Parsifal (with Plácido Domingo); Fiordiligi Così fan tutte, Mabel The Pirates of Penzance, Yum Yum The Mikado, and Sophie Der Rosenkavalier (English National Opera); Amour Orphée et Eurydice (Welsh National Opera); Medea Teseo and Susanna The Marriage of Figaro (English Touring Opera); Eurydice Orpheus in the Underworld (Opera Holland Park); Musetta La bohème and Oscar Un ballo in maschera (Opera Zuid). She has also performed the title role in Deidamia and Sigismondo Arminio (London Handel Festival); Atalanta Xerxes and Dalinda Ariodante (Early Opera Company); and Narcissa Philemon und Baucis with Trevor Pinnock.

Jeni is in demand as an accomplished oratorio and concert artist. performance highlights include Cunegonde Candide (MDR-sinfonieorchester, Leipzig); Carmina Burana, Mozart Exsultate Jubilate and the world premiere of Michael Torke’s Book of Proverbs with Marin Alsop (Royal Scottish National Orchestra);the world premiere of Vivaldi’s Motezuma with Federico Maria Sardelli, for De Doelen, Rotterdam and Handel Messiah under Sir David Willcocks (The Bach Choir). She has also performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Gabrieli Consort, The Sixteen, The Academy of St Martin in the Fields, St. Gallen Bachchor.

Radio appearances include BBC Radio 2’s iconic Friday Night is Music Night and broadcasts for BBC Radios 3 & 4 and with the Dutch Radio Symphony Orchestra as Anne Truelove in the television series Of Beauty and Consolation. Her CD Let the Bright Seraphim with Baroque trumpeter Crispian Steele-Perkins (Carlton Classics) received considerable critical acclaim. Other recordings include Acis and Galatea with the Oxford Philomusica (Nimbus); Haydn Stabat Mater with Christ Church Cathedral Choir (Griffin) and Edward Joseph Collins' Hymn to the Earth with the RSNO and Marin Alsop. Film and television work includes soundtracks for the BBC’s Daniel Deronda, the film Cashback and Disney’s African Cats.

During the pandemic, Jeni took up her other favourite role as a Celebrant, helping bereaved families say goodbye during incredibly difficult times.

It’s her great privilege to be a voice for others when they can't find the words themselves.

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Location

Based in Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey

Will travel up to 500 miles
green circle = areas covered (up to 500 miles)
pink circle = free travel (up to 20 miles)
Please note that the circles shown on the map are calculated "as the crow flies". By road distances may vary, so please get in touch for an accurate quote.

A small sample of repertoire ideas

Traditional

Trad (Irish) : She moved through the Fair

Trad (Irish) : Lark in the clear air

Trad (Scottish) : An Eriskay Love Lilt

Robert Burns : My love is like a red, red rose

Ye banks and Braes, Flow gently sweet Afton, Rattlin roarin Willie and many others

Classical

Bach : Ave Maria

Bach : Sheep may safely graze

Bach : Jesu, joy of man’s desiring

Bellini : Casta Diva

Bizet : Habanera (Carmen)

Delibes: Flower Duet (British Airways Ad)

Handel Lascia Chio pianga ( Harrod's ad)

Handel - Let the bright Seraphim ( sung at the weeding of Charles and Diana)

Handel - Eternal Source of Light (sung at the wedding of Harry and Meghan)

Handel : Largo

Handel : Ombra mai fu

Handel: Where’er you walk

Franck : Panis Angelicus

Mascagni : Easter Hymn – Cavalleria Rusticana

Morricone : Nella Fantasia (The Mission)

Mozart : Laudate Dominum

Mozart : Alleluja

Offenbach : Barcarolle ( belle nuit)

Puccini: O mio babbino caro

Puccini - Un bel di ( one fine day, from Madama Butterfly)

Quaranto : Con te partiro - ( Time to say Goodbye)

Schubert : Ave Maria

Bach/Gounod Ave Maria

Bernstein: Somewhere (West Side Story)

Les Misérables: On my own, I dreamed a dream

Kern : Can’t help lovin’ that man (Showboat)

Lloyd Webber : All I ask of you (Phantom)

Think of Me (Phantom)

Memory (Cats)

Moon River

Rodgers and Hammerstein - Climb every mountain

Favourite things

You'll never walk alone

Somewhere over the Rainbow

Hello young lovers

Jazz and light entertainment

Ellis : This is my lovely day

Porter - So in love ( Kiss me Kate)

You raise me up

Gerswhin

A foggy day

Lullaby of Broadway

Fly me to the Moon

It might as well rain until September

Til there was you

Wonderful World

Fascinatin’ Rhythm

As time goes by

The lady is a Tramp

Paper Moon

Let there be love

The way you look tonight

We'll gather lilacs

Summertime

They can’t take that away from me

Embraceable You

Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square

Someone to watch over me

My funny Valentine

Come fly with me

The man I love

Bette Midler - Wind beneath my wings

From a distance

A simple Christmas wish

Technical Info

What are your basic technical requirements?

I can discuss this with individual clients, sometimes I don't require amplification if singing classically.


Do you provide sound and lighting equipment?

sound - Bluetooth speaker when using backing tracks for smaller venues


What information do you require about a venue?

I will contact venue directly ahead of event to discuss


Can you provide a Spotify/DJ service before and between your sets?

no

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best gig you've ever done and the best venue you've ever played at?

Far too many to mention , but the Albert Hall was a highlight as was singing in Japan, Monte Carlo and of course , La Scala Milan!!


Which artists have you been most influenced by, who is your favourite artist and what is the greatest song of all time?

I'm a musical magpie and my influences have been many and varied. No only the great classical voices but all the major female artists, from Judy, Liza and Barbara to more modern singers like Amy and Adele - it's just got to be great singing!!!


What's your previous experience and how did you start gigging?

I always wanted to be a musician and have been singing since I was small, first in the school choir and then I took up the cornet, playing in brass and concert bands. We did a musical at school every year and I was hooked, then I discovered opera and the rest is history....


What's your favourite type of event to play at?

Everything!!!!, I just want all my clients to enjoy the music!

Performance Info

What are your typical setup and performance times?

this will vary according to event and venue and I'm happy to be as flexible as possible


Are you happy to perform outside?

yes


Do the clients have a say in what you play or is it a set repertoire list only?

Absolutely - it's their event and if I can sing it , they can request it. I can tailor my programmes to fit exactly what the client wishes and if I don't know a piece, then provided I have enough notice, I can learn it for the event.


How do previous clients most commonly describe your performances?

A Night at the Opera / Opera North
Cond. Jessica Cottis & James Holmes
“The most impressive vocal performance of the first half, however, was Jeni Bern’s faultless Song to the Moon
from Rusalka… Bern’s witty and jazzy I Can Cook Too from Bernstein’s On the Town was a joy…”
(The Reviews Hub / Rom Simpson)

Recent Clients

Operajeni has performed for these clients:

Litomysil festival, Oxford Philomusica, the Hardynge Choir

Venues

Operajeni has performed at these venues:

Royal Opera House Covent Garden

Royal Albert Hall

La Scala Milan

Royal Opera Monte Carlo

Teatro dell'Opera di Roma

Bunkamara Hall, Tokoyo,

Teatro San Carlo ,Naples,

Teatro Real, Madrid, Teatro Zarzuela, Madrid.

Greigshalle, Bergen , Norway

De Doelen Concert Hall, Rotterdam

Litomysil Castle

Glyndebourne Festival Opera

English National Opera

Welsh National Opera, Wales Millennium Centre,

Scottish Opera,

Opera North, Leeds,

Royal Festival Hall

Purcell Room

Queen Elizabeth Hall

The Sheldonian Theatre Oxford

Theatre Royal Belfast

The Sage Gateshead

Waterside Hall Belfast

Bridgewater hall Manchester

The Lowry, Salford

Fairfield Halls Croydon

Leeds Town Hall

St Georges Chapel Windsor

St Gallen, Aachen, Gloucester, Truro, Winchester, Wells, Glasgow, Durham, Salisbury, Rochester, St Albans Cathedrals

The Dorchester Hotel

Middle Temple

More Info

Events types:

Wedding

Birthday Party

Private Event

Corporate Event

Hotel / Restaurant Event

Bar / Venue Event

Funeral / Memorial

Wedding Proposal

Concert

Religious Event

Recording Session

Cruise

Virtual Event

Charity Event

Theatre Show

Burns Night

Christmas Party

New Year's Eve

Genres:

Classical

Film / TV

Opera

Musical Theatre

Medieval / Early Music

1920s Music

1930s Music

1940s Music

1950s Music

Folk

Traditional Scottish Folk

Features:

Female vocalist

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