Upcoming events.
Sunflowers
Opera Vera presents a landmark double bill of world premieres — a major new artistic statement of remembrance, resilience and hope.
This April, Opera Vera unveils Sunflowers, its most ambitious and significant project to date: two powerful new works that confront the scars of war while illuminating the enduring strength of the human spirit.
At the heart of the evening are two deeply moving premieres. War Wounds, a searing new song cycle by Sean O’Boyle with words by Yuliya Trishkeu, tells of a raw personal experience of war in Ukraine — its devastating impact on family life and identity. Alongside it, Sunflowers, from the internationally acclaimed partnership of British composer Adam Gorb and librettist Ben Kaye, unfolds as a luminous meditation on resilience, separation, hope and love in the shadow of war, written for soprano, baritone and Pierrot ensemble.
Award-winning performers bring these works to life: soprano Yuliya Trishkeu and baritone Gary Ruston, joined by an exceptional ensemble — pianist and music director Ameen Elbadri, flautist/piccolo Jess Pun Lai Yuen, clarinettist Oliver Lee, violinist Christina Mayfield, and cellist Cillian Hennessy. Together, they create an evening that is both intimate and monumental — a living act of remembrance and a powerful statement of hope for our time.
Two performances only:
24 April, 7:00 pm - International Anthony Burgess Foundation
BUY TICKETS
26 April, 7:00 pm - St Elizabeth’s I Ashley Altrincham
Ashley Members and Trust members only. If not a member - to attend, please inquire via email: info@operavera.co.uk
Kindly supported by Ida Carroll Trust, Hinrichsen Foundation and St Elizabeth Ashley
Love - The Essence of Life
Join us for Love – The Essence of Life, a special fundraising concert in support of Maggie’s Cancer Centre. This lunchtime performance features arias and songs that celebrate love in all its forms — as a source of hope, strength, and resilience.
Presented by Opera Vera, with soprano Yuliya Trishkeu and pianist/music director James Gillett, the program includes works by Bellini, Rimsky-Korsakov, Dvořák, Puccini, and more. Through music, we honour the vital work Maggie’s does for those affected by cancer and aim to raise funds to support this extraordinary organisation.
This concert will take place at the Bridgewater Hall in the Barbirolli Room.
The event has been postponed from October to Spring 2026, with the exact date and time to be confirmed in due course.
Winter Dreams and Memories
This Christmas, Opera Vera invites you to Winter Dreams and Memories — a lyrical journey through snow, longing, and imagination. The programme brings together music of the 20th century, where romance, nostalgia, and quiet wonder meet in a winter landscape. From the luminous world of Strauss and Dvořák to the haunting intimacy of Schoenberg’s early Erwartung (Op. 2), and from Barber’s quiet melancholy to Gurney’s lyric warmth and Cole Porter’s sparkling wit — this is a celebration of winter in all its moods.
An evening of reflection and delight, where dreams, memories, and music intertwine — offering a festive moment of beauty and peace in the heart of winter.
Past Events
Debut Production - To Life Beyond
Opera Vera’s debut production “To Life Beyond” featured two powerful vocal cycles that confront the mystery of death — not with fear, but with transcendent beauty. Shostakovich’s Seven Romances on Poems of Alexander Blok (Op. 127), a 20th-century masterpiece, was paired with Beggar’s Belief by contemporary British composer Adam Gorb. Though composed decades apart, both works trace a journey through darkness, grief, and existential reflection. Yet each culminates in luminous serenity, presenting death not as an end, but as a transformation — a passage toward peace, stillness, and spiritual renewal. This emotionally rich program offered a profound meditation on mortality, faith, memory, and grace.
Robin Walker:
“Yuliya’s performance and characterisation was of the highest order: a truly dramatic and feminine expression of tragedy and artistic truth. It was a privilege to witness this.”
John Turner:
“A really splendid performance! Wonderful singing and playing of Adam’s piece.”
Winter Dreams and Memories
Opera Vera presents: Winter Dreams and Memories
with Yuliya Trishkeu (soprano), Sophie Iliaifar (mezzo-soprano), and Sheldon Miller (piano)
This Christmas, Opera Vera invites you to Winter Dreams and Memories — a lyrical journey through snow, longing, and imagination. The programme brings together music of the 20th century, where romance, nostalgia, and quiet wonder meet in a winter landscape. From the luminous world of Strauss and Dvořák to the haunting intimacy of Schoenberg’s early Erwartung (Op. 2), and from Barber’s quiet melancholy to Gurney’s lyric warmth and Cole Porter’s sparkling wit— this is a celebration of winter in all its moods.
An evening of reflection and delight, where dreams, memories, and music intertwine — offering a festive moment of beauty and peace in the heart of winter.
