Duos

Cariadon

Soprano Eldrydd Cynan Jones and Tenor Geraint Dodd bring the passion of their marriage to the stage in a collaboration entitled Cariadon, the Welsh for “Lovers.”  Their love of singing and performing has delighted audiences the World over encompassing Opera, Operetta, classic songs as well as the timeless masterpieces of Broadway and Hollywood. Their thrilling voices, charismatic personalities and vast variety of repertoire are a perfect match for any musical occasion.

Early successes in competition came to both Geraint & Eldrydd when they attended the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Eldrydd was a finalist in the Kathleen Ferrier Competition at the Wigmore Hall, and was the winner of the Young Welsh Singer of the Year Competition. She subsequently represented Wales in the prestigious “Cardiff Singer of the World” Competition where she was chosen to participate in a master class with Dame Joan Sutherland which was televised on BBC2. As well as this she sang at the Aix-en-Provence Festival, performing Britten’s “Les Illuminations” and Goretsky’s “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs.” Geraint was the winner of the Webster Booth Memorial Scholarship and the Ricordi Prize for Opera. During their time at college they both undertook their first operatic roles as Madam Butterfly and Captain Vere (Billy Budd) respectively. Quite a baptism of fire for them both!

Having left the RNCM they quickly established themselves as popular Oratorio, recital and concert artists with them both undertaking concert tours to the USA and the Far East. Eldrydd notably sang the Messiah and Bach’s B minor Mass with Stephen Cleobury at King’s College Chapel, Cambridge and Elijah alongside Bryn Terfel under the Baton of the late Richard Hickox. She also regularly performed Mahler’s 2nd and 8th Symphonies and Verdi’s Requiem, recording the latter for RTE Slovenia. Geraint sang Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at the Belem Centre in Lisbon and at St David‘s Hall with Sir Charles Mackeras, Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius and Verdi’s Requiem with Owain Arwel Hughes. He was also a regular soloist at the Albert Hall in Raymond Gubbay’s “Classical Spectacular” concerts.

On the Operatic stage they have worked collectively and individually for Welsh National Opera, English National Opera, Opera North, English Touring Opera, Opera Holland Park, Singapore Lyric Opera and San Francisco Opera. Eldrydd has sung First Lady (The Magic Flute), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Musetta (La Boheme), Leonora (Fidelio), Santuzza (Cavalleria Rusticana), and Aida. Geraint has sung The Duke of Mantua (Rigoletto), Rodolfo (La Boheme), Canio (I Pagliacci), Manrico (Il Trovatore), Radames (Aida), Calaf (Turandot), Florestan (Fidelio), Turiddu (Cavalleria Rusticana) and the title roles in Idomeneo and Stifelio. Together they have sung Michaela and Don Jose (Carmen), Amelia and Ricardo (Un Ballo in Maschera), Cio Cio San and Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly) and Cavaradossi and Tosca.

Most recent highlights have included a recital of Grieg’s songs performed at Grieg’s summerhouse in Trolhaugen, Bergen and Opera Galas with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Theatre Amazonas, in Manaus, Brazil and St Petersburg, Florida.