1940 – 2025
Newcastle-born soprano Joan Trainor, B.Ed. LTCL FTCL, began her career studying with renowned local teacher Dr. E. Hutchinson, whose former pupils include Kathleen Ferrier and Sheila Armstrong, and then with Ken Ormston. She later went on to study with Robert Alva of the Royal Academy of Music, London, and subsequently obtained her performance diploma from Trinity College of Music, London. In 1989 Joan was awarded a Fellowship of Trinity College.
She sang with Northern Opera, performing principal roles as varied as Elisabeth in Don Carlos and Yaroslavna in Prince Igor. She was recommended to apply to the Opera School at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, studying there under the personal direction of Ernesto Barbini, conductor of the Canadian Opera Company and coach to New York's Metropolitan Opera House. Later she studied vocal technique with Irene Jessner de Norby, singing the title role in Aida and Leonora in La forza del destino.
Joan competed to study at Tito Gobbi's Opera Workshop in Florence, Italy, winning one of only 20 places against worldwide competition. There she prepared major roles including Desdemona in Otello, Floria Tosca in Tosca, and Mimì in La Bohème.
In 1986, Joan founded an 80-strong adult mixed-voice choir, The Ravenswood Singers, where she remained as Musical Director until 2025. The group performs a wide repertoire drawn from opera, traditional song, and musicals at prime venues around the region. In addition to regular concerts, the choir is acclaimed for its charity work, singing at both local and regional events, most notably at the Royal Gala Evening held at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Joan spent a number of years as Head of Music in one of the largest schools in Newcastle upon Tyne, specialising in training competitive choirs, and at the same time conducting and directing singing at a city theatre school.
Joan was a Vocal Specialist with Newcastle upon Tyne Education Authority and also taught solo singing to promising singers throughout the region through her work with Newcastle Music Service.
In her later years, Joan's private singing students were a source of great pride and joy. Her students enjoyed success in ABRSM examinations, won prizes in local music festivals, and have gone on to international success in opera.
Roles
With Northern Opera, Joan performed the following principal operatic roles on stage or in concert:
- Micaëla in Carmen (Bizet)
- Abigail in Nabucco (Verdi)
- Yaroslavna in Prince Igor (Borodin)
- Musetta in La Bohème (Puccini)
- Mimì in La Bohème (Puccini)
- Venus in Tannhäuser (Wagner)
- Elisabeth in Tannhäuser (Wagner)
- Marguerite in Faust (Gounod)
- Elisabetta di Valois in Don Carlos (Verdi)
- Leonora in La forza del destino (Verdi)
- Floria Tosca in Tosca (Puccini)
- Manon in Manon Lescaut (Puccini)
- Aida in Aida (Verdi)
- Turandot in Turandot (Puccini)
Updated 24 Nov 2025