Trouvaille

About Us

Trouvaille is a musical partnership formed in 2018 by soprano Joanne Whalley and tenor Paul Blundell. Trouvaille, meaning “find or discovery of interest” in French, symbolizes their desire to discover and develop a repertoire of songs, arias and duets based on a mutual interest in other art forms.

They share similar early years musical education paths reaching advanced levels in piano as well as studying violin, clarinet and saxophone. Both of them took breaks in their musical development for periods to concentrate on wider academic studies and advancement of careers in other fields but they have returned in recent years to pursue formal vocal and performance studies with Chloe Latchmore (mezzo soprano), Sarah Dacey (soprano) and John Upperton (tenor).

They met originally through London-based Midsummer Opera with whom, between them, they have performed both as soloists and covers in several operas including Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel (Joanne), Vaughan Williams Riders to the Sea (Joanne), Verdi’s Macbeth (Joanne) and Luisa Miller and Giordano’s Andrea Chénier (Paul).

They have also performed character roles with other South East-based groups including Aquarian Opera (Joanne), Harrow Opera (Paul), Lambeth Orchestra (Joanne), St Paul’s Opera (Paul) and Ferrier Operatic Society (Both) in works that include Madama Butterfly (Puccini), Marriage of Figaro and Magic Flute (Mozart), Tales of Hoffmann (Offenbach), Rusalka (Dvorak), Dido and Aeneas (Purcell) and Ruddigore (Gilbert & Sullivan).

Choral singing interests involve performing with The Six Centuries Chamber Choir (Joanne) and The Elysian Singers of London (Paul). They performed as soloists with Sheengate Choir, East Sheen in June 2019 in operatic and choral works by Mozart, Gounod and Puccini.