A Trinidad National Music Festival prizewinner, Ms. Mendez hosted her own radio show “Cherry Sings” on Radio Trinidad as a teenager. After singing for Marion Anderson in Trinidad, Ms. Anderson’s accompanist Franz Rupp, recommended Ms. Mendez to participate in the Marion Anderson Vocal Competition in Philadelphia. An influential figure in the New York music scene, Mr. Rupp also recommended Ms. Mendez to Lotte Leonard at the the Mannes College of Music in New York City where Ms. Mendez was given a scholarship. Ms. Mendez continued her studies at the University of Toronto. Her teacher was baritone Louis Quilico. She also studied with Daniel Ferro (The Juilliard School) and Shirley Verrett(The University of Michigan). She has appeared in concert at the White Mountains Festival in New Hampshire, Queen’s Hall in Trinidad, the Purcell Room in London England, and the Gubbio Festival in Italy. Her first Toronto role was in the Theatre Fountainhead production “Africa in the Caribbean”. Ms. Mendez also won Queens of the Bands in the Caribana festival and later served as a judge in the calypso competition. As the founder of ArsMusica Community Concerts, Ms. Mendez has presented a series of concerts since 1994 at Heliconian Hall, The Arts & Letters Club, University of Toronto Hart House, York University, The Columbus Centre, The Church of St. George the Martyr, St. Michaels and All Angels, The 1st Unitarian Congregation, Orangeville Opera House, The Stone Church, and Mt. Dennis United Church.
As an educator, Ms. Mendez has taught a diverse and successful group of voice students from the opera, music theater, theater, and film genres including Victor Micallef (The Tenors), Ryan Harper, Brainerd Blyden-Taylor (Nathaniel Dett Chorale) and even comedian Jim Carrey!
Ms. Mendez has also served as a guest soloist with Coro San Marco at the Laval Quebec Choral Festival and the Singing Together Festival (A celebration of cultural diversity through choral music). In 2015, in collaboration with the Singing Together Festival, Ms. Mendez successfully led a 40 member choir tour to Italy with her son Colin Mendez Morris and Maestro Daniele Colla, culminating with appearances at the Cantus Angeli Choral Festival and a tour along the Amalfi coast.