In celebration of Black History Month, Covenant College’s inaugural season of Covenant Arts continues with a performance by Carmen Balthrop, soprano, together with her pianist, Lester Green, on Friday, Feb. 17, at 8 p.m. in the Dora Maclellan Brown Memorial Chapel. Ms. Balthrop's performance will feature a blended program of both classical and jazz music.
A pre-concert candlelight dinner will be held in Covenant's Great Hall at 6:30 p.m. Guests are invited to make dinner reservations when they reserve their concert seats.
About Carmen Balthrop:
Carmen Balthrop has been acclaimed by The Washington Post as “electrifying . . . a consummate performer;” by the New York Times as “a voice of power and uncommon tonal purity;” and “a rapturously beautiful voice” by The Miami Herald. Her astonishing range of repertoire from Baroque opera to contemporary song literature includes appearances with major North American opera companies such as The Metropolitan, Canadian, San Francisco, Dallas, Miami, Seattle, Houston, and Florentine. European performances include opera houses in Venice, Spoleto, and Berlin. She has performed extensively with major orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, National, Boston, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Houston and Detroit, and in prestigious venues such as the White House, the Kennedy Center, and Carnegie Hall.
Ms. Balthrop's discography can be found on Deutsche Grammophon, Elan, New World and Fonit Cera labels. She was the featured soloist for the visit of President Nelson Mandela and will be singing a presidential inauguration in the Bahamas following her visit to Covenant College.
In March 2006, Balthrop will sing the title role in the opera Vanqui. Vanqui is the story of two Africans enslaved in America, forcibly separated and cruelly murdered. They arise as spirits who ride the wind searching for each other. Their story, told through music, symbolizes the triumph of slaves over an inhuman system and ultimate triumph of the human spirit. This project is supported by an award from the National Endowment of the Arts.