Basseterre, St. Kitts (June 18, 2007)
Locals are in for a special treat as renowned British Soprano Alison Buchanan headlines an evening of opera and entertainment on June 29.
According to artistworld.org, Buchanan is respected throughout Europe and the United States, and she has built a strong career with a full repertoire ranging from baroque to contemporary styles.
The Sir Cecil Jacobs Auditorium of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) will be the venue for the event which will also feature the New York-based West Village Quartet. The show will be held under the distinguished patronage of His Excellency the Governor General as part of the fundraising efforts of the Special Olympics ““ “On the Road to Shanghai, China” campaign. This initiative seeks to facilitate the participation of local Special Olympians in the World Games slated for October.
A graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia Buchanan is the winner of the Maggie Teyte Competition giving a winner’s concert recital at the Royal Opera House. She has also won The Pavarotti Competition and the Kathleen Ferrier Competition, the Washington International Competition and she was a finalist in the Belvedere Competition in 1997.Alison has worked for many opera houses including Opera Company of Philadelphia, Holland Park Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Pegasus Opera and Michigan Opera.
“We are very excited to present Ms. Buchanan and the West Village Quartet in concert,” a Special Olympics official told SKNIS. “The evening is going to be spectacular as top world class acts take center stage at the ECCB Auditorium and residents should not miss out.”
The West Village Quartet is an African-American string quartet that performs classical music. The Quartet has performed for the Essence Awards; the NAACP; Dance Theatre of Harlem; the Ford Foundation; former Mayors of New York City, Ed Koch and David Dinkins at Gracie Mansion; Paul Newman; and Patti LaBelle, among others.
Tickets are available from Clarice Cotton at the Ministry of Education at Church Street or any member of the Special Olympics Board.