N'KENGE , SOPRANO

Anyone who has witnessed a performance by singer N’Kenge is not only amazed by the incredible power and range of her voice, they are often surprised at the sheer range of credits and accolades she has accumulated in a very short time. These include the White House where she sang for President Bill Clinton, London’s West End at the Theatre Royal in a tribute to the late great Ray Charles, solo engagements in New York at Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center, even a worldwide broadcast by NPR from the Library of Congress in Washington, DC highlight the extent to which her star has risen.

N’Kenge’s interest in music began at the tender age of three after her mother enrolled her daughter for dance and piano classes as a means of channeling her daughters unusual energy. This decision paid off with recitals and a piano scholarship by age six.

However, when N’Kenge discovered that she possessed a singing voice this startlingly mature youngster began devoting herself to its full time development. Her supportive mother taught her many popular songs including the Whitney Houston catalogue of classic ballads in its entirety, and she fondly remembers attending her great grandmothers church in the south whom she credits for her ability to sing gospel as the result of listening and learning from those amazing southern church singers.

Via a family connection Motown Records offered N’Kenge a recording contract while still in her teens and encouraged her to move to California. But her mother, Annette Hoffman, born in Georgia and a strong believer in the power of education decided that her daughter’s future would be better served at school, at home in New York. So N’Kenge continued her studies at the H.S. School of Performing Arts, Manhattan School of Music and The Juilliard School winning kudos for her voice and beauty.

At 17 she won the Lena Horne Singing Competition Scholarship, the ASCAP Leiber and Stoller Award and the Leontyne Price Vocal Competition. N’Kenge was crowned Miss Manhattan in the Miss America Pageant which led to appearances on television. These included Good Morning America which led to a chance to perform the National Anthem for “The Mets” at Shea Stadium. She spent her summers performing at Music Festivals in Europe, Israel, and the Czech Republic and it is therefore no surprise that she can sing fluently in ten different languages!

Columbia Artist’s recognized her notable vocal talents and through their auspices has given over 100 solo concerts throughout the United States. While still completing her schooling N’Kenge recorded a solo CD ‘Red Souvenir” and continues to present her own program for students with lesser opportunity in schools throughout the country.

This young and energetic singer was recently nominated for Best Actress for her portrayal of the leading role in the Elton John/Tim Rice Musical ”Aida” in Arizona, just finished a run of Marion Caffey’s 3 Mo’ Diva’s at the Arena Stage in Washington, DC and returns as a soloist in pop programs with the Indianapolis Symphony, Ottawa Symphony in Canada and the Baltimore Pops Symphony. 2007 will be a big year for N’Kenge in which she makes her debut R&B/Pop album release titled “Center Stage” with famed producer/songwriter Preston Glass.

N’KENGE’S CONCERT REVIEWS

David King’s Ray Charles Musical Tribute “The Genius of Ray Charles”

N'Kenge is something else: a classically trained opera singer who knows blues music. Even when not the soloist, she’s working every moment, never coasting. She’s young and slim and beautiful, and has a voice that could shatter wine glasses.

-Sam Buaman, Nevada Appeal

Marion Caffey Directs 3 Mo'Divas in a World Premiere performance at the San Diego Repertory Theater:

"All three have octave-leaping-voices-the equivalent, in fact, of Cirque du Soleil's skywalkers. And for versatility, follow N'Kenge. She ennobles Juiliet's Waltz by Gounod, then raises the roof with Cab Calloway's sing along, Minnie the Moocher. Later she shimmies through Beyonce's Crazy in Love. Same Person. Different stratospheres. "

-San Diego Weekly Reader

"N'Kenge, a petit fireball, is the show's all-around entertainer. She sings, she dances and she works the crowd. She's a delight in her audience-interactive Minnie The Moocher segment that closes ACT I, and she's all sass and shimmying flash as the sexy flapper Miss Celie (from the Color Purple). She has a sweet tone with coloratura touches."

- Pam Kragen, North County Times

"N'Kenge, elegantly dressed, sublimely displayed range and power…glided through the requisite spectrum including Blues, Broadway, jazz, soul, spiritual and gospel. N'Kenge, the most physical of the group, gets an abundance of showy numbers, such as Fascinating Rhythm, and an audience-participation Minnie The Moocher."

-Don Braunagel, LA Times

Puccini’s La Boheme with the Virginia Opera and Maestro Dan Saunders as conductor:

“Soprano N'Kenge's Musetta did not hide feelings as she moved from one man to another. Her flirtatious voice had seductive power, and she used it expertly in her first appearance.”

-Lee Teply, The Virginian Pilot

Handel´s Messiah with Billings Symphony and Maestro Uri Barnea as conductor:

"Soprano N'Kenge joined the Billings Symphony and Chorale in a stirring performance of Handel´s Messiah that brought the capacity crowd to its feet. All four soloist performed flawlessly, although N'Kenge stole the show with her dazzling range.

- Billings Gazette

Worldwide Broadcast on NPR for the celebration of Aaron Copland´s Centennial:

"Soprano N'Kenge lent soulful, lustrously sung to two of the All American Songs.

- Joe Bano, Washington Post

Solo Recital in Michigan under the auspices of Columbia Artists Community Concert Series:

"The heart of the program was a set of three pieces by the Russian Reyngold Gliere. It was with the Gliere that N'Kenge opened up and showed a dynamic range of expression and vocal warmth. The Rossini pieces displayed a voice flexibility, promising and with good edge. Although N'Kenge may aspire to the opera stage, her handling of the Gershwin material was exceptional."

- Bill Seeback, The Muskegon Chronicle

Juilliard Opera Center´s production of Nino Rota´s Il Cappello di paglia di Firenze with Frank Corsaro as director and Randell Behr as conductor:

" From the point of view, the most effective performer in the Juilliard production were...soprano N'Kenge as the seamstress, La Modista. Simpson seized the stage, giving an over-the-top performance.”

- Donald Westwood, Opera News

Solo Recital in North Carolina under the auspices of Columbia Artists Community Concert Series:

"Her voice remained strong and in control throughout the evening. N'Kenge struck each note in a style that seemed effortless and stirred conversation during intermission...It was more than a voice that was striking. Her stage presence was quite remarkable in look and showmanship."

- Winkie Lee, Goldsboro News-Argus

Solo Recital in Iowa under the auspices of Columbia Artists Community Concert Series:

"Saturday night we came out of the Fort Madison concert hall almost speechless, awe struck! How can that diminutive, young lady put out such music, such volume, such a range of notes? Her facial expression and body language added much to the performance also. Expect to see her name N'Kenge, "in lights" in the future."

- Audrey Donnelson, Fort Madison Newspaper

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Concert at New Brunswick´s State Theater with violinist Joshua Bell and Mariusz Smolij as conductor:

"During the Beethoven’s incidental music to Goethe´s drama "Egmont," the wonderful surprise of the evening was soprano N'Kenge. She looks like the cute teen-aged kid next door and in reality cannot be any more than her early 20´s. She had but two short songs, but made such an impression that hers was the name heard in conversations as the audience filed out at concert´s end.

N'Kenge has a big bright voice that could easily fill any of the world´s largest houses. She was barely through the first stanza of "The Drums Roll" when in spite of the totally different character, a vision of her as Sophie in "Der Rosenkavalier" came to mind."

- Paul Somers, NJ Star-Ledger

Gershwin night concert at the Aspen Music Festival with Murry Sidlin as conductor:

"At a slower temp, the silky soprano of 19-year-old N'Kenge embraced "Someone to watch over me"...Murry Sidlin returned for a sumptuous hour of Porgy and Bess highlights, with the purity of N'Kenge gracing "Summertime."

-Jeff Bradley, The Denver Post

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