Esplanade Presents: Stacey Kent

“She has charm to burn, a smile that could give you hope in February and sings like nobody’s business.”
– The Wall Street Journal

“ is thoroughly captivating…[Kent’s] voice has a startling clarity, turning phrase after phrase with subtlety and an impeccable feel for the music.”
– Billboard

An American language student moves to Europe to study French, Italian, and German for a Masters degree in comparative literature. And her life takes an unexpected twist, resulting in Stacey Kent becoming one of the world’s foremost jazz singers.

Stacey, who joined the Blue Note (EMI) roster of recording artists in 2007, now boasts eight bestselling albums, including the Grammy nominated, Platinum-selling Breakfast on the Morning Tram (2007), and the Gold-selling albums The Boy Next Door (2003), and Raconte-Moi (2010). She has also received a string of awards, including the 2001 British Jazz Award, the 2002 BBC Jazz Award for Best Vocalist and the 2004 Backstage Bistro Award for Best Live Performance. In a winning partnership with her husband, the saxophonist Jim Tomlinson, Stacey has also won the Album of the Year award at the 2006 BBC Jazz Awards for the album The Lyric.

Breakfast on the Morning featured four original songs, including the title track, written especially for her by Jim Tomlinson and the acclaimed novelist Kazuo Ishiguro. The album remained at the top of the French jazz chart as well as holding its own in the top 20 of the general album charts for over a year and saw Stacey and the band tour in 27 different countries in 14 months.

Stacey’s latest release is the 2011 live album Dreamer in Concert, which includes songs by Antônio Carlos Jobim, the Portuguese poet Antonio Laderia, and features yet again contributions by Kazuo Ishiguro and Jim Tomlinson.

Three-time Oscar-winning songwriter, Jay Livingston, who has written songs for her, says: « Stacey Kent is a revelation. There is nobody singing today who can compare with her. She has the style of the greats, like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. And she sings the words like Nat Cole—clean, clear and almost conversational with perfect phrasing. And that’s as good as it gets. »

(1hr 30mins, no intermission)
$40*, $60**, $80, $100
Limited concessions for students, NSF and senior citizens: $25*, $40**

Tickets on Sale 30Dec!