Charismatic diva will sing at State Theatre this Sunday

Denyce Graves Courtesy of the Cornell Concert Series

Recognized worldwide as one of today's most exciting vocal stars, mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves will sing a recital program Sunday, March 9, at the State Theatre in Ithaca that will include opera arias, songs from England, Germany, France and Spain and a concluding set of traditional spirituals.

The concert begins at 8 p.m., and Graves will be accompanied by pianist Warren Jones. Her appearance is part of the 99th season of the Cornell Concert Series.

Tickets for the concert -- at $36, $31, $27 and $23 for adults and $22, $18, $16 and $14 for students of any age attending any institution -- are on sale now at the ticket center in Ithaca's Clinton House, 116 N. Cayuga St. (call 273-4497 or 1-800-284-8422), and at the Willard Straight Hall ticket office on campus (255-3430). Tickets also are available from the Cornell Concert Series Web site at http://www.arts.cornell.edu/ccs and through http://www.ithacaevents.com. Student Rush tickets (subject to availability) for $5 will be on sale March 7 and 8.

Graves has become particularly well-known to operatic audiences for her portrayals of the title roles in Carmen and Samson et Dalila. These signature roles have brought her to the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna Staatsoper, Royal Opera Covent Garden, San Francisco Opera, Opéra National de Paris, Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Washington Opera and the Festival Maggio Musicale in Florence.

She appears regularly on television as a musical performer and celebrity guest and as the subject of documentaries and other special programming. In 1997 PBS released a video and audio recording titled Denyce Graves: A Cathedral Christmas, featuring Graves in a program of Christmas music from Washington's National Cathedral.

Graves' 2001-02 season began with a series of appearances in response to the tragic events in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pa., on Sept. 11, 2001. She was invited by President Bush to participate in the National Prayer Service in Washington's National Cathedral in which she sang "America, the Beautiful" and "The Lord's Prayer." This event was televised worldwide and was followed by Graves' appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in a live musical program of "Healing Through Gospel Music." She has since participated in numerous other benefit concerts, and RCA Records released a recording of patriotic songs by Graves, the proceeds of which benefit various groups who have been affected by the events of Sept. 11.