October 18, 2023 (7:30 PM) • Rudder Theater
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COLLEGE STATION, TX: Texas A&M University’s OPAS keeps the music going on the 2023-24 season with the first program on the Intimate Gatherings series. On Wednesday, October 18 (7:30 PM), OPAS welcomes Stacey Kent, and her phenomenal quintet, back to Rudder Theatre for a fabulous evening of jazz. Tickets range from $53-$73 are on sale now at the MSC Box Office (979-845-1234) and online at www.OPAStickets.org. Special ticket prices are available for Texas A&M students. This concert by Stacey Kent is a series which also includes Voctave (November 9) and Forever Young (February 6). Season ticket packages for the three-show series are still available at the MSC Box Office.
Stacey Kent is an American jazz singer in the mold of the greats – with a legion of fans, a host of honors and awards including a Grammy nomination, album sales in excess of two million, more than half a billion streams, Platinum, Double-Gold and Gold-selling albums that have reached a series of chart-topping positions.
OPAS Executive Director Anne Black states, “Since she performed here as part of our 34th season, we are routinely asked when we can bring Stacey back. With an artist that tours internationally, it can be challenging to find a date.” Black continues, “We were thrilled when we were able to confirm this date as part of our 51st season – some sixteen years after her first appearance on the Rudder Theatre stage.”
Kent’s worldwide fan base is testimony to her ability to cut to the emotional heart of her songs with delicately nuanced interpretations that transcend borders and defy categorization. Her unique multi-lingual repertoire includes originals written by Jim Tomlinson (her saxophonist, producer, composer, arranger husband) in collaboration with the Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro with whom they have worked since 2006.
Kent’s musical journey began with childhood piano lessons. A keen ear and true voice lead her to search out opportunities to express her love of music. However, nothing suggested the shift from the academic path to the one that propelled her to international recognition as one of the foremost jazz singers of her generation. With a catalogue of 12 studio albums, including the Platinum selling, Grammy-nominated Breakfast On The Morning Tram (Blue Note/EMI 2007) and an impressive list of collaborations, Stacey has graced the stages of more than 55 countries over the course of her career.
Kent paid her dues in the jazz clubs of London, before releasing a series of albums for the Candid label, beginning with Close Your Eyes in 1997. Those early albums brought her to the attention of a worldwide audience, resulting in appearances on U.S. television and radio with shows like “CBS Sunday Morning” and NPR’s “All Things Considered.” Awards followed with Stacey winning Jazz Vocalist of the Year at the BBC Jazz Awards. The Boy Next Door (2003) was Stacey’s last Candid release and her first album to achieve Gold status.
Stacey’s forthcoming studio album, Summer Me, Winter Me, will be released worldwide on November 10, 2023 on Naïve Records.
After this jazz performance, more programs follow this fall as part of the 2023-24 OPAS season with Mean Girls (November 1 and 2) sponsored by Aggieland Credit Union, Voctave (November 9) Jesus Christ Superstar (November 15 and 16) and Cirque Dreams Holidaze (December 5 & 6).
