Based: Cape Town
South Africa’s leading electric cellist, Carol Thorns has been performing locally and internationally for over a decade. Armed with her striking red cello, she has won fans in India, Dubai and the UK. She was awarded a 4-star rating for her audio-visual show ‘Red Cello Electrified’ at the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe, the largest arts festival in the world. Her popular solo cello album Fireflies In The Rain was nominated for Best Instrumental Album 2010 at the South African Music Awards.
PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES IN 2012: THE CELLOSPHERE – Her latest venture is The Cellosphere: A transparent globe that presents the performer in a magical context . This new, innovative concept has taken the corporate entertainment market by storm and has been booked for SA’s top launches, fashion events and parties. The Cellosphere is in great demand across South Africa and as far afield as Australia and New York.
IN THE MEDIA – A Cum Laude Bachelor of Music graduate from Rhodes University in South Africa, Carol Thorns has a background in cello performance and entertainment PR. Her passion for taking electric strings into unchartered territory lead her to initiate and build popular brands such as Muse String Quartet, Sterling Electric Quartet and CODA.
Carol is featured extensively in the media both locally and in publications outside of South Africa surrounding her international performances.
ONLINE PRESENCE – Carol’s You Tube video’s are watched across the globe. Her current music video has been viewed 240 000 times. This has been hugely beneficial for her web presence internationally and has opening conversations with fellow musicians, producers and clients from around the world.
RED CELLO – THE SHOW – Her acclaimed show ‘Red Cello’ has toured extensively (the UK and Dubai) and to sold out audiences in South Africa (Franschhoek, Plett, Cape Town – On Broadway, Alliance Francaise, Johannesburg etc). The Red Cello concert opened the St George’s Cathedral ‘Raise The Roof Concert Series’ on the 15th Feb 2012.
INTERNATIONAL – The Red Cello show enjoyed a successful run of 25 performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2010. Carol has performed regularly in Dubai for events such as The Coca Cola Sustainability Awards in the Berg Kalifah (tallest building in the world) and the Dubai Paris Fashion Show featuring French designers and international media at the One & Only Hotel, Palm Island. Carol was invited to perform in Hyderbad, India, in December 2009 for a 4000-strong wedding. She performed in Abu Dhabi for a Rolls Royce event on the 14th Feb 2012 and will be travelling to St Tropez (France) in August 2012 with her band, CODA.
SPONSORS – Carol has been sponsored by Mac Make-up and is currently a brand ambassador for Yamaha.
CHARITIES – Carol supports various charities in particular those surround health and education. She sponsors 6 performances a year for organizations such as Cotlands, Kids of Kurland etc. Her passion is bringing to arts to less fortunate communities and has been involved in Artscape’s community outreach programmes.
COLLABORATIONS – Aside from her solo project, Carol is in great demand as an electric cellist. She performs with:
• singer/songwriter Louise Carver (SA)
• with electric harpist Shelley Frost (Dubai)
• in her own band CODA (which blends electric strings with jazz sax, African vocals and a house DJ)
She has shared the stage with many of South Africa’s top musicians including Arno Carstens and the Soweto String Quartet, and with America’s Got Talent finalists, Nuttin’ but Stringz (Bidvest Concerts 2009).
