Soprano Caroline Collins Performs at Hickory Museum of Art Performance includes Opera, Musical Theater, and Art-Inspired Selections January 30, 2017 Hickory Museum of Art HICKORY – Soprano Caroline Collins will perform “Celebrations from the Heart” from 6:30-7:30 pm on Saturday, February 11th in Coe Gallery at Hickory Museum of Art (HMA)—243 Third Avenue NE, Hickory. “Celebrations from the Heart” includes 16 vocal selections ranging from Musical Theater to Classical Arias. The performance will also include original compositions by Dr. Peter Corneliussen, who will accompany Collins on the piano. The performance is being held in conjunction with the exhibition Woman Made: Women Artists from the Hickory Museum of Art Collection and will give a musical voice to the stories of women, including Joan of Arc. A reception will be held prior to the performance from 6-6:30 pm, as well as after the recital ends at 7:30 pm. Admission is free and open to the public. One of the pieces Collins will perform during “Celebrations from the Heart” comes from Corneliussen’s musical drama “Jehanne La Pucelle,” or Joan the Maid, commonly called Joan of Arc in English. The powerful song speaks to the portrayal of Joan of Arc at the end of her life. Collins will perform this piece alongside the bronze sculpture “Joan of Arc” by Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington, one of the selected artworks in Woman Made. A number of other local musicians will accompany Collins during the performance, including Molly Barrett on violin, harpist Grace Wepner Ludtke and Luke Boudreault playing trumpet. Throughout the program, Collins and Corneliussen will speak about the music, their collaboration, and the range of emotions integrated into the performance, as well as inspiration from artwork in Woman Made. Collins wanted to give back to the community, in lieu of receiving gifts during her 16th birthday party. In addition to performing at HMA for free, Collins will collect donations for Camp LUCK, a nonprofit organization that serves to improve the lives of children and families coping with congenital heart disease. “Because my sister has a congenital heart defect, I understand how difficult it can be on the whole family when a child has a chronic illness,” Collins shared. “Camp LUCK provides support not only to the child, but also to the parents and even siblings.” Collins plans to use any donations to help send children to this medically-supervised residential camp free of charge. For more information about Camp LUCK, visit online at campluck.com.

About Caroline Collins

Collins is a junior at Hickory Christian Academy where she sings with the praise team and is an active member of the school’s Model UN, Mock Trial, and Beta Club organizations. She is a lifelong member of Corinth Church where she volunteers as the children’s choir assistant and spends many hours rehearsing under the direction of Corneliussen. Collins is involved in local community theater and has achieved a number of vocal honors. She attended the 2016 NC Governor’s School for Choral Music and performed in the 2016 Wingate Alumni Honors Chorus, for which she was an invited vocalist. Collins recently won her division in the 2016 NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) State Audition. She will move on to the NATS regionals in March, competing with top vocal students from NC, SC, VA, D.C. and Maryland. On a state and national level, Collins is a youth advocate for the American Heart Association, traveling to Raleigh and D.C. to meet with lawmakers and promote awareness of Congenital Heart Disease, as well as policies that encourage others to lead healthier lifestyles. In addition to continuing her vocal training, Collins is considering a career in pediatric cardiology. Caroline has a personal and long family connection to Hickory Arts and the space itself. "We couldn't do what we do without the support of the Collins family and we couldn't be more proud of both Caroline and Cassidy." — Jeff Hartman, Artistic Director Caroline has worked with Hickory Arts' Lyric Soprano Corey Raquel Lovelace and Vocal Coach Jeff Hartman. Hickory Arts is the “un-studio”—a simple, custom, specialized, non-event-driven teaching & production studio dedicated to coaching performance artists from point A to point B. The studio is located at 720 Second Avenue SW, Hickory 28602. “Home is where the art is.” — hickoryarts.com | Follow us on Twitter! @hickoryarts Hickory Museum of Art is located on The SALT Block, 243 3rd Avenue NE, Hickory. For more information about Museum exhibitions, art classes, field trips, and events, visit hickoryart.org or call 828-327-8576. Photographs Courtesy of Carol Anne Hartman Photography