Biography
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.
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.
Her latest venture is The Cellosphere - a transparent globe that presents the performer in a magical context (see www.redcello.co.za)
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).
‘Thorns has immense talent’ The Star (South Africa)
‘A deep affinity with nature and Landscapes comes through in the music’ The Cape Argus
‘The combination of her solo performance, video, lights and music can be quite mesmerising’ The Citizen
Aside from her solo offering, ‘Fireflies In The Rain’, she has performed on the following albums:
• The Rescu - Sharpville
• Carol Thorns - Fireflies In The Rain
• CODA - African Renaissance
• CODA - Believe
• Sterling Electric Quartet – NOVA
• The 2005 Levi’s sponsored HIV / Aids compilation album (featuring Flat Stanley,Fokofpolisiekar, Godessa, Arno Carstens etc )
• Arno Carstens - Hello Good-bye Boys
• Muse String Quartet - My Dance
• Jason Glover - Breathe