BIOGRAPHY

carolthorns_biography

INTRODUCTION

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 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: THE CELLOSPHERE

Her latest venture is The Bubble – a transparent globe that presents the performer in a magical context (see www.MusicInTheBubble.com). 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 Bubble is in great demand across South Africa and worldwide.

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 Africa. 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. This has been hugely beneficial for her web presence internationally and has opening conversations with fellow musicians, producers and clients from around the world. See her channel (CarolThorns) on You Tube and Electric-Cellist on Sound Cloud.

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’.

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 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. Carol performed in 9 different countries in 2013 – 5 countries for Porsche featuring her song Closer to the Sun to open their road-show. Carol has also performed at the Four Seasons in Istanbul.

SPONSORS

Carol is 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. Carol is passionate about taking the arts to less fortunate communities and schools. She has been involved in Artscape’s community outreach programmes (Ceres Community Concerts 2009) and worked as a student for the youth string project, Buskaid.

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 Africa (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).

RECORDINGS

Aside from her solo offering, ‘Fireflies In The Rain’, she has performed on the following albums:

  • Carol Thorns – Fireflies In The Rain (nominated for SAMA Best Instrumental Album)
  • CODA Africa – Disclosure (nominated for 2 All Africa Music Awards)
  • The Rescu – Sharpville
  • Carol Thorns – Fireflies In The Rain (nominated for a SAMA)
  • 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