N'Kenge Joins Jacksonville Symphony for 'BABY BOOMERS' Concert This Weekend

Symphony siren and Broadway diva N'Kenge (Motown: The Musical and Sondheim and Sondheim) is making her debut appearance at Jacksonville Symphony's Baby Boomers: Music of the 60s show. The NY Post called N'Kenge "electrifying" in the role of Mary Wells, which she originated in Broadway's smash hit Motown: The Musical. N'Kenge is thrilled to work with conductor Stuart Chafetz for three days; Friday/Saturday, February 19-20, 2016 (8:00pm), Sunday, February 21, 2016 (3:00pm).

Over the years, N'Kenge has been a part of several all-star casts dedicated to the decade of change inspired music in our present time reminiscent to the time when she performed for President Obama in his "Commander in Chief" Inaugural Ball in 2008. N'Kenge looks forward to performing with the Jacksonville Symphony's Baby Boomers: Music of the 60s, and looks forward to having another rewarding experience with a new conductor during her Florida Symphonic tour. Florida is where she spent her summers growing-up and where she continues to spend-time being her mother and most relatives reside throughout the state. Beyond working with the popular Florida Symphonies; N'Kenge also makes time to hone the talent of young African American students with an interest in classical music by utilizing her expertise in opera music and providing a vocal master class and connecting them to other opportunities in the field.

For a few days at the Jacksonville Symphony, N'Kenge will bring her enthralling sound to a host of solid gold songs from popular TV shows; to groups like The Beatles; and those from Motown; the tie-dye era and many more. Music Legend Berry Gordy describes N'Kenge as "the most versatile artist I know"; and see why Variety raves about N'Kenge's "show-stopping performances" as she is joined on stage by powerhouse singers Kristine Reese, Johnny Stellard, Farah Alvin, Jim Hogan and Roy Chicas. You won't be able to sit down when N'Kenge sings top 40 favorites such as Aretha Franklin's "Think", "Let It Be", and more. Check out N'Kenge performing "This Is The Moment" at The International Women's Forum 2015 Hall of Fame dinner.

Hailed by the New York Times as "a classically trained diva that can stretch from Broadway, Pop, Soul to Opera," N'Kenge made her Broadway debut in Sondheim on Sondheim alongside Barbara Cook, Vanessa Williams, Norm Lewis and Tom Wopat which was directed by Pulitzer Prize winner James Lapine. In London, N'Kenge made her West End debut starring in The Genius of Ray Charles. N'Kenge starred in the Michael Jackson Tribute Show World Tour and has also been seen as a soloist with Meastro Steve Reineke at Carnegie Hall with The New York Pops Orchestra as well as working with Jack Everly with Cincinnati Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony; Edmonton Symphony and Cleveland Orchestra to name a few.

Founded in 1949, the Jacksonville Symphony is one of the nation's top regional orchestras. For the 2015-16 season, the Symphony welcomed Courtney Lewis as Musical Director and is the largest nonprofit provider of youth music education programs for North Florida. Each season, nearly 700,000 individuals benefit from the Orchestra's diverse educational and community engagement opportunities. Fresh from the Classic FM tour at Naples Philharmonic, N'Kenge is excited to continue giving her best to the audiences in Jacksonville for the Baby Boomers: Music of the 60s. It will be an experience unlike any other!

You can learn more about N'Kenge at www.nkengemusic.com. For more information on the show, click here.

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