music
Carol Thorns
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.
Together with visualist and architect Alastair Thorns, Carol presents the cello in an interesting multi-media context. Audiences are carried through a series of musical landscapes incorporating aspects of world music and ambient electronica. 'Red Cello Landscapes' is based on Carol's album 'Fireflies in the Rain', which received a South African music award nomination for Best Instrumental Album 2010.
During the live performance, the visuals are manipulated in response to the music and showcase expansive landscapes, animation and audio-sensitive layer effects.
Red Cello made its successful debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2010, the largest arts festival in the world, achieving a four-star rating and an enthusiastic reception by audiences from around the world.
Carol has been performing for over a decade: solo, together with singer/songwriter Louise Carver and 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.
Thorns has also appeared at many of South Africa's top events, including numerous charity celebrity galas (Elton John Charity Ball), fashion shows (SA Fashion Week), and major concerts (Kirstenbosch Summer Concert Series).
Aside from her solo offering, 'Fireflies In The Rain', she has performed on albums including CODA's 'African Renaissance' and 'Believe', Sterling Electric Quartet's 'NOVA', Arno Carstens' 'Hello Goodbye Boys', Muse String Quartet's 'My Dance', and Jason Glover's 'Breathe'.