About

Reviews
“Amanda Horton took the stage for the first of her performances, and she began with the beloved “Summertime” from Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” dating from the middle 1930s. Her clear articulation and spot on intonation in this unaffected performance embraced the audience in the poignant emotion of the song. And, in a completely different style, she then sang “By Strauss” which as program annotators Joseph and Elizabeth Kahn point out, was Gershwin’s last song. Horton was charming as she spun out the melody, swaying in the waltz rhythm of its light hearted and appealing movie-music style…Horton returned to offer “The Man I Love” and her performance once again demonstrated how expressive her lovely voice is in presenting the emotional content of a song.” (Horry News)
“Amanda Horton joined the orchestra with a ravishing performance of [Mahler’s] Das Himmlische Leben…Horton projected her clear and beautiful voice with no amplification, a treat to hear these days. Horton never lost the tenderness and serenity needed to project the text’s meaning, which is a child’s view of heaven.” (Myrtle Beach Sun News)
“Horton especially excelled in her renditions of songs from “South Pacific”…her acting and choreographic skills were superlative…The vocals were terrific” (Asheville Daily Planet)
“Among the women, Amanda Horton pleased us all evening, with her golden, pure soprano, heard to greatest effect in her lovely “Deh vieni, non tardar”, in the famous letter writing scene with the Countess, and in all her scenes with Figaro, whose lines elicit some of her sweetest vocal responses.” (Asheville Citizen-Times)
“Pamina’s beautiful, floating pianissimos…”
(Asheville Citizen-Times)
“Amanda Horton was magnificent as Maria Reiner”
“…the central-European Ländler danced by Horton and first Kimbrough, then Flores were…charming numbers.” (Classical Voice of North Carolina, cvnc.org)
“Horton was in excellent voice which filled the hall with its great power, range, and expressiveness. In all her selections she maintained vocal warmth and control and an air of great relaxation and pleasure. Her performance reflected a seemingly effortless vocal skill, and her body language and constant facial connection with her audience assured that she was totally engaged in every song offered…a perfect expression of musical Americana, offered by a superb vocal artist who has the ability to recall profoundly the beauties of our past. ” (Classical Voice of North Carolina, cvnc.org)
“Alfred Bachelet’s “Chère nuit” featured…an emotive performance by Ms. Horton. Second came three Schubert Lieder…All three displayed the impressive technique of both artists which lent the music tremendous clarity. Particularly to be noted was the singing piano touch of Mr. Weiser and the acting ability of Ms. Horton, which brought her opera background to the fore…Franz Lehár’s “Vilja”..once again put Amanda Horton’s fantastic acting and vocal chops at center stage. “Ain’t it a Pretty Night!”…was delivered with consummate skill” (Classical Voice of North Carolina, cvnc.org)
Artist Biography
Amanda Horton has been lauded by Classical Voice of North Carolina as a “beautiful, rich soprano” of “great color and vocal expressiveness”, capable of “quiet passion and simplicity” as well as “joy and power” (cvnc.org). “Her clear articulation and spot on intonation in this unaffected performance embraced the audience in the poignant emotion of the song.” (Horry News)
Recent performances include Carmina Burana and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 (Long Bay Symphony), Mozart’s Requiem (Asheville Symphony Amadeus Festival), A Night in Vienna: Mozart, Lehar & Strauss (Amici Music), Schmitt’s La Tragedie de Salome (Asheville Symphony Orchestra), Handel’s Messiah and Hansel and Gretel (Long Bay Symphony) and songs by Lili Boulanger (Asheville Choral Society & Orchestra). Other regional appearances include An Evening with Rodgers and Hammerstein (Brevard Philharmonic Orchestra), Hansel and Gretel with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and Poulenc’s Gloria with Southern Appalachian Chamber Singers at Piccolo Spoleto Festival. Ms. Horton frequently creates and directs performances herself, including the 1940s cabaret Live from the USO: A Tribute to the WWII Era and A Night in Vienna (AmiciMusic), and Mother & Child and Songs of Innocence and Wisdom (classical cabaret-narratives). She also created the role of Jenny Lind in 2016, in the first reading of C. Robert Jones’ one-woman show, Jenny Lind Sings Tonight!
Operatic highlights include Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Adina (L’elisir d’amore), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Gretel (Hansel and Gretel) and Adele (Die Fledermaus). The versatile soprano also triumphed as Maria in The Sound of Music with Asheville Lyric Opera, in a performance hailed as “magnificent” by CVNC.org.
Ms. Horton performed as a Young Artist with Opera Santa Barbara and holds opera performance degrees from Furman University and Shenandoah Conservatory. For more information, please visit AmandaHortonSoprano.com
Upcoming performances include:
Christmas Eve at St. James Episcopal Church
Livestream service, December 24, 2020 at 5:00 pm
Amanda Horton, soprano
Brad Gee, organist
via www.StJamesEpiscopal.com
(Facebook page St. James Episcopal Church)