The Muses in concert today

The Muses Creative Artistry Project heralds the beauty of spring with a performance of traditional and contemporary Irish and English ballads entitled “Celtic Spring,” at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 17 at Garvan Woodland Gardens, and on Monday, March 18, 7 p.m. at the Arkansas’ Governor’s Mansion in Little Rock. "Celtic Spring"’ will feature the music of Irish harpist Shana Norton, flautist Adrienne Inglis, pianists Hunter Mabery and Orlando Riveros, and soprano vocalists Deleen Davidson and Lisa Harst. 

Deleen Davidson is a classically trained Soprano formerly with the New Orleans Opera, who relocated to Hot Springs in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. She is the President and Principal Artist of “The Muses” and performs regularly with the project. Recipient of both Rotary International and Fulbright Scholarships, Ms. Davidson pursued European music and Fine Arts studies in Germany and Austria , including internships at the Feldkirch Musik Hochschule, and the Karlsruhe Opera House. She holds an honors degree in History from the University of New Orleans , with minor studies in Music, Fine Art and German. In 2008 Ms. Davidson was named " Arkansas ' Treasurer of the Arts" by the Bebee administration, and her “Muses” project travels the state, and partners regularly with other Arts Organizations to enhance the cultural life of the Region and help grow the Creative Economy.

“Programming like this attracts audience members of all ages, and encourages them to stretch their entertainment “diet” towards some music they may not hear on a regular basis, but might really enjoy. There is a thrill to “live music” you just can’t experience any other way. For me, it is always an honor and pleasure to perform excellent music, of any genre, with talented musicians from across the country. And this particular concert, “Celtic Spring”, showcases that collaboration, and will be truly satisfying for both the audience, and the musicians on stage.”

Adrienne Inglis received a Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance at Lewis and Clark College and a Master of Music in Flute Performance at the University of Texas at Austin. She performs, records, and tours with Chaski: "Flutes, harps & the whole world to play in!" She also plays principal flute with the Round Rock Symphony Orchestra and Texas Choral Consort. Adrienne teaches flute at Southwestern University and St. Stephen's Episcopal School and has freelanced as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player in the Austin area for many years. She has also recorded on the film soundtracks of SpyKids 2, Kill Bill: Vol. 2, Ride Around the World: A Cowboy Adventure, and The Children's War, playing up to twelve different flutes. She composes music for Chaski as well as sacred choral music. Adrienne is an extremely talented performer capable of playing a “truckload of different woodwind instruments from around the world”, including Scottish Highland bagpipes.

Hunter Mabery, a Murfreesboro native, is a piano performance major at Henderson State University . Hunter grew up playing the piano in church, and has been the church accompanist for several churches near his hometown. . In 2012, Mabery won the Texarkana Symphony’s Young Artist Concerto Competition and performed twice as a soloist with the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra. Mabery especially enjoys collaborating with other musicians and is passionate about refining his skills as a collaborative pianist.

Shana Norton plays principal harp with the Mid-Texas Symphony and the Symphony of the Hills, and has performed with the San Antonio Symphony, the Victoria Bach Festival Orchestra and the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra. A Hot Springs favorite, Norton has performed frequently with the Hot Springs Music Festival and with The Muses. Norton’s love for the harp was born when, as a child, she saw the original Fantasia movie and was “taken by the beautiful cartoon lady playing the Waltz of the Flowers cadenza. That was the instrument for me!” She says she can still hear the voice of her harp teacher, saying "The harp is a beautiful instrument; try not to make it sound like dishes breaking in the kitchen."

Hot Springs own mezzo-soprano, Lisa Harst received a B.A. in music from Arkansas Tech University in 2011. It’s rather hard to believe that this lovely, outgoing young woman was once painfully shy as a child and young teen. “I started playing the piano at the age of five and the flute at the age of nine, but grew fond of hiding behind music stands in order to avoid eye contact with the audience.” Thanks to her participation in the Musical Theater Workshop program in college, Lisa broke out of her shell. As a result, she landed roles in numerous musical productions and emerged as an outstanding leader. Her love of music ranges from classical to jazz as evidenced by her “vocal idols”, Maria Callas and Ella Fitzgerald! “Music proved to be my saving grace. I know my life would not have turned out as it did, had I not been a classically trained musician. I simply cannot imagine a life without music!”

Orlando Riveros is a scholarship student at Henderson State University , where he is a sophomore majoring in piano performance. He began playing the piano in the Jorge Baéz Music Conservatory in his hometown of Asuncion , Paraguay . After completing his music studies he was awarded Paraguay ’s prestigious Government Scholarship and came to the United States to further his passion for music. Riveros also plays the violin and is fluent in several languages. He believes that “the key for happiness is doing what you absolutely love doing, with passion and honesty from your heart, and a little bit of hard work." Well said Orlando , well said!