United States-based soprano, Sonya Headlam, will make her Jamaican debut on Monday, June 22, at 7 p.m. at the University Chapel.

The concert, billed 'A Classical Evening with Sonya Headlam', is being presented by well-known Jamaican theatre aficionado Gerald 'Buddy' Pouyat and Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) under the patronage of Earl Jarrett, general manager of JNBS. Governor General Dr Patrick Allen and Mrs Allen will be among the special guests.

repertoire

Described as having a voice of "liquid tone", Headlam - who was born in the USA to Jamaican parents - maintains an active performance schedule in the New York City area. She has also been a recitalist in several Caribbean territories, including Guadeloupe, which she toured with members of the Cuban Philharmonic.

Headlam's repertoire spans the genres of art song, concert and operatic works. She began the Fall 2008 season with a concert of music by women composers in New York City. She continued with performances of Menotti's Telephone with Delphi Opera in New York City in December. Her concert engagements have included Faure's Requiem, Haydn's Missa Brevis: St Joannis de Deo and The Messiah, Berlioz's Les Nuits d'Eté, Vivaldi's Gloria and, most recently, Mahler's Fourth Symphony - performed with the Bronx Orchestra.

Among her other recent performances have been a recital of 19th- and 20th-century art songs on the Trinity Church Recital Series at the historic St Paul's Chapel in downtown Manhattan. She also sang Vaughn Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem with the Greenwich Choral Society. In February, she made her debut with the Master Singers of Milwaukee as soloist in Brahms' German Requiem.

Well-known musician Winston Ewart will be on piano, while Marjorie Whylie will be the show's compére.