Tonight's one-off performance of 'Rising Stars' at City Hall theatre features the talents of Kerri-Lynne Dietz, Leidy Sinclair and Imani Woodley three outstanding young Bermudians who have already made indelible impressions on listeners here and overseas.

Mezzo-soprano Kerri-Lynne Dietz is currently studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London, England, where her emphasis is on opera and classical song. Previously, she studied at the Mannes School of Music in New York, and Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey.

Miss Dietz appeared numerous times with the St. John's Youth Choir, directed by Mrs. Marjorie Pettit, and has won many awards, among them the Young Singers Bursary in the Kathleen Ferrier Competition in Blackburn, England. She has performed in a professional performance of Purcell's opera, 'Dido and Aneas' at Mannes, and this year at the Royal Academy she sang in a recital of English song. In another concert, she performed 'Songs of a Wayfarer' by Mahler.

Her accompanist tonight is award-winning pianist Robin Davis, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, and she will sing pieces by Handel, Mahler, Rossini, Finzi, Cole Porter and Benjamin Britten.

Violinist Leidy Sinclair is well known to Bermuda audiences, having been a soloist in the 2005 Premier's Concert, and the 2005 and 2007 Heritage concerts directed by Mrs. Pettit. Her local teacher was Jyrki Pietila.

Now 16, Miss Sinclair studies with the Preparatory division of the New England Conservatory, where her teacher is Marylou Churchill, of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Soon she will attend Wells Cathedral School in England, one of four British boarding institutions specialising in training talented young musicians.

Miss Sinclair's accompanist is pianist and recording artist Lorena Tecu, staff pianist at Boston University College of Fine Arts, and the New England Conservatory of Music preparatory division in Boston. Miss Sinclair will play works by Bach, Mozart, Sarasate, Prokofiev/arr. Heifetz, and Bruch.

Pianist Imani Woodley is a former student of Bermudian teachers Hilary Lightbourne and Peter Carpenter. She now lives in New York, where her teacher is Joseph Graziose. She attends Convent of the Sacred Heart School in Manhattan. Her career thus far includes performing in three New York State Music Association competitions: the 2007 Golden Key Music Festival, when she earned a first degree honour; a performance at Carnegie Hall in May, 2007; and the 2008 Golden Key of Vienna Musical Festival, where she earned another first degree honour.

Miss Woodley will play pieces by Beethoven, Chopin, Shostakovich, Satie, Heller and Koellig.

Curtain time is 8 p.m. For tickets and further information see the special Bermuda Festival in today's edition of Lifestyle, or visit website www.bermudafestival.org