Soprano Marcelle Clamens moves a step closer to the heart of the international music scene when she gives not one, but two concerts this year at New York's celebrated Carnegie Hall.

As one of the three top winners at last year's IBLA Grand Prize in Italy (among her 100 rivals, the other two were instrumentalists and, because of the closeness of marks, no first prize was awarded), she will appear in the 25th annual New York Debut and Distinguished Artists Award Concert at the Hall on June 14.

"I'm expecting all Bermudians to be travelling up there for this one!'' exclaims the talented singer who, returning to school as a mature student, graduated cum laude from the renowned College Conservatory of Music at Cincinnati University.

Meanwhile, she has just left for the US, where she will participate in a series of six concerts, also as a result of her big win in Italy. Together with other singers and instrumentalists, she will appear in a Sunday evening concert at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall on March 1, where she plans to sing arias from `La Boheme' and `Madame Butterfly', as well as negro spirituals.

Ms Clamens' mini-tour begins next Wednesday, February 25, when she gives a recital in the Nicolas Music Centre at Rutgers University, New Jersey, followed by a recital in the Casa Italiana at New York University. Then, after the Carnegie Hall recital, she will travel south to give three concerts at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Expressing her gratitude to members of the public and corporate sector whose financial support helped her complete her musical education at Cincinnati, Ms Clamens says it was the generosity of the Bermuda Arts Council that enabled her to participate in last year's Italian Festival.

Now, she would like to enter for the Monte Carlo Competition. "This is the competition that has given so many singers their `big break' -- several have gone on to become world-famous -- but it's an expensive venture to travel to Europe and, obviously, the Arts Council's budget is always very limited.'' Local audiences will also have a chance to hear some of the Italian Festival finalist when Marcelle Clamens is joined by Linda Adams (mezzo soprano), Christina Andreou (soprano) and Sebronette Barnes (soprano) in a special concert to be held at the Bermuda National Gallery on March 21 at 4 p.m.

"Yes, you could say it is `The Four Sopranos','' she laughs. "The occasion is Bermuda's Annual Life Achievement Awards which are being given, this year, to Louise Jackson and Ruth Thomas. Unfortunately, we were unable to obtain the theatre in City Hall, but we hope to accommodate as many people as possible in the gallery.''