Internationally acclaimed bass baritone Simon Estes will perform at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 3 in Christ Chapel at Gustavus Adolphus College. Estes’ performance will be in lieu of the standard 20-minute daily worship service in Christ Chapel and will set the tone for a day of celebration at the College as Jack R. Ohle will be installed later that day as the College’s 16th president.
Born in Centerville, Iowa, and the grandson of a slave, Estes has become one of the world’s most accomplished African-American opera singers and continues to pave the way for other African Americans in the classical music genre. Over many years he has performed in front of a number of renowned leaders including Bill Clinton, Richard Nixon, Boris Yeltsin, Yasser Arafat, Nelson Mandela, and Desmond Tutu.
Known for his humanitarian efforts, Estes has been particularly involved in advocating for youth around the world. He has helped many underprivileged students attend the Julliard School of Music in New York City. In Tulsa, Okla., he established the Simon Estes Educational Foundation which has awarded more than $1 million in merit-based college scholarships. The Simon Estes International Foundation for Children was established in 1993 and provides support for child health needs in Switzerland and Bulgaria.
Estes is a distinguished professor and artist-in-residence at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. He is a professor of music at Boston University and is also the F. Wendell Miller Distinguished Artist in Residence at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
Estes’ performance in Christ Chapel is free and open to the public. For more information on his appearance at Gustavus, contact the chaplains’ office at 507-933-7446.
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