Meriden Resident Performs With World-Renowned Tenor At College

MERIDEN, CT — (Contributed): As one of the more than 50 Belmont University orchestra students and members of the student performance group Chorale, Meriden’s Ana Butkus experienced a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity Oct. 16 – performing alongside world-renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts.

The students accompanied Bocelli and an all-star lineup of guest artists, including Trisha Yearwood, Michael W. Smith and CeCe Winans, during a special concert celebrating the launch of Belmont's historic $700 million Hope Transforms campaign.

"This was a truly transformative experience for our students," said Dr. Christopher Fashun, Belmont's director of orchestras. "There are very few schools that provide this kind of access to undergrads. You just don't see students - sometimes even in their first or second year - getting to collaborate with professionals at this level. That's just not normal."