Hailed by The New York times for her “warm, ample voice” and “distinctive earthy coloring,” and by Opera News for her “sumptuous, mid-weight soprano,” Ms. Sutton first embraced classical music during her undergraduate studies at Oakwood University where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music with a concentration in voice. She now holds a Master in Music degree from The Benjamin T. Rome School of Music at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
She began her professional career with a solo recital in the province of St. Maarten and many presentations of Handel's Messiah around the United States. Ms. Sutton then later made her debut at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in a solo recital in Washington, D.C., and her Manhattan recital debut at Merkin Concert Hall in Lincoln Center. She has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra, Royal Danish Symphony Orchestra in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Radio Orpheus Symphony Orchestra in Moscow and the Krasnoyarsk Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra in the region of Siberia. Ms. Sutton has also toured and soloed with the internationally acclaimed American Spiritual Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Everett McCorvey and with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra under the baton of Damien Sneed.
Her competition successes include first place in the Albert Lane Scholarship competition, first place in NATS (state- AL) for her division, first place in the Birmingham Music Club Scholarship Competition including Best Overall Audition, the recipient of the Alma Blackmon Graduate Scholarship Award, first place in the Vocal Arts Competition for Emerging Artists sponsored by the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs, Inc., district and nationals level, first place in NATS state (MD), Mid-Atlantic regional in advanced college women division, 3rd place in the Annapolis Opera, and Marie E. Crump Vocal Arts Competitions. She was selected as a finalist for Lyric Opera of Chicago's Ryan Opera Center, as well as 2nd place in the most prestigious Young Concert Artists, Inc. International auditions; selected from nearly 300 vocalists and instrumentalists from around the world.
Ms. Sutton was a winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council District Auditions and also took 3rd place in the national competition The American Prize. Most recently, she was one of Aretha Franklin's picks in her national competition to find the next opera star to sign to her label. Ms. Sutton believes that she was blessed with a gift from God. She continues to work hard to develop and perfect this gift, and share it with the world. “They need to know what my God can do!” she exclaims.