April Varner — artist
Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, April began taking voice lessons at the University of Toledo as a classical vocalist at age 8 and began studying piano from her grandmother at age 6. No stranger to the stage, April began displaying vocal, musical theatre, drama, and piano talents at the local, regional, national and international levels at a young age. This includes being a guest vocalist at the Toledo Symphony Orchestra Pops Concert, a 2-time All-National Honors Ensemble member in Nashville, TN, and a National Finalist at the Michael Feinstein Great American Songbook Academy in Carmel, IN. By age 16, April had made her Carnegie Hall debut in Weill Hall following a first-place award by the American Protégé International Vocal Competition, and had traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland as part of a drama group to share the stage with world actors at the renowned Edinburgh Arts Fringe Festival. Influenced by musical artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae, Eva Cassidy, and Esperanza Spalding, April has a passion for an array of genres ranging from standards from The Great American Songbook, Broadway classics, folk, R&B, Brazilian jazz, Funk, and sacred music. After undergoing a musical transition into jazz and discovering a deep passion for it following her freshman year, she began to perform regionally with various small jazz groups throughout Bloomington, IN, the greater Indianapolis area, Illinois and Ohio. She also was the lead singer in the professional Rock/Funk/R&B Band, “The Fanatics”, which toured regionally throughout southern and Central Indiana.