Barton Community College music student and opera specialist Jessica Perez will present a special recital at 7 p.m. Friday, May 2 in the Dorothy Moses Morrison Chapel in the Fine Arts Building.
Perez is from Zacatecas, Mexico and has been at Barton for three years.  She arrived from Mexico not speaking very much English.  She has since grown to speak the language well and has thrived in the Barton Music Department.  She is a member of the Hilltop Singers and has performed in Barton Theatre productions.
Barton Voice Instructor Glenna Gaunt said Perez is very gifted.  She said initially they had to work together via Google Translator due to the language barrier.  During her time at Barton, Perez has greatly improved her ability to speak English and no longer needs a translator.
“As a student Jessica is very bright as well as vocally talented,” Gaunt said.  “Her voice is naturally beautiful with a wide range and she has amazing control of her voice.  Working with Jessica has been a joy because she can handle more difficult literature than what I normally teach.  Jessica has learned to sing a gorgeous legato line as well as much more complicated melismatic passages.”
Perez will be singing in five languages for the recital including Italian, German, French, Spanish and English.
Perez will transfer to Wichita State University in the fall as a Vocal Performance Major with a focus on Opera Performance.