Aurora

Aurora (Rory) Barnes is an actor, award winning singer/songwriter and accomplished violinist. Born and raised in New York City, the style and content of her music represent the vast melting pot she grew up in. Aurora's performance career has taken her to many stages including the White House, the Kennedy Center, Madison Square Garden, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, 92YTribeca, Knitting Factory, Bowery Poetry Club, Nuyorican Poet’s Café, The David Letterman Show, The Conan O'Brien Show and VH1's Concert of the Century and Fashion Awards. She has also performed at the Town Hall in Zurich, Switzerland. Aurora's music fuses classical violins and jazzy pianos with catchy pop melodies to create an indefinable sound to support her powerful voice. Her lyrics combine personal reflection with stories of inner struggle that define her generation. Aurora studied at Columbia University, Hunter College and graduated from SUNY Binghamton with a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Law. She has volunteered for the NAACP, the Correctional Association of New York, V-Day, NiteStar. Aurora is the winner of the 2001 MERIT AWARD for Popular Voice from the National Foundation of the Arts. At the same time she has been a staple on the New York City Theater scene since she was very young, performing in works by such writers as Suzan Lori Parks, Jeanine Tesori and working with the likes of Ruben Santiago Hudson, Eisa Davis, Ben Vereen and Gwen Verdon. Rory currently studies in NYC with acting coach, Harold Guskin and vocal coach, Adrienne Angel. She has performed on the stages of the Negro Ensemble Company, Abingdon Theater Company, New Dramatists Theater, The Public Theater and The Zephyr Theater in Los Angeles. "Aurora has a beautiful singing voice with wonderful technique and has made great impressions in the acting industry." -Bernadette Peters.