She is a classically trained singer-songwriter, keyboardist, arranger, producer, composer, musical director, music teacher and author occasionally listed as Darlene Kolden-Haven and Darlene Kolden-Hoven, born to a musical family on the Southside of Chicago.
Able to sing harmonies by the time she was three years old, she sang her first solo on Easter Sunday in her local church. Taking her first formal studies in piano when she was 9, her later years saw her taking singing lessons when she was 16 and later still attending the Chicago Conservatory College graduating with degrees in voice and musical education.
She moved to Los Angeles from and making herself known for her improvisation ability, she has been called upon by artists and groups from classical to popular music who include Laura Branigan, Peter Cetera, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Ray Conniff, Celine Dion, Agnetha Faltskog, Crystal Gayle, Abraham Laboriel, Kenny Loggins, REO Speedwagon, the Royal Philharmonic and Barbra Streisand. No stranger to the recording studio she features on albums such as her own Keys to the World, Free To Serve, Heavenly Peace and the award winning Infinite Voice as well as Fandango by Herb Alpert, Christmas Album by David Foster, Love is on the Radio by Tom Jones, A Momentary Lapse of Reason by Pink Floyd, Back to Front by Lionel Richie, Time Takes Time by Ringo Starr, Every Beat of My Heart by Rod Stewart and Living With War by Neil Young among others. As the soloist on Yanni, Live at the Acropolis, an estimated 1.5 billion people watched her when it was broadcast on PBS, she was the musical director and appeared as the tambourinist nun in both of the Sister Act movies and she was seen duetting with Robin Williams at the 2000 Academy Award Ceremony.
In the world of computer gaming, many players hear her as a vocalist in the games Harry Potter: Chamber of Secrets and Baldur’s Gate.
Tying together musical education and charitable work, she visited and become involved in coaching musicians from Sierra Leone in West Africa, some of whom she has asked to accompany her on tour.
She has also formed the Young Vocal Artists of Los Angeles professional children’s choir. As an author she has written the instructional book Tune Your Voice and her also provided 7 accompanying CDs.
Herb Alpert recordings
Angel (Juan Carlos Calderon)
Route 101 (Juan Carlos Calderon)
David Foster recordings
O Holy Night (Adolphe Adam)
Interscope 0 7567 92295 2 6 (CD – The Christmas Album)
Vocals – Michael Crawford
Sources:
- http://www.darlenekoldenhoven.com/
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soy_Como_Quiero_Ser
- http://www.tijuanabrass.com/alpert/alpert2.php
- http://www.angelfire.com/music/pinkf/amlor.html
- http://www.discogs.com/artist/Darlene+Koldenhoven?anv=Darlene+Koldenhaven
- http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=DARLENE|KOLDENHAVEN&sql=11:3jfpxqe5ldde~T4