Winther & Wilfert in Kapilow's 'What Makes it Great?' Concert Feb.2

Classical music commentator Rob Kapilow presents an engaging exploration of some of George Gershwin's most beloved songs in Rob Kapilow's What Makes it Great? The Songs of George Gershwin.  Kapilow is joined by soprano Sally Wilfert and tenor Michael Winther for the first What Makes it Great? program of the season, taking place on Saturday, February 2 at 8PM at NEC's Jordan Hall (30 Gainsborough Street, Boston). The engagement is presented by Celebrity Series of Boston and sponsored by Christine Armstrong, Smith Barney.

Rob Kapilow's What Makes it Great? made its debut on National Public Radio's Performance Today more than a decade ago, and with its accessible and digestible 10-minute format, quickly attracted a wide base of fans. It soon developed into a full-evening concert program regularly booked by presenters seeking to build new audiences. During each What Makes It Great? program, Mr. Kapilow dissects a selection of music in a listener-friendly way—pulling themes apart, demonstrating how melodies might sound in lesser hands, guiding listeners through the maze of themes, and finishing with a complete performance of the work. The February 2 program will include such Gershwin favorites as "I Got Rhythm," "They Can't Take That Away From Me," "Love is Sweeping the Country" and "Someone to Watch Over Me."

Rob Kapilow is a graduate of the Yale School of Music and the Eastman School of Music, and is an accomplished pianist. He has brought the joy and wonder of classical music to audiences of all ages and backgrounds, opening their ears to musical experiences and helping them to listen actively rather than just hear passively. The reach and diversity of his interactive events is significant, both geographically and culturally: from Native American tribal communities in Montana and inner-city high school students in Louisiana to wine-tasters in the Napa Valley, and from children barely out of diapers to musicologists long out of Ivy League programs. Mr. Kapilow's popularity and appeal are reflected in notable engagements: on NBC's Today Show in conversation with Katie Couric; in a program for broadcast on PBS's Live From Lincoln Center in January 2008; and in a book to be published during the 2008-09 season.

Guest artists Sally Wilfert and Michael Winther are veteran musical theatre artists with extensive Broadway, off-Broadway, and regional theatre and concert credits.  Soprano Sally Wilfert appeared in the Tony Award-winning Assassins as well as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Disney's King David, all on Broadway. She has sung several times at Carnegie Hall, including in South Pacific in Concert, Cole Porter's Jubilee, and Sondheim: A Tribute. Among her many regional theatre appearances are Baltimore Center Stage, Barrington Stage Company, Connecticut Grand Opera, and the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati.

Michael Winther, tenor, has performed on Broadway in such shows as Mamma Mia , 1776, The Crucible, Artist Descending a Staircase, and Damn Yankees. His off-Broadway and regional theatre credits include New York's Public Theatre, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Goodspeed, Old Globe Theatre, and Yale Rep; plus concert engagements with the New York Philharmonic, among other ensembles.

Tickets, priced at $30 and $20 , are available by calling CelebrityCharge at 617.482.6661 or visiting the Celebrity Series box office, 20 Park Plaza, Suite 1032, Monday-Friday 10:00am -4:00 pm; online at www.celebrityseries.org. Student rush tickets available

Michael Winther (photo by Mark Rupp)