Sony Classical News

Portrait Records announces the release of Wishes & Dreams, a 3-song EP available August 12 from Lexi Walker, the 14-year-old YouTube singing sensation. A follow-up to her 2015 holiday album, Merry Christmas, the new EP features a fresh, brilliant take on two Disney classics, 'A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes' from Cinderella and 'When You Wish Upon a Star' from Pinocchio. Also featured on the album, coinciding with the 2016 Olympics, Lexi re-energizes 'The Power of the Dream,' Celine Dion's legendary opening ceremony number from the 1996 Games, with her trademark youthful power and sparkle.

The Piano Guys celebrate a monumental landmark, reaching 1 Billion views on YouTube for their innovative music videos. On Saturday night at their concert at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, YouTube honored them with a plaque commemorating this exciting achievement (pictured below).

NEW YORK, NEW YORK (July 25, 2016)—Conducted by Semyon Bychkov in May 2016, the 13th annual Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night Concert Schönbrunn will be released on CD, DVD, Blu-Ray, and digital platforms by Sony Classical on August 12 and broadcast on PBS's Great Performances on Friday, September 30 at 9 p.m. (check local listings.). The Summer Night Concerts are presented free each year in the gardens of Vienna's Imperial Schönbrunn Palace, and Mr. Bychkov—conducting the event for the first time—led the Vienna Philharmonic in front of its largest Summer Night Concert audience ever (102,000 spectators). The performance reached an additional 585,000 people through TV and radio, having been broadcast by 83 stations on five continents.

Nickelodeon and Masterworks Broadway have just announced that the Broadway-bound The SpongeBob Musical will record a cast album August 8-11 following a successful run at Broadway in Chicago's Oriental Theater.

Sony Classical proudly announces the release of Ghostbusters (Original Motion Picture Score) to accompany Sony Pictures' highly anticipated feature film Ghostbusters, in theaters today, July 15. Featuring a score by multi-award winning composer Theodore Shapiro, the album is available now digitally and on CD today, July 15.

Sony Classical just released the original soundtrack for Woody Allen's CAFE SOCIETY both digitally and on CD on July 8, 2016.

This special collaboration brings Frangoulis back to Japan after several years where he performed with the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra and guest soprano Maki Mori in support of his second Sony Classical release Follow Your Heart.

Boston progressive folk duo Tall Heights have announced the release of their debut major label LP, Neptune, out August 19 on Sony Music Masterworks.

Sony Classical proudly announces the release of Independence Day: Resurgence Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, featuring music by Thomas Wander and Harald Kloser. The soundtrack will be available digitally on June 17 and on CD July 1. Independence Day: Resurgence will arrive in theatres nationwide on Friday, June 24. Directed by Roland Emmerich, the film stars Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Maika Monroe, Travis Tope, William Fichtner, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Judd Hirsch, Jessie Usher, Brent Spiner and Vivica A. Fox.

Ehrenkranz Artistic Director Jane Moss today announced the schedule for Lincoln Center's seventh White Light Festival, running from October 16 through November 16, 2016. The international multidisciplinary festival, which takes its name from a quotation by the Estonian composer Arvo Part, is an annual exploration of the power of art to illuminate our interior and communal lives. 'I could compare my music to white light which contains all colors. Only a prism can divide the colors and make them appear; this prism could be the spirit of the listener.' - Arvo Part

The No. 1 selling, composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist and global phenomenon Yanni has performed his distinctive music in exotic and historic locations all across the world.

Teatro ZinZanni Seattle today announced the cast of headlining talent set to play in the romantic, original production, Hotel L'Amour. Starring the return of the Tony Award-winning living legend Liliane Montevecchi, Hotel L'Amour also features funny man Frank Ferrante, master illusionist Maestro Voronin, aerialist and choreographer to the stars Dreya Weber, and opera diva Kristin Clayton alongside international circus artists Svetlana, aerialist Rui Ling, and juggler Viktor Lee. When the staff at Hotel L'Amour catches wind of the Madame's return, they literally bend over backward to prepare - champagne flows and dreams never die as the Madame reflects on her life and tales of wonder with gorgeous French flare. Complete with a gourmet multi-course feast, wine pairings, and uniquely curated cocktails, guests will never want to check out of Hotel L'Amour! Hotel L'Amour opens June 16, 2016 and runs through September 25, 2016 at Teatro ZinZanni - tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online atZinZanni.com/Seattle, by calling the Box Office Tuesday-Sunday at (206) 802-0015, or by visiting the Box Office in person at 222 Mercer Street, Seattle.

The 2016 May Festival, which celebrates and concludes Music Director James Conlon's 37-year tenure, ends Friday and Saturday, May 27-28 with grand scale performances at Music Hall. These will be the final performances at Music Hall prior to its closing for renovation. On Friday, May 27 at 8 p.m., Mr. Conlon leads Dvo?ak's deeply personal cantata, Stabat Mater, a work was written during a time of deep grief for the composer following the death of his children. This rarely-performed work is full of symbolism, following a journey of mourning to hope of Paradise. At the invitation of James Levine, Mr. Conlon made his May Festival debut in 1978 conducting Stabat Mater (the following year he began his storied tenure as Music Director). Joining the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and May Festival Chorus will be soloists Julianna DiGiacomo (soprano), Elizabeth DeShong (mezzo-soprano), Anthony Dean Griffey (tenor) and Kristinn Sigmundsson (baritone).

The Juilliard School will confer honorary doctorates on five remarkable artists during its 111th Commencement Ceremony today, May 20, 2016, at 11 a.m. in Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center (Broadway at 65th Street, New York City).

Carnegie Hall has now introduced a curated collection of classical music playlists on Apple Music. 

What began as a musical hobby and friendship quickly became an extremely successful worldwide career for The Piano Guys. Their innovative compositions which blend classical music with pop tunes, along with their compelling videos, gained millions of fans and led them to work with Sony Music Masterworks who released their debut self-titled album in 2012. Today the four dads from Utah celebrate an official RIAA Gold Album Certification for that first album - The Piano Guys. This is a spectacular achievement for any new artist, especially for an instrumental group. To date, the group has released five albums on Portrait/Sony Music Masterworks: The Piano Guys, The Piano Guys 2, A Family Christmas, Wondersand The Piano Guys: Live! Collectively these releases have spent 287 weeks at #1 on the combined Billboard Charts.

Sony Classical proudly announces the release of LOVE & FRIENDSHIP (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) available digitally May 6 and on CD, May 13.

Since its first Opening Night on May 5, 1891, Carnegie Hall has been the aspirational destination for the world's finest artists. In celebration of the Hall's 125th anniversary, Sony Classical in partnership with Carnegie Hall has released Great Moments at Carnegie Hall, an extraordinary 43-CD box set of treasures from the RCA and Columbia archives featuring live recordings capturing an array of unforgettable classical music performances spanning 1933 through 2007.

  On Thursday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m., Nicola and Beatrice Bulgari and the Carnegie Hall Notables-a membership and ticket program for music enthusiasts in their 20s and 30s-host the 12th Annual Notable Occasion: An Evening with Jeremy Denk.

The New School's Mannes School of Music is pleased to announce that the Mannes American Composers Ensemble (MACE) will perform on Wednesday, May 11, at The New School's Ernst C. Stiefel Concert Hall (55 West 13th Street, New York, New York). Conducted by Alan Pierson, the program will feature selections by Steve Reich, Thomas Weaver, and Caleb Burhans. True to the mission of MACE, the program exemplifies the ensemble's commitment to the work of living American composers. The concert will begin at 7:30pm. Admission is free.