Feinstein and Sedaka Join LA Philharmonic's 2010 Season

Broadway vet Michael Feinstein and acclaimed recording artist Neil Sedaka have been tapped for the Los Angeles Philharmonic 2010 season. Feinstein and Sedaka will join the previously announced season, including fellow stage star Bryn Terfel.

Sedaka will hold a concert at the Philharmonic on October 27th and will be followed by Feinstein in the winter, who will perform on February 5th.

Michael Feinstein recently received the 2010 Award for Artist-Citizen from Arts Awards. He is a multi-platinum selling, five-time Grammy-nominated entertainer dubbed "The Ambassador of the Great American Songbook," and is considered one of the premiere interpreters of American popular song. Throughout his career, Mr. Feinstein has performed in prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and dozens of other major concert halls, as well as the White House and Buckingham Palace. More than a mere performer, Mr. Feinstein is nationally recognized for his commitment to the American popular song, both celebrating its art and preserving its legacy for the next generation.

Michael Feinstein - the multi-platinum selling, five-time Grammy nominated entertainer dubbed of "The Ambassador of the Great American Songbook" - is considered one of the premiere interpreters of American Popular Song. His 150 plus shows a year have included Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl and major concert halls, as well as the White House and Buckingham Palace. More than a mere performer, he is nationally recognized for his commitment to the American popular song, both celebrating its art and preserving its legacy for the next generation.

The Sinatra Project - his latest CD from Concord Records which celebrates the musical sensibilities of "Old Blue Eyes" - earned Michael his fifth Grammy Award nomination in 2009. Feinstein is currently preparing the new PBS-TV series "Michael Feinstein's American Popular Song," to start airing in 2010, in which Michael discovers treasures of the Great American Songbook around the world. Michael hosted and produced The Great American Songbook, a PBS Special and DVD set from Warner Brothers Home Video that traces the history of popular music in our country. He is designing a new piano for Steinway called "The First Ladies," inspired by the White House piano. Feinstein will also serve as the Artistic director of the Carmel Performing Arts Center, a $160 million three-theatre performing arts center in Carmel, Indiana which will host an annual international Great American Songbook festival, along with diverse live programming and a museum to house his rare memorabilia and manuscripts.

Michael has written the score for two new stage musicals: The Day They Saved Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and The Gold Room, and he is working with MGM to develop The Thomas Crown Affair into a musical for Broadway.

With countless hit singles, platinum and gold records, Sedaka is recognized as one of rock and pop music's legendary pioneers, with songs that continue to stand the test of time. Starting in his high school years, Sedaka formed a vocal group, The Tokens, which recorded two hit singles. Soon to follow was Sedaka's introduction to Howard Greenfield, and together they began a successful songwriting partnership in the late 1950s, selling more than 25 million records during their 30-year collaboration.

In 1958, at the age of 18, Sedaka was catapulted into stardom after Connie Francis performed his song, "Stupid Cupid." Francis then sang the theme song Sedaka and Greenfield had written for the 1960 MGM spring break movie classic, Where The Boys Are, which would end up becoming her biggest hit. Sedaka parlayed these hits into a contract with RCA as a writer and performer, and began recording his own material. His chart-toppers included "The Diary," "Oh, Carol," "Stairway to Heaven," "Calendar Girl" and "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do." In his later years, Sedaka continued writing for other performers, including Tom Jones' album Puppet Man, The Fifth Dimension's album Workin' on a Groovy Thing and for The Monkees' album When Love Comes Knocking at Your Door.

Most recently, Sedaka returned to the classical roots of his early years. With original romantic lyrics written by Sedaka and set to the music of Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Tchaikovsky, Classically Sedaka went on to earn a gold record in Europe. In October 2007, Neil was honored at Avery Fisher Hall with a tribute entitled Neil Sedaka: 50 years of Hits. The gala evening featured such notable performers as Elton John, The Captain and Tennille, Clay Aiken, Lou christie, Barry Manilow, Natalie Cole and Connie Francis.

For more information, visit www.laphil.com.

 

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