Fleming, Simon Perform With The Philadelphia Orchestra at the Academy of Music

The Philadelphia Orchestra today announced that Renée Fleming and Paul Simon will appear as its special guests for the Academy of Music 154th Anniversary Concert on Saturday, January 29, 2011. Ms. Fleming, one of the world's leading opera stars, will join the Orchestra for a program including a selection of beloved arias; Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Mr. Simon will perform some of his best-known works with the Orchestra; and the Fabulous Philadelphians and their sound will be showcased in familiar classical treasures, all as part of an evening of memorable music and exciting surprises. New orchestrations of Mr. Simon's classic songs are being specifically created for his first performance with The Philadelphia Orchestra. Lester Holt, weekend anchor for NBC's Today and Nightly News, serves as host for the evening.

Additional guest artist and program information for the concert will be announced at a later date. The Anniversary Concert is produced by Wayne Baruch and Charles F. Gayton, who have produced the Academy Anniversary concerts since 2007.

Concert-only tickets, priced at $185 and located in the Amphitheatre level, go on sale on September 16. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215.893.1999 or by visiting www.philorch.org/academyofmusic.

Immediately following the concert, gala guests will make their way north on Philadelphia's iconic Broad Street to the Hyatt at the Bellevue, where an exquisite gala champagne supper and ball will await. Elegant ladies and debonair gentleman will fill the many reception rooms of the historic building, from the stylish Fountain Court to the sophisticated Grand Ballroom to the rooftop grandeur of XIX. Several electrifying dance orchestras and bands, performing music ranging in style from classic American songbook to R&B funk, will keep the attendees dancing throughout the evening.

The gala is being chaired by Sandra G. Marshall and Charles P. Pizzi. Invitations will be mailed in late September. For additional information on this event, please call the Academy of Music Restoration Fund Office at 215.893.1978

History of the Academy of Music and the Anniversary Concert and Ball

The Academy of Music 154th Anniversary Concert and Ball benefits the Academy of Music Restoration Fund and The Philadelphia Orchestra. A National Historic Landmark, the Academy of Music was home to The Philadelphia Orchestra for more than a century, from the ensemble's founding in 1900 to the opening of The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in 2001. The first Anniversary Concert and Ball, which took place on January 26, 1957, showcased a star-studded line-up in which Eugene Ormandy shared his podium with Danny Kaye. The historic evening's guest performers included classical artists Marian Anderson, Hilde Gueden, Arthur Rubinstein, and Isaac Stern, and popular singer Dinah Shore.

Since 1957, numerous luminaries of the musical world have performed with The Philadelphia Orchestra as part of Academy of Music Anniversary concerts. Notable guest artists include sopranos Audra McDonald, Jessye Norman, and Kiri Te Kanawa; mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne; violinists Anne-Sophie Mutter, Itzhak Perlman, and Isaac Stern; cellist Yo-Yo Ma; pianists Evgeny Kissin and Lang Lang; as well as popular artists such as Rod Stewart, James Taylor, Billy Joel, and Sting.

For Renee Fleming: http://www.imgartists.com/?page=artist&id=365

For Paul Simon: http://www.paulsimon.com/about-paul-simon

For Lester Holt: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/3688725

For The Philadelphia Orchestra: http://www.philorch.org/pdfs/Philadelphia%20Orchestra%20History%20August%202010.pdf

Academy of Music 154th Anniversary Concert

January 29 at 7:30 p.m. - Saturday evening - Academy of Music

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Renée Fleming Soprano
Paul Simon Special Guest
Lester Holt Host

This concert will be performed without an intermission.

Concert-only tickets, on sale beginning September 16, are available in the Academy of Music's Amphitheatre: $185 ($153.50 tax-deductible per seat) 215.893.1999 or www.philorch.org/academyofmusic.

For gala information, please call the Academy of Music Restoration Fund Office at 215.893.1978.

Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia?	Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends.	Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!