Pink Martini Debut Performance Brings Old Hollywood Glamour with International Appeal to the Kimmel Center
February 12, 2008
"[Pink Martini] delivers a knowing sophistication backed by skillful arrangements…Ms. Forbes is an unpretentious, pitch-perfect chanteuse who can be breathy and girlish or sultry…."
"At one moment, you feel like you’re in the middle of a samba parade in Rio de Janeiro, and in the next moment, you are suddenly in a French music hall of the 1930s or in a palazzo in Napoli," said founder Thomas Lauderdale of Pink Martini
Cuban rumba, carnival disco and Parisian café tunes intertwine in Pink Martini’s debut performance at the Kimmel Center on Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at 8pm in Verizon Hall. The ensemble, comprised of the Portland, Oregon-based 12 piece "little orchestra" and multilingual lyrical talents of Harvard-grad China Forbes, has created an international repertoire that recreates Old Hollywood glamour of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s reinterpreted for modern times. The band’s "one-world spirit" (The New York Times) has thrilled sold-out audiences from smoky clubs to concert halls of Europe, Asia, Turkey, Lebanon and beyond, as they continue to engage the world in an international dialogue of music and rhythmic harmony. Pink Martini’s performance will include music from the 2007 release, Hey Eugene!, from the French cabaret "Ojala" to the hypnotic Japanese "Taya Tan."
"Music should be like a wonderful dinner party," said co-founder and pianist Thomas Lauderdale of Pink Martini’s diverse repertoire, "I don’t want to always sit next to people who share my opinions. I think each of us wants a hugely diverse tapestry of influences in our lives…My hope is that we’re creating exquisite musical wallpaper which can be turned up or down, and played on almost any occasion."
This concert is the twentieth concert in the World & Pop Series scheduled for the Kimmel Center Presents 2007/2008 season. The next concert in the series will be The Chieftains on Saturday, March 15, 2008 at 3pm in Verizon Hall.
Tickets for Pink Martini are $36 and $45 and can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at www.kimmelcenter.org, or at the Kimmel Center box office open daily from 10am to 6pm and later on performance evenings. (Additional fees may apply.) For group sales call 215-790-5883.
A limited number of $10 tickets are available for every Kimmel Center Presents performance at the Kimmel Center. Tickets go on sale the day of the event and can be purchased at the Kimmel Center box office beginning 2.5 hours prior to curtain time and 11:30am for matinees. Limit one ticket per person.
Pink Martini was formed in 1994 by classically trained pianist and Harvard graduate Thomas Lauderdale to perform at political fundraisers for causes such as civil rights, the environment, affordable housing and public broadcasting. China Forbes, a classmate of Lauderdale’s at Harvard, joined the ensemble in 1995, from which point the quintet then naturally grew to the 12 piece ensemble it is today. The group has performed throughout Europe, Asia, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Canada and the United States, performing a multilingual repertoire that excavates and recreates musical gems of the past. The ensemble’s debut album, Sympathique (1997), was nominated for Song of the Year and Best New Artist by France’s Victoires de la Musique Awards. Pink Martini released its highly-anticipated follow-up album, Hang on Little Tomato, in 2004, and most recently released Hey Eugene! (2007) to rave reviews. Since its orchestral debut with the Oregon Symphony at the Cannes Film Festival in 1998, Pink Martini has collaborated with symphony orchestras across the county, including the Boston Pops, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Other prestigious appearances include the grand opening of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Walt Disney concert hall as well as sold-out engagements on New Years Eve 2003 and 2004; the opening of the New York Museum of Modern Art; and the William Morris Agency’s 100th birthday celebration with soul legend Al Green.
Kimmel Center Presents 2007/2008 season is sponsored by Citi. Support for the Mellon Jazz Series comes from The Bank of New York Mellon. The Great Orchestra Series is supported by ARC Wheeler. Additional support is provided by the University of Pennsylvania Health System and American Express. American Airlines is the Official Airline of Kimmel Center Presents. Toyota is the Official Vehicle of Kimmel Center Presents Mellon Jazz, Mellon Jazz Up Close and World & Pop.
The Kimmel Center also receives support from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, The William Penn Foundation, The Wachovia Foundation, Verizon Foundation, PNC Foundation, The Philadelphia Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and the Philadelphia Music Project and Dance Advance, Initiatives of The Pew Charitable Trust administered by The University of the Arts. In-kind support is generously provided by Deloitte. NBC-10 is a Media Partner for Kimmel Center Presents, and additional media sponsors include WDAS, WRTI, WJJZ, Afro-Pop, WXPN and WXPN's Kids Corner 20th Anniversary.
Free in the Plaza programming and subsidized tickets offered to the community and social service groups for $10 are made possible through the Wachovia Gateway to the Arts Community Access Program, supported by a generous grant from Wachovia Foundation.
KIMMEL CENTER PRESENTS SPONSORED BY CITI
Tuesday, March 4, 2008 | 8pm
Verizon Hall
World & Pop
Pink Martini
China Forbes, vocals
Thomas M. Lauderdale, piano
Gavin Bondy, trumpet
Robert Taylor, trombone
Paloma Griffin, violin
Nicholas Crosa, violin
Pansy Chang, cello
Maureen Love, harp
Phil Baker, upright bass
Dan Faehnle, guitar
Timothy Nishimoto, vocals & percussion
Brian Davis, congas & percussion
Derek Rieth, bongos & percussion
Martin Zarzar, drums & percussion
FREE AT THE KIMMEL:
Tuesday, March 4, 2008 | 6:30pm
Commonwealth Plaza Stage
American Composer Forum
Please join us in the Plaza prior to the ticketed Pink Martini performance in Verizon Hall as the ACF Philadelphia presents work by local composers Daniel Dorff and Matt Davis.
DORFF: 9 Walks Down 7th Avenue (Philadelphia premiere)
Lois Herbine, flute
Clipper Erickson, piano
DORFF: Three Romances (Philadelphia premiere)
Lois Herbine, flute
Arne Running, clarinet
DORFF: The Year of the Rabbit
Lois Herbine, flute
Kimberly Trolier, flute
Julie Martyn-Baker, flute
Christine Moulton, alto flute
DAVIS: Parliament in the Poplar Trees
DAVIS: Winter Flight
Aerial Photograph
June Bender, violin
Meg Kajino, violin
Maura Gilboy, cello
George Burto, viola
Bryann Rogers, saxophone
John Thompson, soprano saxophone
Brent White, trombone
Bart Miltonberger, flugelhorn
Aino Soderheim, clarinet
Justin Leigh, drums
Jason Fraticelli, bass
> index of news releases
> For more information, and to request high resolution images for press use, please
send us a message online.