No Business Like Show Business! Imagem USA Extends Publishing Deal for Irving Berlin's Works

Imagem USA, part of Imagem Music Group, the world's largest independent music publishing company, today confirmed the extension of their decades-long publishing and brand management agreement with The Irving Berlin Music Company.

Under the terms of the extension, Imagem USA will continue to act as the exclusive agent administering the company's music publishing rights throughout the United States and Canada. Rodgers & Hammerstein, or R&H, began representing The Irving Berlin Music Company in 1990, just after Mr. Berlin passed away.

"Irving Berlin was one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century," said André de Raaff, CEO and co-owner of Imagem. "It is our honor to oversee this exceptional catalog of more than 1,000 songs and continue our great relationship with the Irving Berlin Family and Estate." Bill Gaden, Imagem USA CEO added, "Songs like 'White Christmas,' 'Cheek To Cheek,' 'Blue Skies,' 'Always' and 'There's No Business Like Show Business' have become the foundation of the American Songbook, we are thrilled to continue our work bringing Irving Berlin's music to a new generation of fans."

R&H Theatricals also renewed its worldwide theatrical licensing representation agreement for the iconic Berlin musicals Annie Get Your Gun, White Christmas and Top Hat, and also entered into a new worldwide theatrical representation agreement for the new Irving Berlin musical Holiday Inn, which opened on Broadway in 2016. The R&H Concert Library also renewed its representation of The Irving Berlin Music Company's complete catalog of songs to license as concert performances worldwide.

Ted Chapin, Chief Creative Officer of Rodgers & Hammerstein said, "It has been a privilege to manage the Berlin catalogue since we first set up the arrangement in 1990 between the Berlin family and Rodgers & Hammerstein. Berlin had a reputation for keeping things awfully quiet, and we woke up both the music publishing and the theatrical worlds of Irving Berlin. In addition to the five new stage productions created - two of which played Broadway - we have made certain the name and work of Irving Berlin remain in the forefront of music and musical theater worldwide."

Irving Berlin was an iconic composer and lyricist, and widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history. Berlin's timeless compositions make up a significant portion of the Great American Songbook and continue to be performed by contemporary artists today including; Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Michael Bublé, Michael Feinstein, Kelly Clarkson, Bob Dylan and many more. As the great American composer Jerome Kern once said, "Irving Berlin has no place in American music - he is American music."

About Imagem Music Group: Imagem Music Group is the leading independent music publishing company in the world, unique for its leadership role in classical music, Broadway and pop/rock. Imagem Music's ever expanding pop catalogue includes such writers as Pink Floyd, Sammy Cahn, Phil Collins, Genesis, Iron Maiden, Mark Ronson, Steve Miller, Scooter, Steve Robson, Bombay Bicycle Club and Daft Punk.

About Rodgers and Hammerstein, An Imagem Company: Founded by the legendary team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Rodgers & Hammerstein: An Imagem Company owns the rights to the world's most popular stage and film musicals, including OKLAHOMA!, CAROUSEL, SOUTH PACIFIC, THE KING AND I and THE SOUND OF MUSIC. As an agency, R&H encompasses a music publishing company; a concert rental library; and a theatrical licensing branch that collectively represent more than 12,000 songs, 900 concert pieces, 200 writers, and 100 musicals, including works by Irving Berlin, Stephen Schwartz, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Adam Guettel, Rodgers & Hart, Kern & Hammerstein, and many more.

About Boosey & Hawkes, An Imagem Company: Boosey & Hawkes represents the world's leading classical composers from Aaron Copland and Igor Stravinsky to such contemporary artists as Karl Jenkins, John Adams and Steve Reich.