Sutton Foster, Josh Groban & More Set for Documentary American Voices on THIRTEEN's Great Performances, 1/9

The art of singing is center stage in our country's popular culture: from GLEE and 106 & Park to American Idol, The Voice, and Nashville, and even at sporting events and national ceremonies.

This star-studded 90-minute performance documentary offers an overview of the Kennedy Center's weekend-long American Voices festival, which was created and hosted by Rene Fleming in November of 2013. The special will air on THIRTEEN'S Great PerformancesFriday, January 9, 2015 at 9 p.m. (Check local listings.)

In American Voices with Rene Fleming, camera crews follow vocal masters, industry titans, and emerging artists as they gather at the Kennedy Center to celebrate, explore, and debate the legacy, landscape, and future of American singing.

"The festival explored, across a range of genres, the artistry, business, technology, pedagogy, and community of American singing," said Fleming. "The idea of bringing a broad spectrum of singers together with some of most powerful music industry leaders was a dream come true for me."

American Voices with Rene Fleming features highlights from the festival's unique performances and educational events. During six master sessions, fledgling artists received personal one-on-one mentoring from iconic singers in a variety of genres: Eric Owens in classical, Dianne Reeves in jazz, Alison Krauss with Dr. Thomas Cleveland in country, Ben Folds and Sara Bareilles in pop, Sutton Foster in musical theater, and Kim Burrell in gospel.

Joining these acclaimed artists for the genre-spanning festival centerpiece, the American Voices Concert, were Kurt Elling, Josh Groban, Norm Lewis, and the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by NSO Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke.

Throughout the weekend, three sessions programmed by Fleming on "Care of the Professional Voice," "Trends in the Business and Technology of Popular Music," and "Voice Training in the 21st Century" will bepresented in the Kennedy Center Atrium, intended both for music professionalsincluding singers, vocal coaches, teachers, agents, producers, and doctors who treat singersand for all fans of great singing.

American Voices with Rene Flemingis produced for the Kennedy Center by RadicalMedia, and directed by Paul Bozymowski; Justin Wilkes and Sara Enright are producers, with Rene Fleming, Garth Ross, Jon Kamen, and Joe Killian as executive producers. For Great Performances, Bill O'Donnell is series producer and David Horn is executive producer.

Cadillac is the Presenting Sponsor for American Voices with Rene Fleming.

GREAT PERFORMANCES is funded by the Irene Diamond Fund, The Starr Foundation, and PBS.

Visit GREAT PERFORMANCES Online at www.pbs.org/gperffor additional information about this and other programs.

About WNET
As New York's flagship public media provider and the parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, PBS NewsHour Weekend, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries, children's programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online. Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the tri-state's unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13, NJTV News with Mary Alice Williams and MetroFocus, the multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region. WNET is also a leader in connecting with viewers on emerging platforms, including the THIRTEEN Explore App where users can stream PBS content for free.

About American Voices
American Voices, a groundbreaking festival of performances, master sessions, and symposia celebrating the rich diversity of American singing, took place November 22-24, 2013 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Conceived and was hosted by world-renowned American singer Rene Fleming, American Voices brought together vocal masters, industry titans, and emerging artists to celebrate the artistry, technique, and challenges of professional singing.

SOURCE WNET

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