This Thanksgiving, Live From Lincoln Center presents the internationally acclaimed pianist Lang Lang and his love letter to New York, the city he considers his adoptive home, set to the music that helped make this city so famous. This special multi-genre event pairs one of the world's greatest virtuosos with a star-studded list of guest artists, embracing a wide range of musical styles and voices capturing New York's magic. "Lang Lang's New York Rhapsody" will air as part of the PBS Arts Fall Festival on PBS affiliates nationwide on Friday, November 25, at 9:00 pm (check local listings).
"Lang Lang's New York Rhapsody" brings together a host of celebrated artists paying tribute to New York, including Rufus Wainwright, Regina Spektor, Suzanne Vega, Jerry Douglas, Andra Day, Lindsey Stirling, and Sean Jones, as well as a 30-piece orchestra conducted by Jason Michael Webb with musical direction by David Lai. Together, these artists perform works from Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, and Danny Elfman to Lou Reed, Alicia Keys, and Don Henley, including a rare performance of the original 1924 jazz band arrangement of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. It was taped in front of a live audience in May 2016.
This Lincoln Center event is produced by Live From Lincoln Center, in partnership with Sony Classical and CAMI Music. Lang Lang's record label, Sony Classical, released a studio album of "New York Rhapsody" in September. Concert and television production are produced and directed by Emmy Award-winner Andrew C. Wilk, executive producer of Live From Lincoln Center.
If one word applies to Lang Lang, to the musician, to the man, to his worldview, it is "inspiration." As a United Nations Messenger of Peace and through his Lang Lang International Music Foundation, he brings music into children's lives around the world. The Today Show coined the term "Lang Lang Effect" to describe the 40 million Chinese children inspired by his legacy to study an instrument. Lang Lang's open-hearted, emotive playing on the grandest of stages-such as consecutive performances on the 56th and 57th GRAMMY Awards, to the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics-have earned him the title "hottest artist on the classical planet" from The New York Times.
Today, his resume reads like a bestseller, and indeed, Random House published his autobiography Journey of a Thousand Miles to critical acclaim in eleven languages. Time Magazine named Lang Lang one of the "Time 100," citing him as a symbol of China's future. Steinway Pianos introduced "The Lang Lang Piano," which is the only model named after a single artist. Lang Lang holds honorary doctorate degrees from Royal College of Music, Manhattan School of Music, New York University, Birmingham City University, and China Central Conservatory (first in the school's 75 year history).
Of many landmark events, Lang Lang performed for the White House China State Dinner, Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee concert, the United Nations 70th Anniversary celebration, and 2015's Havana, Cuba celebratory concert.
Whenever he can, Lang Lang tries to give back. In 2008, he launched the Lang Lang International Music Foundation with a mission of bringing music into the lives of children around the world through designing programs that are sustainable, scalable, measurable and meaningful and partnership with nonprofit and community organizations. In 2013, he was designated by the Secretary General of the United Nations as a Messenger of Peace focusing on global education.
For further information visit www.LangLang.com / www.LangLangFoundation.org
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (LCPA) serves three primary roles: presenter of artistic programming, national leader in arts and education and community engagement, and manager of the Lincoln Center campus. A presenter of more than 3,000 free and ticketed events, performances, tours, and educational activities annually, LCPA offers 16 series, festivals, and programs including American Songbook, Avery Fisher Career Grants and Artist program, David Rubenstein Atrium programming, Great Performers, Legends at Lincoln Center: The Performing Arts Hall of Fame, Lincoln Center at the Movies, Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Awards, Lincoln Center Festival, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Lincoln Center Vera List Art Project, Midsummer Night Swing, Mostly Mozart Festival, White Light Festival, the Emmy Award-winning Live From Lincoln Center, which airs nationally on PBS, and Lincoln Center Education, which is celebrating 40 years enriching the lives of students, educators, and lifelong learners. As manager of the Lincoln Center campus, LCPA provides support and services for the Lincoln Center complex and the 11 resident organizations: The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, The Film Society of Lincoln Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Juilliard School, Lincoln Center Theater, The Metropolitan Opera, New York City Ballet, New York Philharmonic, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, the School of American Ballet, and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. For more information, visit LincolnCenter.org.
Live From Lincoln Center
Live From Lincoln Center is a cornerstone of performing arts broadcasting, presenting the world's greatest artists and performances in music, dance and theater from Lincoln Center's renowned stages. Now in its 42nd season on PBS, the pioneering series-produced by Lincoln Center-has been seen by hundreds of millions of viewers since its debut and celebrated by 16 Emmy Awards and other honors for its broadcasting excellence. Additional Live From Lincoln Center content is accessible online at PBS.org and Watch.LincolnCenter.org. For more about upcoming broadcasts, visit LiveFromLincolnCenter.org.
PBS
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