Iowa's Own Pianist Jim McDonough and His Orchestra Appear in 2014 SPRING TOUR Today

Spring is in the air, as are the sounds of a nationally-acclaimed Iowa pianist in concert halls across the state. International Steinway Artist Jim McDonough and his orchestra are currently touring Iowa with his "2014 SPRING TOUR." McDonough has sold a quarter- million CDs, and has performed breathtaking concerts for tens of thousands of Iowans.

Monticello native McDonough will appear at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts today, April 26th at 2:30 p.m., performing on the concert grand piano, and joined by his professional 14-piece orchestra and a cast of sensational singers. This exciting new show features spectacular arrangements of songs from the silver screen and Broadway, as well as favorite big band, patriotic, Rat Pack, inspirational, country and classical music. Tickets are $29 - $34 (including fees), and are available online 24/7 at www.CoralvilleArts.org, or by phone or in person at the Center's Box Office (319) 248-9370 (open Wed. - Fri. 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.; and Sat. 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.). Tickets are also available in person daily at the Coralville Recreation Center (1506 8th St). Discounts are available to groups of 10 or more.

Other "2014 SPRING TOUR" stops include: Monticello, Cedar Rapids, Manchester, Ottumwa, Elkader, and Dubuque. For more information, visit www.PianoFavorites.com, or call (800) 375-7095.

Jim McDonough has performed throughout Iowa for eleven years as part of his popular annual "Holiday Grande" concert tour. The spring tour is a result of requests from fans who also wanted to experience the spectacle of Jim's live concert event outside of the holidays. "The spring tour gives us an opportunity to perform audience favorites from a variety of genres," McDonough says. "We've been hard at work to ensure that this show will be spring's most spectacular event!"

After stints as a high school band director, cruise ship entertainer and air-traffic controller, Jim McDonough began selling his distinctive brand of soothing piano music in gift shops in eastern Iowa. Today, his CDs are available in 1,000 stores across the country and via his Web site, www.PianoFavorites.com. Jim's independent record label, Jim McDonough Productions, Inc., has already sold more than 250,000 of his CDs.

The road to success, though, has been paved with detours. In eighth grade, an accident nearly ended his musical career. An upright piano fell while being moved, crushing three fingers on his right hand - and nearly crushing his dreams in the process. Jim emerged from two hours of surgery with pins in his fingers and tiny fractures across his hand. But throughout more than a year of physical therapy, Jim kept playing - with a cast on his right hand - and concentrated on improving his performance with his left hand. "Playing the piano defined me," McDonough says. "It was my life, and I was determined to play again." He devoted nearly every spare moment to working to get back the dexterity in his right hand, and the rigorous rehearsing paid off. In ninth grade, instead of a car, Jim bought a Steinway grand piano to celebrate how far he'd come.

In 2010, Jim was honored by the legendary piano maker Steinway & Sons, naming him to its worldwide artist roster. As a Steinway Artist, McDonough joins an exclusive international list of the most accomplished and discriminating performing artists, from classical pianists like Lang Lang, to jazz stars like Diana Krall and Harry Connick Jr., to pop icons like Billy Joel, to "immortals" like Irving Berlin and Cole Porter.

Jim McDonough's 16 CDs are available at gift shops across the country and via his Web site, www.pianofavorites.com. Discography includes: Requests (2002), Home for Christmas (2003), Projections: Songs from the Silver Screen (2004), An Ivory Christmas (2004), Music of the Night (2004), Simple Gifts (2005), With Love (2006), Homeward Bound (2007), Country Dreaming (2008), A Christmas to Remember (2008), Rat Pack Remembered (2009), Isn't It Romantic (2010), Christmas Eve (2011), Young At Heart (2011), One Nation Under God (2012), and his latest release, Country Roads (2013).

For more information, visit Jim McDonough's web site at www.PianoFavorites.com or call his music hotline at (800) 375-7095.

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