Special Guest Rufus Wainwright Opens Concerts in His Bowl Debut

FRIDAY, JULY 30, and SATURDAY, JULY 31, at 8:30 PM

July 30 sponsored by Chandon; media support by KBIG-FM and K-SURF

July 31 sponsored by the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel; media support by KCBS/KCAL-TV

Grammy award-winning singer k.d. lang makes her Hollywood Bowl debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic on Friday and Saturday, July 30 and 31, at 8:30 p.m. Lang headlines the program, accompanied by the orchestra conducted by Charles Floyd. Making his Hollywood Bowl debut, singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright opens the shows, performing with the Philharmonic. Having toured with alternative rock artists, including Ben Folds and Guster, the uniquely talented Wainwright brings his eclectic mix of folk, jazz, and rock the Bowl.

Covering a wide variety of musical styles, k.d. lang has released ten records over her 20 year career. The evening features material from her new album Hymns from the 49th Parallel, scheduled for release July 27 on the Nonesuch label. The album is a tribute to lang's favorite Canadian songwriters, including Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Jane Siberry, Bruce Cockburn, and Ron Sexsmith. Lang performs her new covers and distinctively popular hits with original orchestrations played by the Los Angeles Philharmonic for this concert. These Hollywood Bowl performances are part of her first symphony orchestra tour, which began in April 2004.

When k.d. lang released her first major-label album in 1987, she caused considerable controversy within the traditional world of country music because of her vaguely campy approach, androgynous appearance, and edgy, rock-inflected music. Born in Alberta, Canada, lang was first drawn toward music, particularly Patsy Cline, while she was in college. In 1983, she formed a band, named the re-clines in tribute to Patsy Cline, and their debut album was released in 1984. Her success in Canada led to interest and an eventual signing with an American record label, Sire. Her first hit on the country charts was a duet with Roy Orbison on his old hit "Crying." Her 1989 album Shadowland garnered lang her first Grammy for best female country vocal performance. With each year and every new album, continued success came as she approached a more "pop" sound and moved farther away from her country roots. She abandoned country music entirely for adult contemporary pop in 1992 with her fourth album, Ingenue, which won her a second Grammy. In addition to vocal albums, she also recorded a largely instrumental soundtrack for the 1993 film adaptation of Tom Robbins' Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. Lang most recently released Hymns from the 49th Parallel on Nonesuch.

Pop singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist RUFUS WAINWRIGHT is the child of famed folk singer Loudon Wainwright III and Canadian pianist Katie McGarrigle. Wainwright began playing piano himself at age six and later decided to become a professional musician, penning several Canadian film soundtrack cuts in his teens and performing with his mother's group. After studying music for a time, Wainwright began a solo career in the mid-'90s, performing in small clubs along the Eastern seaboard. His self-titled debut album, produced by Jon Brion, was released on DreamWorks in 1998. His sophomore effort, Poses, followed three years later. Want One, his most recent album, came out in September 2003.

Conductor, pianist and composer CHARLES FLOYD has received numerous awards and grants including those from the Aspen School of Music, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, and the National Chopin Competition. As a conductor he has been heard in pops concerts with more than 500 orchestras since 1991, and his eleven-year partnership with Natalie Cole included such projects as the multiple Grammy Award-winning tribute to Nat King Cole.

One of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of nearly 18,000, the HOLLYWOOD BOWL has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since its official opening in 1922, and in 1991 gave its name to the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, a resident ensemble that has filled a special niche in the musical life of Southern California. The 2004 season introduces audiences to a revitalized Hollywood Bowl, featuring a newly constructed shell and stage and the addition of four stadium screens enhancing stage views in the venue. To this day, $1 buys a seat at the top of the Bowl for many of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's concerts. While the Bowl is best known for its sizzling summer nights, during the day California's youngest patrons enjoy "SummerSounds: Music for Kids at the Hollywood Bowl," the Southland's most popular summer arts festival for children, now in its 35th season. Attendance figures over the past several decades have soared: In 1980 the Bowl first topped the half-million mark and last summer close to one million admissions were recorded. It is no wonder that the Bowl's summer music festivals have become as much a part of a Southern California summer as beaches and barbecues, the Dodgers, and Disneyland.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

Friday, July 30, at 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 31, at 8:30 p.m.

An Evening with k.d. lang

HOLLYWOOD BOWL, 2301 N. Highland Ave. in Hollywood

LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC

CHARLES FLOYD, conductor

k.d. lang

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT

Friday's concert sponsored by Chandon; media support by KBIG-FM and K-SURF

Saturday's concert sponsored by the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel; media support by KCBS/KCAL-TV

Tickets ($3 - $93) are on sale now at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office, by calling Ticketmaster at 213.480.3232, at all Ticketmaster outlets (Robinsons May, Tower Records and Ritmo Latino locations), or online at HollywoodBowl.com. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for a 20% discount, subject to availability; call 323.850-2050 for further details. For general information or to request a brochure, call 323.850.2000.

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