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  • "UNDEFINABLE" PINK MARTINI AND EXOTIC BEBEL GILBERTO JOIN THE LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL FOR "A NIGHT AT THE COPA" WITH CONDUCTOR ALEXANDER MICKELTHWATE
  • Sep. 9, 2005
  • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, AND SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, AT 8:30 PM

    Friday's concert is generously sponsored by Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts; Media sponsor: KCRW 89.9 FM

    Saturday's concert is a Lexus Passionate Performance; Media sponsors: KCET and KCRW 89.9 FM

    Described by Daily Variety as "undefinable," the ultra-cool 12-piece Pink Martini headline with conductor Alexander Mickelthwate and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in A Night at the Copa on Friday, September 9, and Saturday, September 10, at 8:30 p.m. Sultry Brazilian superstar Bebel Gilberto makes her orchestral debut at the Hollywood Bowl, in an evening dedicated to exotic and grooving rhythms.

    Self-described as "somewhere between a 1930s Cuban dance orchestra, a classical chamber music ensemble, a Brazilian marching street band and Japanese film noir," Pink Martini blends Latin and European beats into a uniquely addictive sound. Since its European debut at the Cannes Film Festival in 1998, the band's romantic, multilingual repertoire has gained acclaim all over the globe with nominations for "Song of the Year" and "Best New Artist" in France's Victoires de la Musique awards. Currently featured in the Bowl's Summer 2005 television ad campaign, Pink Martini last played with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl in 2002. Pink Martini performed at the grand opening of Walt Disney Concert Hall. They were invited back to play two sold-out performances for the Hall's first New Year's Eve celebration in 2003, and returned in 2004 to sell out another two concerts.

    A truly international artist, Brazilian Bebel Gilberto has an extraordinary sound. The daughter of Brazilian musicians João Gilberto and Mi&uacutecha, she keeps an eye on both the future and the past. Having worked with progressive artists such as Caetano Veloso and David Byrne in the past, her solo work combines traditional rhythms with her own unique voice. Her latest, Grammy-nominated CD, Bebel Gilberto, has become a world-wide sensation spawning popular dance, hip-hop and electronica remixes.

    Hand-picked by Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen from among 150 candidates and eight finalists, Mickelthwate, the Assistant Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, is a rising star in the classical world. Impressed by his recent debut at the Bowl, LA Weekly stated, "Keep your eye on Mickelthwate; he has the goods."

    With the release of her debut album, Tanto Tempo in 2000 and a remix volume issued a year later, BEBEL GILBERTO introduced the world to an important new voice. Previously the singer had appeared alongside some of the most respected artists of our time, including Caetano Veloso and David Byrne, and cutting edge experimenters like Deee Lite's Towa Tei and Thievery Corporation. In the wake of the success of Tanto Tempo, Gilberto, the daughter of João Gilberto and Miücha, had a cultural phenomenon on her hands. Mindful of tradition, Bebel nevertheless has her eye fixed squarely on the horizon. On Bebel Gilberto, recorded by producer Marius de Vries, Gilberto reveals herself as an artist with a sound and voice all her own. A truly international affair, Bebel Gilberto was recorded in New York, London (with an entire string section!), Salvador (Bahia) and Rio de Janeiro. One way in which Gilberto asserted her developing maturity was through her songwriting. Although she shared credit for half of the songs on Tanto Tempo, Gilberto wrote or co-wrote no fewer than 9 of the 12 songs on Bebel Gilberto. Of the remaining selections, one track was written by the multifaceted composer-performer Carlinhos Brown, and another by Daniel Jobim and Pedro Baby, scions to Brazilian musical heritage comparable to Bebel's own.

    ALEXANDER MICKELTHWATE is the Assistant Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mickelthwate recently completed his tenure as Assistant Conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at the end of the 2003/2004 season. Mickelthwate has already toured America conducting the American-Russian Young Artist Players. In the United States he has conducted the symphony orchestras of Baltimore, New Jersey, Oregon; the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the Eos Orchestra, and the Cleveland Chamber Symphony. Mickelthwate was born in Germany into a musical family. He developed his musical talent at an early age as a cellist in youth orchestras and chamber groups, as a singer in a professional choir, and as a pianist and organist. He made his Bowl debut this summer with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, leading Berlioz' Symphonie fantastique.

    Somewhere between a 1930s Cuban dance orchestra, a classical chamber music ensemble, a Brazilian marching street band and Japanese film noir is the 12-piece PINK MARTINI. Part language lesson, part Hollywood musical, the Portland, Oregon-based 'little orchestra' was created in 1994 by Harvard graduate and classically trained pianist Thomas M. Lauderdale to play at political fundraisers for progressive causes such as civil rights, affordable housing, clean water, and public broadcasting. The group made its European debut at the Cannes Film Festival and in the years following went on to tour throughout Europe (including France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Greece, Switzerland, and Monte Carlo), Turkey, Taiwan, Lebanon, and the United States. Pink Martini's debut album, Sympathique , was released independently on the band's own label, Heinz Records (after Lauderdale's dog, Heinz) and has sold over 650,000 copies worldwide. Nominated for "Song of the Year" and "Best New Artist" in France's Victoires de la Musique awards, Sympathique (released in 1997), has gone Platinum in France and Gold in Greece. The band's highly-anticipated second album, Hang on Little Tomato, was released on October 19, 2004 on Heinz Records in the United States, and on Naïve Records across Europe.

    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 introduced 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 37th season. Attendance figures over the past several decades have soared: in 1980 the Bowl first topped the half-million mark and close to one million admissions have been recorded. In February 2005, the Hollywood Bowl was named Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue at the 16th Annual Pollstar Concert Industry Awards; the Bowl's summer music festival has become as much a part of a Southern California summer as beaches and barbecues, the Dodgers, and Disneyland.

    EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

    FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2005 at 8:30 PM

    SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2005 at 8:30 PM

    HOLLYWOOD BOWL, 2301 N. Highland Ave. in Hollywood

    A Night at the Copa with Pink Martini and Bebel Gilberto

    LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC

    ALEXANDER MICKELTHWATE, conductor

    PINK MARTINI, special guests

    BEBEL GILBERTO, special guest

    Friday's concert is generously sponsored by Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts

    Saturday's concert is a Lexus Passionate Performance; Media sponsors: KCET and KCRW 89.9 FM

    Tickets ($4 - $110) 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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  • Contact:

    Cathy Williams, 213.972.3689; Kate Hubin, 323.933.3399, ext. 216; photos: 213.972.3034