GALA EVENING ON JUNE 28 TO BENEFIT MUSIC MATTERS

 
For First Time In Event's History, Salonen And
Los Angeles Philharmonic Perform

Grammy and Emmy Award-winning soprano Kathleen Battle, Tony Award-winning actress/singer Bernadette Peters, and Academy Award-winning songwriter Randy Newman will be inducted at the 3rd annual Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame Concert Gala, which opens the 81st season at the world-famous venue on Friday, June 28. Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic in its first appearance at the festive celebration, with performances by the honorees and appearances by other celebrity artists in a program complete with fireworks. The gala evening benefits Music Matters, the children's music education programs of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, serving more than 85,000 young people every year.

Ms. Battle, Mr. Newman, and Ms. Peters join the distinguished company of John Williams, Garth Brooks, Marilyn Horne, Monty Python, Stevie Wonder, Bonnie Raitt and John Raitt, who were previously inducted into the Hall of Fame.

"Each year, the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame pays tribute to exceptional artists who have performed at the Bowl through the years and we are delighted to honor Kathleen Battle, Randy Newman, and Bernadette Peters. Also this season, for the first time in this event's history, the Los Angeles Philharmonic will perform conducted by our Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen. The one-of-a-kind evening has something for all music lovers and opens a terrific 2002 season for the Bowl, " says Deborah Borda, Philharmonic Managing Director.

"I am very pleased and honored to be inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame. The Hollywood Bowl has such a great and diverse musical tradition and has long been one of my favorite venues. The spirit of the audience in this magical place is absolutely contagious. I have shared many unforgettably beautiful evenings there, both as a performer and as an audience member. Thanks to the Hollywood Bowl for being such a shining star in performing arts, " said honoree Kathleen Battle.

Bernadette Peters comments, "I am so honored to be inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame. The Bowl is considered to be one of the most distinguished venues in the world, with such a rich cultural history, and I am flattered to be included in that tradition."

Soprano KATHLEEN BATTLE's voice has been called "…without qualification, one of the very few most beautiful in the world" by The Washington Post. Her remarkable career has brought her to the stages of the world's leading opera houses and major concert halls with a repertoire that spans from the Baraque to the contemporary era. A distinguished and prolific recording artist, Ms. Battle has been honored with five Grammy Awards, three of which were for Best Classical Vocal Soloist. Kathleen Battle has performed for numerous Presidents and dignitaries, and her performance on the PBS broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera's 1991 season opening gala won her an Emmy Award. In February 1999, Ms. Battle was inducted into the NAACP Image Award Hall of Fame in honor of her outstanding artistic achievements. Her most recent appearance at the Hollywood Bowl was in 1998.

Singer/songwriter/composer and Los Angeles native RANDY NEWMAN has had a prolific career writing pop songs and movie scores. He was awarded his first Oscar in 2002 for his work on Monsters, Inc., after garnering 16 nominations over the course of his varied career. Newman's work has also been recognized with numerous Grammy and Golden Globe award nominations; in addition to his Oscar, he received Grammy Awards for his work on The Natural, A Bug's Life and Toy Story 2, and an Emmy Award for his work on Cop Rock. Well-known for his sense of satire and wit in his music, Newman has recorded and released many popular albums, which include his hits, "Sail Away" and "I Love L.A," and his career was celebrated in 1998 with the release of a four-disc box set, Guilty: 30 years of Randy Newman. Simultaneously, his film scoring career began with film Ragtime in 1981, and led to such other successes as Parenthood, The Natural, Pleasantville, Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2 and Meet the Parents to name a few.

Throughout her career, Tony Award-winning actress BERNADETTE PETERS has dazzled audiences and critics with her performances on stage, on television, in concert, and in the recording studio. Her portrayal of Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun garnered both a Tony Award and a Grammy Award (for the cast album). She received the Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for her role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Song and Dance. Performing on stage since the age of 3, Peters is well known for her memorable performances on Broadway in The Goodbye Girl, Sunday in the Park with George, Mack and Mabel, Into the Woods and On the Town. An Emmy-nominated television actress, she has appeared on Ally McBeal, PBS' Evening at Pops, The Kennedy Center Honors, The Carol Burnett Show, The Muppet Show and the television movie, Cinderella. Film appearances include Pennies from Heaven, The Longest Yard, Annie and Impromptu. Peters appears in the cable movies, Bobbie's Girl (Showtime) and Prince Charming (TNT) and she is anticipated as Mama Rose in the 2003 revival of Gypsy. Her most recent CD is Bernadette Peters Loves Rodgers & Hammerstein on Angel Records. Peters last performed at the Bowl in 1996.

ESA-PEKKA SALONEN, the tenth conductor to head the Los Angeles Philharmonic, began his tenure as Music Director in October, 1992. Salonen made his American debut conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic in November 1984, and he has conducted the orchestra every season since. Among the many highlights of Salonen's activities with the Philharmonic have been world premieres of new works by composers John Adams, Bernard Rands, Rodion Shchedrin, Steven Stucky, and Salonen himself, well-received Ligeti and Stravinsky Festivals, appearances at the Ojai Festival, seven critically acclaimed international tours since 1992, and his extensive discography with the Philharmonic for Sony Classical. Salonen was born in Helsinki, Finland in 1958. He made his conducting debut with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra in 1979, and he has been one of the world's most sought-after conductors since his debut in London with the Philharmonia Orchestra in September 1983. He served as principal guest conductor of the Philharmonia from 1985 to 1994 and as principal conductor of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1985 to 1995.

The Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame was established to identify and pay tribute to artists whose unique achievements embody the spirit of the world-renowned Hollywood Bowl. Drawn from the diverse arena of musical entertainment, including classical, pop, jazz, musical theatre, film composition, and dance, honorees will receive their tributes each summer as part of the Bowl's annual opening night celebration. The "Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame" was conceived on behalf of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association by Wayne Baruch and Charles F. Gayton, Executive Producers of the June 28 concert.

The Hollywood Bowl gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Tiffany & Co. for designing the Hall of Fame Award; Kendall-Jackson, the official wine of the Hollywood Bowl; the Hollywood Bowl Gala Committee Chair Eric Bernt; and our Premier Patrons, Priscilla and Curtis Tamkin.

Tickets for the concert only ($15 - $75), which begins at 8:30 p.m., are on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets (Robinsons-May, Tower Records, Ritmo Latino, and selected Wherehouse locations), and by credit card phone order at 213.480.3232. Tickets are also available at the Hollywood Bowl box office.

Tickets for the gala and concert ($500 - $1,250), which benefit Music Matters, the children's music education programs of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, include a pre-concert reception and dinner beginning at 5:00 p.m. Call 213.972.3051 for further details.

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