Proceeds from the Season-Opening Event Benefit the Los Angeles Philharmonic and its Education and Community Programs
Los Angeles, CA (June 6, 2016) - Hollywood Bowl Opening Night 2016 ushers in the iconic venue's 95th season with a special evening showcasing Grammy®-winning Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band Steely Dan, performing with orchestra for the first time, and kicks off the 10th anniversary of the LA Phil's Composer Fellowship Program (CFP) with a performance of compositions by two CFP alumni, Saturday, June 18, at 8 pm.
Featuring founding members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, Steely Dan will treat the Opening Night audience to its trend-setting jazz/rock blend, rich with blazing solos, infectious tunes and bodacious harmonies. The band, which has sold more than 40 million albums and helped define contemporary American music with hits such as "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," "Peg," "Nineteen," and more, shares the stage for the first time with orchestra - the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra (HBO), led by Principal Conductor Thomas Wilkins.
The much-anticipated annual event also kicks off the 10th anniversary of CFP, an innovative two-year immersion program for high school-age composers. The LA Phil program, founded in 2007 by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Steven Stucky, provides young artists with unrivaled access to the world's leading composers and musicians and gives them the tools necessary to pursue a career in music. In honor of the anniversary, the HBO, led by Wilkins, performs works by two alumni Fellows - Anderson Alden's Lift and Katya Richardson's "Fanfare for Orchestra." Alden and Richardson's compositions were chosen by an all-star panel of professional composers as a part of a CFP alumni competition.
The Hollywood Bowl Opening Night 2016 acknowledges the following sponsors - Title Sponsor: Wells Fargo; Sponsorship Chairs: Lisa Stevens, David DiCristofaro and Jonathan Weedman; Gala Chairs: Larry, Lisa and Robyn Field; Gala Co-Chairs: Alex Glickman and Gayla Whittemore; Premiere Sponsors: Amgen Foundation, Kaiser Permanente of Southern California and Live Nation/Ticketmaster; Muse Sponsor: American Airlines.
Patron packages for this annual benefit concert include a VIP pre-concert reception at 5 PM, followed by a gourmet dinner prepared by Hollywood Bowl Food + Wine and served in guest boxes prior to the concert. Proceeds from Hollywood Bowl Opening Night 2016 benefit the LA Phil's Education and community initiatives, serving more than 150,000 children and their families annually. CFP is included in these initiatives along with Symphonies for Schools and Gustavo Dudamel's signature program Youth Orchestra LA (YOLA). Opening Night Concert patron packages ($2,600 to $15,750) may be purchased through the LA Phil's Special Events office. Please call 213.972.3051 for details and reservations. Tickets for the concert only ($25 - $160), which begins at 8 PM, are on sale online at HollywoodBowl.com, at the Hollywood Bowl box office, through Ticketmaster at 800.745.3000, and by credit card phone order at 323.850.2000.
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About the Hollywood Bowl
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 plays host to the finest artists from all genres of music. It remains one of the best deals anywhere in Los Angeles; to this day, $1 buys a seat at the top of the Bowl for many classical and jazz offerings. The venue offers something for everyone, from its sizzling summer evening concerts to the daytime arts festival for children, "SummerSounds: World Music for Kids at the Hollywood Bowl." In February 2016, the Hollywood Bowl was named Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue for the twelfth year in a row at the 27th Annual Pollstar Concert Industry Awards. For millions of music lovers across Southern California, the Hollywood Bowl is synonymous with summer. www.HollywoodBowl.com
Sophie Jefferies, sjefferies@laphil.org, 213.972.3422
Lisa White, lwhite@laphil.org, 213.972.3408