Two New Year's Eve Concerts Plus Special Hotel Rates Make Downtown LA the Hippest New Year's Spot

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, AT 7 PM and 10:30 PM

Presented in association with KCRW

The countdown is on for New Year's Eve with two celebrations taking place at the über-hip Walt Disney Concert Hall. The Los Angeles Philharmonic presents Pink Martini on Wednesday, December 31 at 7:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Guests can keep the party going all night at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, as the legendary hotel offers special room rates in conjunction with the Pink Martini concerts.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic and L.A.'s sparkling, curvy new hall play host to the cosmo-fabulous ensemble from Portland, Oregon. With their ineffable blend of exotic rumba, Parisian café tunes, and Carnival disco, the sounds of Pink Martini are charming and eclectically elegant. Led by the sultry voice of singer China Forbes, the 14-member band fashions cool tunes with piano, horns, strings, drums, and percussion.

For Pink Martini concertgoers, The Millennium Biltmore Hotel-Los Angeles is offering a special travel rate of $99.00 per night. Walking distance from Walt Disney Concert Hall, this Spanish Italian Renaissance styled hotel tastefully furnished in neo-classical style is the perfect accoutrement for this New Year's Eve event.

PINK MARTINI blends influences from Cuban rumbas to classical chamber music, from Parisian cafe tunes to foreign film soundtracks, creating music that spans the continents. The Portland, Oregon-based group was the result of a fortuitous accident, thrown together as the opener for The Del Rubio Triplets in the fall of 1994. Since then, the group has gone on to tour Europe, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, and Taiwan. In the United States, Pink Martini has performed with symphony orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Nashville Symphony, the Jacksonville Symphony, and the Oregon Symphony. In France, their CD has gone "Double Gold," and the group was nominated for the prestigious "Victoires de la Musique" awards. Their music has been used in numerous film and television shows including The Sopranos, The West Wing, Felicity, The Cartoon Network, Popular, Nurse Betty, and Josie and the Pussycats.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2003 at 7 PM

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2003 at 10:30 PM

Walt Disney Concert Hall

111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles

PINK MARTINI

China Forbes (vocals)

Thomas M. Lauderdale (piano)

Robert Taylor (trombone)

Gavin Bondy (trumpet)

Paloma Griffin (violin)

Julie Coleman (violin)

Una O'Riordan (cello)

Anna Schaum (viola)

Phil Baker (bass)

Timothy Nishimoto (vocals and percussion)

Doug Smith (vibes and percussion)

Brian Davis (congas and percussion)

Derek Rieth (percussion)

Martin Zarzar (drums)

Presented in association with KCRW

Tickets ($45 - $90) are on sale now at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office, online at LAPhil.com, or via credit card phone order at 323.850.2000. For all information, please call 323.850.2000.

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