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Home , Billy Joel, Dark Hope, Lang Lang, Paul Simon

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CONTACT: Katherine Blodgett Vice President, Public Relations and Communications phone: 215.893.1939 e-mail: [email protected]

Kate Johnston FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Assistant Director, Public Relations DATE: September 14, 2010 phone: 215.893.3136 e-mail: [email protected]

Renée Fleming and to perform with The Orchestra at the Academy of Music 154th Anniversary January 29, 2011

Lester Holt, weekend anchor for NBC’s Today and Nightly News, is host

Concert-only tickets on sale September 16

(Philadelphia, September 14, 2010) – The today announced that Renée Fleming and Paul Simon will appear as its special guests for the Academy of Music 154th Anniversary Concert on Saturday, January 29, 2011 . Ms. Fleming, one of the world’s leading opera stars, will join the Orchestra for a program including a selection of beloved arias; Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Mr. Simon will perform some of his best-known works with the Orchestra; and the Fabulous Philadelphians and their sound will be showcased in familiar classical treasures, all as part of an evening of memorable music and exciting surprises. New orchestrations of Mr. Simon’s classic songs are being specifically created for his first performance with The Philadelphia Orchestra. Lester Holt , weekend anchor for NBC’s Today and Nightly News , serves as host for the evening.

Additional guest artist and program information for the concert will be announced at a date. The Anniversary Concert is produced by Wayne Baruch and Charles F. Gayton, who have produced the Academy Anniversary since 2007.

Concert-only tickets, priced at $185 and located in the Amphitheatre level, go on sale on September 16. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215.893.1999 or by visiting www.philorch.org/academyofmusic.

Immediately following the concert, gala guests will make their way north on Philadelphia’s iconic Broad Street to the Hyatt at the Bellevue, where an exquisite gala champagne supper and ball will await. Elegant ladies and

- more - Renée Fleming and Paul Simon to perform with The Philadelphia Orchestra at the Academy of Music with 154th Anniversary Concert PAGE 2 debonair gentleman will fill the many reception rooms of the historic building, from the stylish Fountain Court to the sophisticated Grand Ballroom to the rooftop grandeur of XIX. Several electrifying dance orchestras and bands, performing music ranging in style from classic American songbook to R&B funk, will keep the attendees dancing throughout the evening.

The gala is being chaired by Sandra G. Marshall and Charles P. Pizzi. Invitations will be mailed in late September. For additional information on this event, please call the Academy of Music Restoration Fund Office at 215.893.1978 History of the Academy of Music and the Anniversary Concert and Ball The Academy of Music 154th Anniversary Concert and Ball benefits the Academy of Music Restoration Fund and The Philadelphia Orchestra. A National Historic Landmark, the Academy of Music was home to The Philadelphia Orchestra for more than a century, from the ensemble’s founding in 1900 to the opening of The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in 2001. The first Anniversary Concert and Ball, which took place on January 26, 1957, showcased a star-studded line- in which shared his podium with Danny Kaye. The historic evening’s guest performers included classical artists Marian Anderson, Hilde Gueden, , and , and popular singer Dinah Shore.

Since 1957, numerous luminaries of the musical world have performed with The Philadelphia Orchestra as part of Academy of Music Anniversary concerts. Notable guest artists include sopranos Audra McDonald, , and ; mezzo-soprano ; violinists Anne-Sophie Mutter, , and Isaac Stern; cellist Yo-Yo Ma; pianists and Lang Lang; as well as popular artists such as Rod Stewart, , , and .

About the Artists During his distinguished career Paul Simon has been the recipient of many honors and awards, including 12 Grammy awards, three of which (“Bridge Over Troubled Water”, “Still Crazy After All These Years” and “”) were of the year. In 2003 he was given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for his work as half of the duo Simon and Garfunkel. He is an inductee of the and is in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame both as a member of Simon and Garfunkel and as a solo artist. His song “Mrs. Robinson” from the motion picture was named in the top ten of The American Film Institute’s 100 Years 100 Songs. He was a recipient of the in 2003 and was named as one of Time magazine’s “100 People Who Shape Our World” in 2006.

Of Mr. Simon’s many concert appearances he is most fond of the two concerts in in New York (with his partner and childhood friend in 1981 and as a solo artist in 1991) and the series of shows he did at the invitation of Nelson Mandela in South Africa: the first American artist to perform in post- South Africa.

Mr. Simon’s philanthropic work includes the co-founding of the Children’s Health Fund with Dr. . The CHF donates and staffs mobile medical vans that bring health care to poor and indigent children in urban and rural locations around the . In the 20 years since its inception it has provided over 1,200,000 doctor/patient visits. In the wake of Hurricanes Andrew and Katrina it was the primary health care source for those communities decimated by the storms. Mr. Simon has also raised millions of dollars for worthy causes as varied as AMFAR, the Nature Conservancy, the Fund for Imprisoned Children in South Africa, and Autism Speaks. In 1989 the United Negro College Fund honored him with its

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Frederick D. Patterson Award. The Philadelphia Orchestra is grateful to Mr. Simon for his support of the Orchestra in this unique collaboration.

On May 23, 2007, Mr. Simon was the recipient of the first annual for Popular Song. Named in honor of the legendary George and , this newly created award recognizes the profound and positive effect of popular music on the world’s culture, and will be given annually to a or performer whose lifetime contributions exemplify the standard of excellence associated with the Gershwins.

One of the most beloved and celebrated musical ambassadors of our time, soprano Renée Fleming captivates audiences with her sumptuous voice, consummate artistry, and compelling stage presence. Known as “the people’s diva,” she continues to grace the world’s greatest opera stages and concert halls, now extending her reach to include other musical forms and media. Over the past few seasons, Ms. Fleming has been hosting a wide variety of television and radio broadcasts, including the Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD series for movie theaters and television, and on PBS.

As a musical statesman, Ms. Fleming has been sought-after on numerous distinguished occasions, from the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony to performances in Beijing during the 2008 Olympic Games. On January 18, 2009, she was featured on the televised “We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial” concert for President Obama. An additional distinction was bestowed in 2008, when breaking a precedent, she became the first woman in the 125-year history of the Metropolitan Opera to solo headline an Opening Night Gala.

Ms. Fleming’s 2010-11 season at the Metropolitan Opera includes performances of Rossini’s Armida and Strauss’s Capriccio. Her 2010-11 concert season begins with the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s Last Night of performance in September, followed by appearances with the Pittsburgh Symphony conducted by Manfred Honeck, the National Symphony under , and the Saint Louis Symphony with David Robertson. In October, Ms. Fleming travels to Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium with the Munich Philharmonic and conductor Christian Thielemann, and in November, she embarks on a Scandinavian tour. Further concert highlights include performances in Chicago, Toronto, , and Berlin. A dedicated and masterful recitalist, Ms. Fleming appears in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and Kansas City, Missouri, and in January, 2011, she embarks on a recital tour to Quebec, Washington, D.C., New York’s , Ann Arbor, Montreal, and San Juan.

A three-time Grammy winner, Ms. Fleming won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Performance for Verismo (Decca/September 2009), a CD featuring a collection of rarely heard Italian arias. In June 2010, Decca and Mercury records released the CD Dark Hope , which features Ms. Fleming performing songs by artists such as , , , and , among others.

Lester Holt is the weekend anchor for the flagship broadcast NBC Nightly News , and is also the co-anchor of the weekend edition of Today . In addition, he serves as fill-in anchor and correspondent for NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams and the weekday Today program. He also contributes to MSNBC, NBC’s 24-hour cable news network.

Mr. Holt has reported from many of the world’s hot spots. In 2006 he reported from the front lines in on the war between Israel and Hezbollah. The same year, he reported from London on the terror threat to U.S. bound-airliners from the UK. In 2005 he was on the ground for covering events both in Louisiana and Mississippi; later that fall, he also covered Hurricane Rita in Texas.

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Before becoming co-anchor of Weekend Today , Mr. Holt anchored Lester Holt Live , a daily news show on MSNBC on which he covered breaking news and provided news updates and analysis. He has also served as the lead anchor for daytime news and breaking news coverage on MSNBC. He has served as a primary anchor for MSNBC’s coverage of the biggest news events of the last several years, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he was the lead daytime anchor for MSNBC’s coverage of the 2000 presidential campaign. Mr. Holt also served as anchor of Countdown: Iraq , a nightly news telecast concentrating on the Iraq war, from October 2002 through March 2003.

Mr. Holt, an award-winning broadcast journalist, came to MSNBC from WBBM-TV in Chicago, where he spent 14 years. His duties at WBBM-TV included anchoring the evening news. He not only worked at the anchor desk in Chicago, but he also reported extensively from trouble spots around the world, including Iraq, Northern Ireland, Somalia, El Salvador and Haiti. He has contributed to the CBS News broadcast 48 Hours , earning a 1990 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism award for his work on “48 Hours: No Place Like Home.”

Previously, Mr. Holt worked as a reporter at WCBS-TV in from 1981 to 1982. In 1982 he transferred to sister station KCBS-TV in Los Angeles as a reporter and weekend anchor and returned to WCBS-TV a year later as a reporter and weekend anchor. He majored in government at California State University in Sacramento. He resides in New York City with his wife and family.

The Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is among the world’s leading orchestras. Renowned for its artistic excellence since its founding in 1900, the Orchestra has excited audiences with thousands of concerts in Philadelphia and around the world.

With only seven music directors throughout more than a century of unswerving orchestral distinction, the artistic heritage of The Philadelphia Orchestra is attributed to extraordinary musicianship under the leadership and innovation of Fritz Scheel (1900-07), Carl Pohlig (1907-12), (1912-41), Eugene Ormandy (1936-80), (1980-92), Wolfgang Sawallisch (1993-2003), and Christoph Eschenbach (2003-08). After 30 years of a celebrated association with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Charles Dutoit continues the tradition as chief conductor.

Since Mr. Dutoit’s debut with the Orchestra in July 1980 he has led hundreds of concerts in Philadelphia, at Carnegie Hall, and on tour, as artistic director of the Orchestra’s summer concerts at the Mann Center, artistic director and principal conductor of the Orchestra’s summer residency at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and now as chief conductor. With the 2012-13 season, the Orchestra honors Mr. Dutoit by bestowing upon him the title conductor laureate.

Yannick Nézet-Séguin assumed the title of music director designate in June 2010, immediately joining the Orchestra’s leadership team. He takes up the baton as The Philadelphia Orchestra’s next music director in 2012. The Philadelphia Orchestra annually touches the lives of more than one million music lovers worldwide, through concerts, presentations, and recordings. Each year the Orchestra presents a subscription season at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, education and community partnership programs, and annual appearances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center; it also regularly tours throughout the world. Its summer schedule includes performances at the Mann Center, free Neighborhood Concerts throughout Greater Philadelphia, and residencies at the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. For more information on The Philadelphia Orchestra, please visit www.philorch.org.

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ACADEMY OF MUSIC 154TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT January 29 at 7:30 p.m. – Saturday evening – Academy of Music

The Philadelphia Orchestra Renée Fleming Soprano Paul Simon Special Guest Lester Holt Host

This concert will be performed without an intermission.

Concert-only tickets, on sale beginning September 16, are available in the Academy of Music’s Amphitheatre: $185 ($153.50 tax- deductible per seat) 215.893.1999 or www.philorch.org/academyofmusic.

For gala information, please call the Academy of Music Restoration Fund Office at 215.893.1978.

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