sign in sign up
<<
Home , Danny Glover, Gregory Peck, James Earl Jones, Marian Anderson Award, Norman Lear, Ossie Davis

For media information contact: Patrick Moran, Ex. Dir., Award, 215-893-1837, [email protected]

Vincent Geels, Public Relations and Publications Coordinator, The Orchestra, 215.893.3140, [email protected] These numbers are not for publication

GALA TO HONOR NOVEMBER 19 : FEATURING STARS OF OPERA, STAGE, AND SCREEN

Philadelphia, September 10, 2012 – The has announced the guest artists for its upcoming Award Gala on November 19, 2012, at the Kimmel Center, honoring the Tony, Grammy and Academy Award-winning actor James Earl Jones. In announcing the program, Award Chair Pamela Browner White noted, "This year we will be honoring an individual who has been part of our cultural landscape for many years—a true American icon, Mr. James Earl Jones.” White continues, “Much like Marian Anderson, Mr. Jones has made vast contributions to American life though his unparalleled range as an actor—from small early roles in landmark like Dr. Strangelove , to innovative plays like , and powerful films like and Cry the Beloved Country —even voicing the character of Mufasa in the Disney animated The Lion . He has remained a tremendous presence for decades on the Broadway stage in both classic and innovative performances, and he has also made his mark on —winning two Grammy Awards in one year (1991) for Gabriel’s Fire and Heatwave , and even stopping by to recite the alphabet.

Hosting the 2012 Award Gala is the critically acclaimed actor and Screen Actors Guild Award recipient . The Philadelphia Orchestra will once again be center stage under the baton of Maestro Cristian Macelaru, and joining the Orchestra as a special guest will be the extraordinary international opera star tenor Lawrence Brownlee. Also appearing on the program are two of the most critically acclaimed actresses before the public today, Tony Award-winner Phylicia Rashad and the Tony Award-winner and Oscar-nominated . Additional guest artists will be announced at a future date.

Tickets are on sale starting at noon on Monday, September 10, and can be purchased at www.philorch.org , at the Kimmel Center Box Office, or by calling Ticket Philadelphia at 215-893-1999.

MARIAN ANDERSON AWARD The Marian Anderson Award, sponsored by Wells Fargo, honors artists whose leadership on behalf of a humanitarian cause(s) or issue(s) benefits society. Previous recipients include (2010), and (2008), (2007), (2006), and (2005), (2003), (2002), (2001), (2000), (1999), and (1998). No award was given in 2004 or 2009. Created in 1998, the Award is named for the great Philadelphian and American singer Marian Anderson, and is produced and administered under the direction of J. Patrick Moran. Since its inception, the Award program has provided more than $470,000 in free public programs, residencies, commissions, and grants to young artists. US Airways is the official airline and Sofitel is the official hotel of the Marian Anderson Award.

MARIAN ANDERSON

Marian Anderson, the most celebrated contralto of the , was born in Philadelphia on February 27, 1897, to an African-American family of modest means. Recognized for her extraordinary musical talent, as well as her generosity and commitment to others, Ms. Anderson was a master of repertoire across operatic, recital, and American traditional genres. Throughout her musical career, she played an incalculably vital role in the acceptance of African- American musicians in classical musical and in other previously segregated performing arts genre. In 1957, Ms. Anderson was appointed by the U.S. Department of State to serve as a Special Envoy to the Far East, and the following year President Dwight D. Eisenhower named her to the post of delegate to the General Assembly of the United Nations. She sang at President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration in 1961; in 1963 President Lyndon B. Johnson bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom upon her. On her 75th birthday, in 1974, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution ordering a special gold medal minted in her honor. On April 8, 1993, Marian Anderson died at the age of 96 in Portland, Oregon. # # #