From vastly different musical worlds, two undisputed titans of the keyboard Herbie Hancock and Lang Lang will meet on the Hollywood Bowl stage for a night of explosive pianistic pyrotechnics not to be missed!
Hollywood Bowl
2301 North Highland Avenue
Hollywood, CA 90068
323.850.2000
Performances:
Friday, August 7, 2009, 8:30 PM
Saturday, August 8, 2009, 8:30 PM
On a tour inspired by their memorable performance at the 2007 Grammy Awards, Herbie Hancock and Lang Lang make their Hollywood Bowl debut appearance as a duo on August 7 & 8, at 8:30 p.m. The two pianists will be playing Vaughan Williams Concerto in C Major for Two Pianos, and an arrangement of Gershwins Rhapsody in Blue with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The program also includes the orchestra playing Mozarts Marriage of Figaro Overture and Bernsteins Mambo from West Side Story. Herbie Hancock and Lang Lang perform without the orchestra Ravels Mother Goose Suite. There will also be solos by both artists.
Giants in their genres, the legendary Herbie Hancock and piano superstar Lang Lang finish their 2009 world tour together in two anticipated nights of piano virtuosity at the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In his early years, Hancock honed his skills playing alongside Miles Davis. With the classic 80s hit and video Rockit, Hancock also became the ultimate crossover artist. Now in the fifth decade of his career, he continues to reinforce his place as both as both a modern jazz legend and artist of limitless reach with his twelfth Grammy award, received in 2008 for Album of the Year for River: The Joni Letters . In 2010, Herbie Hancock begins a two-year tenure overseeing jazz programming at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and Hollywood Bowl, succeeding Christian McBride as the Creative Chair for Jazz for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He is also the Chairman of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.
Lang Lang is the hottest artist on the classical music planet according to The New York Times, and one of Time Magazines 100 Most Influential People of 2009. His fame goes far beyond the classical music realm; in 2008 he played to an audience of 5 billion viewers during the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. His success has influenced millions of children in China to learn the piano, which The Today Show dubbed the Lang Lang effect. Recognizing the popularity he has among children in China, Steinway created five versions of Lang Lang pianos designed to make the instrument more accessible for early music education. He has been chosen as an official worldwide ambassador to the 2010 Shanghai Expo, is an International Goodwill Ambassador to UNICEF, and the youngest member of the Carnegie Hall Artistic Advisory Board.
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 is home to the best and brightest in all genres of music. The 2004 season introduced audiences to a revitalized Hollywood Bowl, featuring a newly-constructed shell and stage and the addition of four stadium screens enhancing stage views in the venue. To this day, $1 buys a seat at the top of the Bowl for many of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's concerts. While the Bowl is best known for its sizzling summer nights, during the day California's youngest patrons enjoy “SummerSounds: Music for Kids at the Hollywood Bowl," the Southland's most popular summer arts festival for children, now in its 42nd season. In January 2009, the Hollywood Bowl was named Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue for the fifth year in a row at the 20th Annual Pollstar Concert Industry Awards; the Bowl's summer music festival has become as much a part of a Southern California summer as beaches and barbecues, the Dodgers, and Disneyland.
