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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 8:30pm. The two pianists will be playing Vaughan Williams' Concerto in C Major for Two Pianos, and an arrangement of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The program also includes the orchestra playing Mozart's Marriage of Figaro Overture and Bernstein's Mambo from West Side Story. Herbie Hancock and Lang Lang perform without the orchestra Ravel's 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 magazine's 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.
LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC: John Axelrod, Conductor; Herbie Hancock, piano; Lang Lang, piano
MOZART: Marriage of Figaro Overture
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Concerto in C Major for Two Pianos
RAVEL: Mother Goose Suite
BERNSTEIN: Mambo from West Side Story
GERSHWIN: Rhapsody in Blue
Tickets ($10 - $116) are on sale now at HollywoodBowl.com, at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office (TuesdaySaturday, 12 p.m.6 p.m.), or by calling Ticketmaster at 800.745.3000, and at all Ticketmaster outlets. Groups of 10 or more may be eligible for a 20% discount, subject to availability; call 323.850.2050 for further details or group sales. For general information or to request a brochure, call 323.850.2000.
