Legendary singer Tony Bennett and award-winning actress Kristin Chenoweth will headline the University of Mary Washington Philharmonic’s 2016-17 season. The announcement was made at a special event for the Friends of the UMW Philharmonic on Friday, June 17.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have Mr. Bennett and Ms. Chenoweth performing with the Philharmonic this season,” said Kevin Bartram, director of the UMW Philharmonic.
The two celebrity concerts will follow the Philharmonic’s October Masterworks season opener on Saturday, Oct. 22, in Dodd Auditorium in George Washington Hall. Among the featured works, the orchestra will perform Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, “Eroica,” Sibelius’ Finlandia and Smetana’s The Moldau.
Bennett will perform for the holiday concert on Friday, Dec. 9, in Dodd Auditorium. Winner of 17 Grammy Awards and seven Emmys, the celebrated singer has sold millions of albums worldwide. A jazz vocalist, Bennett recorded his first hit, “Because of You,” in 1951 and made a career singing standards, including his signature song, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” His career waned in the 1960s with the popularity of rock music, but rallied again in the 1990s. Tickets to the general public will go on sale Oct. 24, and Oct. 10 to Friends of the Philharmonic.
Chenoweth will perform with the Philharmonic as part of the Celebrity Series on Saturday, March 18, in Dodd Auditorium. The career of the Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress spans film, television, voiceover and stage. She is best known for her inaugural role of Glinda the Good Witch in the Broadway show Wicked. Her many television roles include The West Wing, Glee and Disney’s The Descendants.
The Philharmonic has produced its Celebrity Series concert since 2004. Past artists have included Marvin Hamlisch, Itzhak Perlman, and last year, Joshua Bell. Tickets will go on sale Jan. 16 to the general public, Jan. 9 to Friends of the Philharmonic.
The orchestra will end its season on Friday, April 28, with a concert featuring Aaron Copland’s Pulitzer Prize-winning composition “Appalachian Spring.”
For more information or to become a Friend of the Philharmonic, call 540-654-1324 or visit umwphilharmonic.com.
Ellen Hertz Hewitt ' 57 says
I would love to attend the Tony Bennett concert on Dec. 9 and spend the night at Alumni House. How do I go about this request?