2x GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright has announced the upcoming release of an all-new concert recording. Rufus Wainwright and Amsterdam Sinfonietta Live arrives Friday, November 26 via BMG’s Modern Recordings on vinyl, CD, and digital download, with two additional bonus tracks on digital format and CD formats; pre-orders are available now HERE
PRE-ORDER RUFUS WAINWRIGHT AND AMSTERDAM SINFONIETTA LIVE
Rufus Wainwright and Amsterdam Sinfonietta Live was recorded in January 2017 as Wainwright toured with the prestigious all-string ensemble Amsterdam Sinfonietta through the Netherlands. Curated by Wainwright, the ten concerts reflected the immense bandwidth of his musical influences and interests, spanning Verdi arias, pieces by Rameau and his beloved Berlioz, American standards, classics by Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell, French chanson, songs by his family, and songs of his own, some written expressly for this program. At the album’s emotional center is an epic version of late Canadian singer-songwriter Lhasa de Sela’s harrowing “I’m Going In,” a song written about her own death from cancer at the age of 37. With Wainwright’s voice truly at the peak of its substantial power, Rufus Wainwright and Amsterdam Sinfonietta Live 2017 showcases the astounding artistic kinship between the celebrated singer-songwriter and the Amsterdam Sinfonietta – led by Candida Thompson – making these previously unreleased live recordings something utterly unique and entirely breathtaking.
“These were some of the most challenging and most fulfilling shows I have done in my life,” says Wainwright. “Never have I sung so many songs from such different styles and worlds of music from French baroque to classical arias to contemporary music. I don't think this would have been possible without the Amsterdam Sinfonietta and Candida Thompson. I was caught, uplifted, secure, challenged in their beautiful string playing."
Rufus Wainwright and Amsterdam Sinfonietta Live are heralded by a stunning version of Wainwright’s own landmark song, “Gay Messiah,” available as an instant grat download with all pre-orders and premiering today on all digital platforms.
“This song earned me an explicit lyrics sticker on the 2004 Want Two album,” says Wainwright. “It was written at a bleak time for gay people. Aids was still ravaging our community. The melody is beautiful, uplifting, and sweet. I often reference images and characters from the Western cultural canon, in this case obviously Jesus, and transplant them into my queer world. I am quite proud of my bridges in my songs, but I think this one has truly one of the most beautiful melodies in the bridge that I have written.”
Rufus Wainwright and Amsterdam Sinfonietta Live was mixed by multiple GRAMMY® Award-winner Ryan Freeland and mastered by Ruairi O’Flaherty, both in Los Angeles, and is comprised of recordings from five of the 10 concerts. All arrangements were created specifically for the Amsterdam Sinfonietta.
Wainwright will reunite with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta for an eagerly awaited tour of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, set for January 2022. The Amsterdam Sinfonietta has previously worked with giants in the classical world including Sol Gabetta, Kristian Bezuidenhout, Thomas Hampson, Janine Jansen, and Giovanni Sollima. In addition, the Amsterdam Sinfonietta’s New Year’s tour has become a well-known project with unique and unforgettable performances by the orchestra with artists from pop, jazz, or world scenes.
Wainwright is currently traveling the U.S. on an acclaimed co-headline tour alongside José González, Wainwright will visit the UK next month for a full band Unfollow The Rules tour. Additional dates will be announced soon. For complete details and remaining ticket availability, please see rufuswainwright.com/tour.
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
ON TOUR 2021
SEPTEMBER
24 – Chicago, IL – The Chicago Theatre *
25 – Carmel, IN - The Palladium at The Center For The Performing Arts *
26 – Detroit, MI –Cathedral Theatre at The Masonic Temple *
28 – Washington, DC – The Anthem *
29 – Boston, MA – The Orpheum Theatre *
30 – New York, NY – The Rooftop at Pier 17 *
OCTOBER
1 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre *
3 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount †
9 – Edinburgh, Scotland – Usher Hall †
10 – Manchester, England – Bridgewater Hall †
12 – Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England – City Hall †
13 – York, England – Barbican †
15 – Cambridge, England – The Corn Exchange †
17 – Southend-on-Sea, England – Leas Cliffs Pavilion †
19 – London, England – The London Palladium †
20 – Brighton, England – Brighton Dome †
JANUARY 2022
7 – Groningen, Netherlands – SPOT ‡
8 – Leiden, Netherlands – Stadsgehoorzaal ‡
10 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Het Concertgebouw ‡
13 – Enschede, Netherlands – Muziekcentrum ‡
16 – Harleen, Netherlands – Parkstad Limburg Theaters ‡
17 – Utrecht, Netherlands – Tivoli Vredenburg ‡
19 – Arnhem, Netherlands – Musis ‡
20 – Tilburg, Netherlands – Concertzaal ‡
22 – Eindhoven, North Brabant - Muziekgebouw Eindhoven ‡
23 – Brussels, Belgium – BOZAR ‡
24 – Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia - Tonhalle Düsseldorf ‡
MARCH 2022
30 – Paris, France – Le Grand Rex
JULY 2022
11 – Amstelveen, Netherlands – Amsterdamse Bostheater
30 – Glasgow, Scotland – Kelvingrove Bandstand
* w/José González
† Unfollow The Rules w/full band
‡ Rufus Wainwright and Amsterdam Sinfonietta
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Rufus Wainwright and Amsterdam Sinfonietta Live follows this month’s release of Rufus Wainwright: Unfollow The Rules – The Paramour Sessions, a new concert recording available now on vinyl and digital download HERE. The concert – which first premiered last summer in partnership with ALL ARTS and the WNET Group and later received a New York EMMY® Award nomination for its WNET broadcast – sees Wainwright performing songs from last year’s GRAMMY® Award-nominated Unfollow The Rules, recorded live in a beautiful ballroom at the famed Paramour Mansion in Los Angeles. Wainwright recently celebrated the album’s arrival with a striking rendition of “Peaceful Afternoon,” on Jimmy Kimmel Live! (streaming HERE).
ABOUT AMSTERDAM SINFONIETTA
Founded in 1988, Amsterdam Sinfonietta comprises 22 string players who perform under the leadership of violinist Candida Thompson, the orchestra’s concertmaster since 1995 as well as its artistic director since 2003. Their unique approach to music-making, without a conductor, distinguishes the group from traditional chamber orchestras, calling for an extremely intense degree of involvement from all the musicians. The repertoire covers a variety of styles, from baroque repertoire to contemporary new works.
Amsterdam Sinfonietta has made international tours of Europe, China, South America, and Australia, and performed at such iconic venues as the Barbican Hall in London, Cité de la Musique in Paris, the National Centre of Performing Arts in Beijing, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, and the Konzerthaus in Vienna. Widely acclaimed for its highly innovative programs and trademark versatility, the orchestra has collaborated with such diverse musical artists as Rufus Wainwright, Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin, Jonathan Jeremiah, and the Dutch band De Dijk. For more information, please visit www.sinfonietta.nl.
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RUFUS WAINWRIGHT AND AMSTERDAM SINFONIETTA LIVE
