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Carlsbad, CA
1/13/06
Edmonton Symphony
1/20/06
1/21/06
Eugene Symphony
3/14/06
3/15/06
3/16/06
New Zealand Symphony
3/27/06
3/28/06
3/29/06
3/30/06
Saginaw Bay Symphony
5/6/06
Philadelphia Orchestra, Marvin Hamlisch conducting
7/29/06
BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Albert Hall
8/28/06
Museum of Jewish Heritage, Safra Hall, New York City
10/29/06
National Symphony, Kennedy Center, Marvin Hamlisch conducting
11/25/06
Pittsburgh Symphony, Marvin Hamlisch conducting
1/25/07
1/26/07
1/27/07
1/28/07
Milwaukee Symphony
2/3/07
San Diego Symphony, Marvin Hamlisch conducting
4/6/07
4/7/07
Minnesota Orchestra
5/16/07
5/17/07
Pacific Symphony
6/14/07
6/15/07
6/16/07
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra,
Robert Franz conducting
7/8/07
"Gershwin in Concert," Palace Theater, Waterbury, CT
11/9/07
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Artist Biography
America's pianist and Steinway Artist Kevin Cole has delighted audiences with a repertoire that includes the best of 20th Century American Music. Kevin Cole's performances, especially his interpretation of Gershwin, have prompted accolades from some of the foremost critics in America. "When Cole sits down at the piano, you would swear Gershwin himself was at work...Cole stands as the best Gershwin pianist in America today," wrote Howard Reich, arts critic for the Chicago Tribune.
Engagements for Mr. Cole include: sold-out performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl; San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Philharmonia Orchestra (London); Boston Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony; BBC Concert Orchestra (Covent Garden Festival); Cincinnati Pops (Erich Kunzel conducting); Interlochen Center for the Arts (Michigan) and the Ravinia Festival (Chicago, IL). Cole has been a featured soloist at the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival and the Chicago Humanities Festival. He has shared the concert stage with notables from opera greats William Warfield and Sylvia McNair to Broadway legend Barbara Cook. His solo debut at Chicago's Orchestra Hall was a concert of his own compositions. A step in a new direction featured Cole as a singer/pianist in Gershwin's LADY, BE GOOD! at the Teatro Nacional Sao Carlos, Lisbon, Portugal. Honoring the 100th anniversary of songwriter Harold Arlen's birth he performed a sold-out solo concert of Arlen for the Chicago Humanties Festival. In March 2005 Kevin gave the first professional performance, with the Albany Symphony(NY), of the Concerto in Three Rhythms, by Dana Suesse ( The Girl Gershwin ) since its debut in 1932.
Kevin Cole is an award winning musical director, arranger, composer, vocalist and archivist who has garnered the praises of Irving Berlin, Harold Arlen, E.Y.Harburg, Hugh Martin, Burton Lane, Stephen Sondheim and members of the Jerome Kern and Gershwin families.
Kevin Cole's awards as music director and archivist include Joseph Jefferson Award, Forever Plaid, (Chicago, 1995); Bay Area Critics' Award, Oh, Kay! (San Francisco, 1994) and The Boys From Syracuse (San Francisco 1995) for the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. Additionally, Kevin was music director and arranger for Sweet, Smart, Rodgers & Hart, Pasadena Playhouse and two original revues ( with writer/director Leeds Bird) R.S.V.P Jerome Kern and The Gershwin Years. He collaborated with Broadway choreographer Randy Skinner (42nd Street) to create sparkling new dance music arrangements for the smash hit revival of Babes in Arms for Goodspeed Opera House. As artistic director for Ravinia Festival's new Steans Institute Musical Theatre Initiative, Cole presented staged readings of his new Deitz / Schwartz musical, A Shine On Your Shoes. He also participated in a Harold Arlen Symmposium with noted musical scholar, Robert Kimball at the Spertus Institute. Kevin's latest work as performer/archivist is a DVD project for Warner Bros., which includes the re-release of the Fred Astaire / Ginger Rogers film musicals.
Performances in 2005-2006 include:New Zealand Symphony;Minnesota Orchestra;Milwaukee Symphony;Eugene Symphony(OR); Albany Symphony (NY); Carolina Chamber Symphony;Flint Symphony (MI);Edmonton Symphony (Canada); Ravinia Festival, Chicago; Museum of Making Music, Carlsbad, CA; City Opera House, Traverse City, MI , a Harold Arlen Centennial Concert at the Chicago Historical Society ,a benefit concert for MS in Rancho Mirage, CA. Kevin will have special Holiday Concerts in the following Michigan cities: Goodrich ( Dec.2), Flint (Dec.4),Saginaw (Dec.10) and Bay City (Dec. 16,17 & 18) Check website for details.
His discography includes critically acclaimed Lady Be Good: First Recordings of the Unknown George Gershwin (Pro Arte) and Gramophone Musical Album of the Year, 1995, Gershwin's Oh, Kay! with soprano Dawn Upshaw (Elektra/Nonesuch). He also recorded four discs for Yamaha's Disklavier Pianos.
His new CD A Cole Christmas was released in December. Kevin currently has two CDs : The Song Is You with the Carolyn Mawby Chorale and his solo piano disc Cole Plays Gershwin which is available at today's performance.
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"Cole Plays Gershwin" - Release Date: July 4, 2004
Kevin Cole will release "Cole Plays Gershwin" a compilation of music that highlights both Gershwin's concert works and popular songs. The CD is part of an upcoming 7-CD series on great American composers and "Cole Plays Gershwin" is the first release in the series. Gershwin experts and opinion-leaders across the U.S. -- from Edward Jablonski to David Alan Miller to Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune to members of the Gershwin family -- all acclaim Kevin Cole as the top Gershwin pianist by far. "Kevin is the best Gershwin pianist since George Gershwin himself. No can touch him." Edward Jablosnki, Author of Encyclopedia of American Music; Gershwin: A Biography; Harold Arlen: Rhythm, Rainbows and Blues and Irving Berlin: American Troubadour.
On July 4, the day of the release, Kevin will be performing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia in Highland Park, Illinois. Kevin will also be holding a special post-concert solo performance in the Martin Theatre immediately following, and will be onsite signing copies of his new CD.
Musical Highlights
"Rhapsody in Blue" The Complete Solo Version
After Gershwin's death in 1937, most of the major compositions were "edited" by his publisher who felt they needed fixing. Fortunately, pianist-musicologist Alicia Zizzo began the restoration of Gershwin's compositions by going to the manuscripts, early recordings or Gershwin's own radio performances to preserve the works as Gershwin originally conceived, and often performed them. The result is a revelation with the missing passages recovered; it is the same composition, but with a bravura difference.
"Rialto Ripples/Fascinating Rhythm" and "Wake Up Brother, and Dance"
These tracks feature Kevin playing on an 1883 Hallet Davis upright that provides aural echoes reminiscent of the Gershwin era.
All arrangements on the CD are by Kevin with the exception of the Piano Preludes and the Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin himself.
Other Details of Mr. Cole's New Release
| Album Producer: |
Kevin Cole |
| Session producers: |
Gerie Greenspan
David Greenspan
Leeds Bird |
| Executive Producers: |
Jim & Barbara Herst
Al & Susan Cogswell
Spantastic Disc
Jarlath Connolly |
| Pianos: |
Vintage Steinway nine-foot Model D
1883 Hallet Davis upright used on tracks 3 and 13 |
| Website: |
www.kevincoleonline.com |
| Format: |
SACD |
| Distribution: |
www.coleplays.com, www.Amazon.com, www.CDBaby.com |
| Manufacturing: |
Oasis CD Manufacturing |
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