Five-time Grammy nominee Michael Feinstein will bring his Ira Gershwin Program and Great American Songbook to the Sedona International Film Festival in a concert that celebrates Music in the Movies on Friday, Feb. 24, at 4 p.m. at the Sedona Performing Arts Center. Tickets for concert will go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 16.
Feinstein has built a dazzling career over the last three decades, bringing the music of the Great American Songbook to the world. From recordings that have earned him five Grammy Award nominations to his Emmy-nominated PBS specials, his acclaimed NPR series and concerts spanning the globe — in addition to his appearances at iconic venues such as the White House, Buckingham Palace, Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall and Sydney Opera House — his work as an educator and archivist define Feinstein as one of the most important musical forces of our time.
In 2007, he founded the Great American Songbook Foundation, dedicated to celebrating the art form and preserving it through educational programs, Master Classes, and the annual High School Songbook Academy. Feinstein serves on the Library of Congress’ National Recording Preservation Board, an organization dedicated to ensuring the survival, conservation and increased public availability of America’s sound recording heritage.
His Emmy-nominated TV special “Michael Feinstein: The Sinatra Legacy” aired across the country, and the PBS series “Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook” was broadcast for three seasons and is available on DVD. For his nationally syndicated public radio program “Song Travels,” Feinstein interviews and performs alongside music luminaries such as Bette Midler, Neil Sedaka, Liza Minnelli, Rickie Lee Jones, David Hyde Pierce and more.
As Ira Gershwin’s assistant for six years early in his career, Feinstein earned access to numerous unpublished Gershwin songs, many of which he has since performed and recorded. Gershwin’s influence provided a solid base upon which Feinstein evolved into a captivating performer, composer and arranger of his own original music. He also has become an unparalleled interpreter of music legends such as Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer, Duke Ellington and Harry Warren.
Through his live performances, recordings, film and television appearances, and his songwriting — in collaboration with Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Lindy Robbins, Bob Merrill and Amanda Green — Feinstein is an all-star force in American music.
Tickets are priced at $55 or $45 for this special concert event. VIP tickets for the best seats at SPAC and a backstage meet-and-greet with Feinstein before the concert are $100. Only 50 VIP tickets will be sold.
No phone orders will be taken because all ticket buyers must select their seats at the time of purchase. All concert-goers must have a ticket for entry. Sedona International Film Festival passes and ticket packages will not provide concert access. This is a separate ticketed event.
For more information, visit SedonaFilmFestival.org or call the Film Festival office at 282-1177. The box office is located at 2030 W. SR 89A in West Sedona.
