Michael Feinstein
Michael Feinstein, the multi-platinum-selling, five-time Grammy-nominated entertainer
dubbed "The Ambassador of the Great American Songbook," is considered one of the premier
interpreters of American standards. His 200-plus shows a year have included performances at
Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and the Hollywood Bowl, as well as the White House
and Buckingham Palace.
More than simply a performer, Mr. Feinstein has received national recognition for his
commitment to celebrating America's popular song and preserving its legacy for the next
generation. In 2007, he founded the Michael Feinstein Great American Songbook Initiative,
dedicated to celebrating the art form and preserving it through educational programs,
master classes, and the annual High School Vocal Academy and Competition, which awards
scholarships and prizes to students across the country. He also 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.
Mr. Feinstein earned his fifth Grammy nomination in 2009 for The Sinatra Project,
his Concord Records CD celebrating the music of "Ol' Blue Eyes." The Sinatra Project,
Volume II: The Good Life was released last year. His Emmy-nominated
TV special, Michael Feinstein: The Sinatra Legacy-taped live at the Palladium in
Carmel, Indiana-is currently airing across the country. His PBS series Michael
Feinstein's American Songbook was the recipient of the ASCAP Deems Taylor Television
Broadcast Award; the first two seasons are now available on DVD and the third season is
scheduled to air in 2013. For his nationally syndicated public radio program Song
Travels, Mr. Feinstein interviews and performs alongside such music luminaries as
Bette Midler, Neil Sedaka, Liza Minnelli, Moby, Rickie Lee Jones, David Hyde Pierce, and
others.
Mr. Feinstein's new book, The Gershwins and Me (Simon & Schuster)
includes a CD of Gershwin standards performed with pianist Cyrus Chestnut. Recently, Mr.
Feinstein released The Power of Two (a collaboration with
Glee and 30 Rock star Cheyenne Jackson) and Cheek to
Cheek (with Broadway legend Barbara Cook).
Mr. Feinstein serves as artistic director of the Center for the Performing Arts-a $170
million, three-theater venue in Carmel, Indiana. The theater is home to an annual
international Great American Songbook festival, diverse live programming, and a museum for
Mr. Feinstein's rare memorabilia and manuscripts. In 2010, he also became director of Jazz
at Lincoln Center's Jazz and Popular Song Series. In 2013, he replaced the late Marvin
Hamlisch as the lead conductor of the Pasadena Pops.
The roots of all this work began in Columbus, Ohio, where Mr. Feinstein started playing
piano by ear when he was five. After graduating from high school, he worked in local piano
bars for two years, moving to Los Angeles when he was 20. The widow of legendary concert
pianist-actor Oscar Levant introduced him to Ira Gershwin in July 1977. Mr. Feinstein
became Gershwin's assistant for six years, which earned him access to numerous unpublished
Gershwin songs, many of which he has since performed and recorded.
For more information, visit michaelfeinstein.com.
Peter Cincotti
Peter Cincotti-singer, songwriter, pianist, and native New Yorker-began playing piano at
the age of three. While in high school, he regularly performed in clubs throughout
Manhattan. In 2003, his debut album, produced by the legendary Phil Ramone, reached number
one on the Billboard jazz charts, making Mr. Cincotti the youngest artist ever to
do so. This led to acclaimed performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Olympia in
Paris, the Montreux Jazz Festival (where he won an award in the renowned piano
competition), Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, and many other prestigious venues around the
world.
Mr. Cincotti made his acting debut in the Kevin Spacey film Beyond the Sea, and
also contributed to the film's soundtrack. He then made a cameo appearance in the
blockbuster film Spider-Man 2, and soon after became the face of Ermenegildo
Zegna's 2004-2005 fashion campaign. His original song "December Boys" was featured in the
Australian film of the same title, starring Daniel Radcliffe.
In 2006, Mr. Cincotti teamed up with 14-time Grammy Award winner David Foster to record
his first album of all original material for Warner Bros. Records entitled East of
Angel Town. His single "Goodbye Philadelphia" took the airwaves by storm, reaching the
top of radio playlists throughout Europe. In the spring of 2009, he brought the album to
the US by joining the artist Seal on his sold-out American tour.
Mr. Cincotti explores musical styles that blend pop, rock, blues, and jazz, infusing each
new song he writes with originality and startling energy. His unparalleled piano skills and
brilliantly relevant songwriting make him one of the most unique and socially aware artists
in the music industry today, a sentiment that is freshly showcased on his latest album
Metropolis.