Pink Martini With Fort Worth Symphony

Join Conductor Jeffrey Pollock and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra for another round with the essence of international style, Pink Martini, April 12-15 at Bass Performance Hall. This cosmopolitan ensemble brought the house down two years ago with their eclectic blend of classical, jazz, Latin, Parisian lounge and Japanese film noir, and we've heard pleas to bring them back ever since.

Don't miss this blockbuster ending to the Pops season! Concerts start at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Somewhere between a 1930s Cuban dance orchestra, a classical chamber music ensemble, a Brazilian marching street band and Japanese film noir is the twelve-piece Pink Martini. Part language lesson and part Hollywood musical, the Portland, Oregon-based "little orchestra" was created in 1994 by Harvard graduate and classically trained pianist Thomas M. Lauderdale to play at political fundraisers for progressive causes such as civil rights, affordable housing, clean water and public broadcasting. The group made its European debut at the Cannes Film Festival and in the years following went on to tour throughout Europe, Greece, Turkey, Taiwan, Lebanon and the United States.

Equally at home performing its multi-lingual repertoire on concert stages and smoky bars, Pink Martini draws a wildly diverse crowd. The ensemble made its orchestral debut with the Oregon Symphony Orchestra in 1999 under the direction of Norman Leyden. Pink Martini has since performed with the symphony orchestras of Seattle, Nashville, New Jersey, Charlotte, San Antonio, Kansas City and Jacksonville as well as the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Other appearances include the Kennedy Center, the opening of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, and the William Morris Agency's 100th birthday celebration with soul legend Al Green.

Pink Martini's debut album, Sympathique, was released independently on the band's own label, Heinz Records (after Lauderdale's dog, Heinz) and has sold over 650,000 copies worldwide. Nominated for "Song of the Year" and "Best New Artist" in France's Victoires de la Musique awards, Sympathique has gone Platinum in France and Gold in Greece. The band's much anticipated second album, Hang On Little Tomato, was released in 2004.

These concerts are made possible, in part, by the generous support of Star-Telegram. Promotional support is provided by the Star-Telegram and WRR Classical 101.1 FM.

Tickets are $24-$76. -- www.fwsymphony.org

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