One of the most prominent singers of his generation, and particularly eminent in the operas of Verdi and Puccini, Jose Carreras' operatic career has encompassed over 60 roles on stage and in the recording studio. He gained fame with a wider audience as one of The Three Tenors along with Pl‡cido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti in a series of mass concerts that began in 1990 and continued until 2003.

The Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar is a Venezuelan youth orchestra, founded by Jose Antonio Abreu to provide music lessons to impoverished youth throughout Venezuela, was established on 12 February 1975. Gustavo Dudamel has been the orchestra's artistic director since 1999. The orchestra and Dudamel have made recordings Deutsche Grammophon, and have toured internationally to great acclaim. Gustavo Dudamel was recently appointed as the Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

With the clever use of the music ranging from Stravinsky, Chopin, Barry White, the Beatles and Lou Reed, Parisian musicians, pianist Paul Staicu and cellist Laurent Cirade, perform a musical comedy show that employs slapstick and more subtle physical comedy, sight gags, witty musical parodies and more.

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Renée Fleming's luminous sound, brilliant stage presence and superb artistry are just a few of the qualities that make her one of the world's most beloved and recognizable figures. Her freshness and purity of tone, together with an exceptional musical intelligence and grace, continue to enchant audiences worldwide. As a passionate champion of creativity in the arts, she continues to be a proponent of new music and an advocate of overlooked masterpieces.

From the moment he won the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 1989, Dmitri Hvorostovsky has been hailed as one of the great voices of his, or any, generation. The silver-haired Russian baritone is one reason opera audiences around the world are getting younger, but it is the beauty of his voice Ð refined and powerful Ð that cuts across barriers of age and taste. There is always an audible stir when Dmitri Hvorostovsky strides on stage at the worldÕs great opera houses and concert halls where he now regularly performs. His rare balance of technical command and passion, coupled with a magnetic presence and expansive vocal instrument, has only heightened his reputation as the years have passed.

Pianist Yundi Li is most known for being the youngest pianist to win the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition at the age of 18. Li's debut in the United States took place in June 2003 at Carnegie Hall, as part of Steinway and Sons' 150th Anniversary Gala. His United States concerto debut took place the next month, when he performed Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1.

Li's second recording of Liszt for Deutsche Grammophon, for whom he still – as of 2006 – exclusively records, was released in August 2003 and was named "Best CD of the Year" by The New York Times.

Daniela Mercury is a Latin Grammy Award-winning Brazilian, samba-reggae and MPB singer/songwriter. Since her breakthrough, Mercury became one of the best known Brazilian female singers, selling over 8 million albums in her home country and almost 12 million albums worldwide. As of the present date, she holds the record of being the female singer with most number-one songs in the official Brazilian Singles Chart, with fourteen.

Hailed by critics everywhere for its transcendent and deeply emotional performances, Noche Flamenca is recognized as the most authentic flamenco touring company in the field today.

Under the direction of Martin Santangelo, the award-winning Noche Flamenca has become Spain's most successful touring company. Formed in 1993 by Santangelo and his Bessie award-winning wife, Soledad Barrio, the company regularly tours throughout the globe. Performance highlights in North America include Berkeley's Cal Performances, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, the Ravinia Festival, the American Dance Festival, Wolf Trap, and the Hollywood Bowl, among others.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON NOCHE FLAMENCA

"Pink Martini is like a romantic Hollywood musical of the 1940s or 50s – but with a global perspective which is modern," says founder and artistic director Thomas M. Lauderdale. "We bring melodies and rhythms from different parts of the world together to create something which is new and beautiful."

The Portland, Oregon-based `little orchestra´ was founded in 1994 and has performed its multilingual repertoire on concert stages and with symphony orchestras throughout Europe, Asia, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Canada and the United States. Most recently they played for the prestigious Governor’s Ball following the Academy Awards.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PINK MARTINI