NORMAN LEYDEN TO CONDUCT GERSHWIN TRIBUTE
FEATURING THOMAS M. LAUDERDALE IN "RHAPSODY IN BLUE"
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Portland, Ore. … Pink Martini leader Thomas M. Lauderdale will show off his talents as a piano soloist with a performance of "Rhapsody in Blue" when Associate Conductor Norman Leyden and the Oregon Symphony pay tribute to the music of great American composer George Gershwin in a Bank of America Pops concert May 11-13 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. An additional concert is scheduled for May 14 at Salem's Smith Auditorium. Oregon Symphony Pops concerts are sponsored by Bank of America. Media support is provided by KPTV-Oregon's 12, News Talk 750 KXL and Media America.

With timeless classics like "Summertime," "S' Wonderful," "The Man I Love" and "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," the program will celebrate Gershwin, who wrote some of the most original and popular musical works produced in America. The program also includes hits like "I Got Rhythm," "An American in Paris," "Love is Here to Stay," "They Can't Take That Away From Me," tunes from "Porgy and Bess" and many more. Note: program attached.

The first half of the concert will end with Lauderdale's performance of Gershwin's famous jazz piece for piano and orchestra, "Rhapsody in Blue." Lauderdale is founder and Artistic Director of Portland's acclaimed Pink Martini, though he first appeared with the Oregon Symphony at age 15 as the winner of the Corbett Competition, a statewide contest for high school musicians. Since then he has collaborated with Leyden on numerous occasions with Pink Martini. As a recitalist, Lauderdale has performed with the Seattle Symphony and Chamber Music Northwest and has given performances throughout the Pacific Northwest and in Boston and New York.

The Leyden Singers will join Leyden onstage for "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," "I Got Rhythm," and "Do it Again." Leyden Singers Rebecca Warner and Don Meuler will be featured soloists in "But Not For Me" and "They Can't Take That Away From Me," respectively.

Performances are scheduled for Saturday, May 11, at 8 p.m., Sunday, May 12, at 3 and 8 p.m. and Monday, May 13, at 8 p.m. in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, and Tuesday, May 14, at 8 p.m. at Salem's Smith Auditorium. Tickets range in price from $22 to $63 and may be purchased at the Oregon Symphony Ticket Office (923 S.W. Washington), Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or charged by phone at 503-228-1353 or (800) 228-7343. Tickets also may be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets (503-790-ARTS) or through Ticketmaster Online, via the Symphony's Web site at www.orsymphony.org. Service fees may apply.

Program

"Strike up the Band"
"S' Wonderful"
"Someone to Watch Over Me"
"Love Walked In"
"Fascinating Rhythm"
"Let's Call the Whole Thing Off"
"But Not for Me"
"Nice Work if You Can Get It"
"Biding My Time"
"Looking For a Boy"
"Oh, Lady Be Good"
"I Got Rhythm"
"Rhapsody in Blue"
"An American in Paris"
"Do It Again"
"Love is Here to Stay"
"They Can't Take That Away From Me"
"Porgy and Bess":
"A Woman is a Sometime Thing"
"Summertime"
"I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'"
"It Ain't Necessarily So"
"Bess, You is my Woman Now"
"There's a Boat That's Leavin' Soon for New York"
"I'm on my Way"
"Clap Your Hands"
"Swanee"

Thomas M. Lauderdale

Thomas M. Lauderdale was raised on a plant nursery in rural Indiana and began his formal music education at the age of 6. He has appeared with the Oregon Symphony, the Seattle Symphony and Chamber Music Northwest and has given recitals throughout the Pacific Northwest, and in Boston and New York. He was Student Body President of Ulysses S. Grant High School in Portland and has been active in Oregon politics since the age of 14, having served under Portland Mayor "Bud" Clark and Governor Neil Goldschmidt. In 1991 he worked under Portland City Commissioner Gretchen Kafoury on the drafting and passage of the city's civil rights ordinance. He graduated cum laude from Harvard with a degree in History and Literature in 1992. He is the founder and Artistic Director of Pink Martini, and has performed with the group in Europe, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Taiwan and the United States. He studies piano with Sylvia Killman.