“LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT LEGEND AWARD”
IN CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HONOLULU – August 26, 2008. Halekulani Corporation, sponsor of the Honolulu Symphony’s Halekulani Masterworks, is pleased to announce the inaugural presentation of its “Lifetime Achievement Legend Award” recognizing exceptional contributions to the arts by unrivaled masters in their field. The newly-designated annual award is a testament to the luxury hotel’s dedicated support and celebration of arts and culture in Hawaii, and will be presented to the distinguished honoree at a private reception celebrating the opening of the much anticipated 2008 Honolulu Symphony Season and Halekulani Masterworks series.
Halekulani Corporation is pleased to announce ANDRÉ WATTS as its inaugural recipient of its first annual Halekulani “Lifetime Achievement Legend Award.” Watts, a world-renowned classical pianist, is set to open the Honolulu Symphony season and the Masterworks series with “Watts plays Brahms.”
“Since his stunning New York debut with Leonard Bernstein over forty years ago, Andre Watts has been consistently recognized as one of the greatest pianists in musical history,” said Peter Shaindlin, Chief Operating Officer, Halekulani Corporation. “His repeated interest in performing in Hawaii coupled with the vision and support of the Honolulu Symphony’s leadership allows Watts to return to us yet again, this time with a breathtaking Brahms repertoire of staggering proportions. As a committed supporter of fine arts in Hawaii, Halekulani Corporation is delighted to recognize Mr. Watts for his contributions to art in Hawaii. Opening night of the 2008 Halekulani Masterworks series promises to be an explosive, awe-inspiring evening that no one should miss!”
ANDRÉ WATTS will be presented with the “Lifetime Achievement Legend Award” on Friday, September 5, 2008 at Halekulani. The award will be presented by Peter Shaindlin, Chief Operating Officer of Halekulani Corporation and Tom Gulick, Executive Director of the Honolulu Symphony. The awards reception will feature an all Brahms musical theme, paying tribute to the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 which Watts will perform the opening night of the season, Saturday, September 6, 2008.
About André Watts:
André Watts burst upon the music world at the age of 16 when Leonard Bernstein chose him to debut with the New York Philharmonic in their Young People's Concerts, broadcast nationwide on CBS-TV. Only two weeks later, Bernstein asked him to substitute at the last minute for the ailing Glenn Gould in performances of Liszt's E-flat Concerto with the New York Philharmonic, thus launching his career in storybook fashion. More than 45 years later, André Watts remains one of today's most celebrated and beloved superstars.
A perennial favorite with orchestras throughout the US, Mr. Watts is also a regular guest at the major summer music festivals. Recent and upcoming orchestral engagements include appearances with the Philadelphia and Minnesota Orchestras, New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, and the St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Detroit, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Dallas, Seattle and National symphonies. Mr. Watts also made an eleven city East Coast tour with the Bergen Philharmonic which included a performance at Carnegie Hall and was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his debut (with the Philadelphia Orchestra).
HALEKULANI – “LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT LEGEND AWARD”
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André Watts has had a long and frequent association with television, having appeared on numerous programs produced by PBS, the BBC and the Arts and Entertainment Network, performing with the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center among others. His 1976 New York recital, aired on the program Live From Lincoln Center, was the first full length recital broadcast in the history of television and his performance at the 38th Casals Festival in Puerto Rico was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Individual Achievement in Cultural Programming. Mr. Watts’ most recent television appearances are with the Philadelphia Orchestra on the occasion of the orchestra’s 100th Anniversary Gala and a performance of the Brahms Concerto No.2 with the Seattle Symphony, Gerard Schwarz conducting, for PBS.
Mr. Watts’ extensive discography includes recordings of works by Gershwin, Chopin, Liszt and Tchaikovsky for CBS Masterworks; recital CD’s of works by Beethoven, Schubert, Liszt and Chopin for Angel/EMI; and recordings featuring the concertos of Liszt, MacDowell, Tchaikovsky and Saint-Saens on the Telarc label. He is also included in the Great Pianists of the 20th Century series for Philips.
A much-honored artist who has played before royalty in Europe and heads of government in nations all over the world, André Watts was selected to receive the Avery Fisher Prize in 1988. At age 26 he was the youngest person ever to receive an Honorary Doctorate from Yale University and he has since received numerous such honors from highly respected schools including the University of Pennsylvania, Brandeis University, Trinity College and The Juilliard School of Music. In 1984, his Alma Mater, the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, honored Mr. Watts with its Distinguished Alumni Award and in May, 1997 Peabody again recognized his accomplishments by presenting him with an Honorary Doctorate degree. Previously Artist-in-Residence at the University of Maryland, Mr. Watts was appointed to the newly created Jack I. and Dora B. Hamlin Endowed Chair in Music at Indiana University in May, 2004.
MEDIA NOTE:
André Watt’s biography and headshot are available upon request; please contact Erika Kauffman, Director of Public Relations for Hotels & Resorts of Halekulani at (808) 535-0623 or via erika.kauffman@halekulanicorp.com. Media event attendance at the reception is welcome.
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Director of Public Relations
Hotes & Resorts of Halekulani
diane.ako@halekulanicorp.com
Phone: (808) 535-0623
Fax: (808) 536-8794
Director
Evins Communication, Ltd.
maureen.gillespie@evins.com
212.377.3591
212.935-6730
www.evins.com
Account Executive, Travel & Hospitality
Evins Communications, LTD.
martha.pulido@evins.com
Phone: (212) 377-3581
Fax: (212) 935-6730