STEVE LIPPIA SINGS SINATRA: Jeff Tyzik conducts Ol’ Blue Eyes tribute May 24 & 25

For Immediate Release:  May 7, 2013
Media Contacts:   Sally Cohen, 585-749-1795, sally@sallycohenpr.com, @PR4Arts
RPO Info:  rpo.org, facebook.com/SuperRPO, twitter.com/SuperRPO, rpo-land.blogspot.com

Rochester, NY – The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) with Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik present Steve Lippia Sings Sinatra on Friday, May 24 and Saturday, May 25 at 8 p.m. in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre.  Tickets start at $22 ($10 student tickets) and are available in person at the Eastman Theatre Box Office (433 East Main Street) or at area Wegmans; by phone at (585) 454-2100; or online at rpo.org.

Steve Lippia (LIP-ee-ah, stevelippia.com) has established his place among the finest interpreters of standards and traditional pop music in North America. He’s headlined standing-room-only shows at the legendary Birdland in New York City, backed by the Nelson Riddle and Woody Herman orchestras, and his recordings include the Grammy-nominated Steve Lippia in Concert.  Besides headlining extended engagements in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, he’s performed hundreds of sold-out shows with symphony orchestras across North America, including Boston Pops, Peter Nero and The Philly Pops, Dallas, Hartford, St. Louis, Fort Worth, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Cleveland Pops, Phoenix, Grand Rapids, Duluth-Superior, Virginia and Austin, as well as Toronto, Vancouver, Brampton-Ontario, Edmonton and Calgary. His last RPO performance was for Gala Holiday Pops concerts in December 2006.

“Steve is the only artist today that I know of who can bring the music and sound of Frank Sinatra alive in the symphonic world,” says Maestro Tyzik, who’s performed with Lippia for the past 10 years. “If you like to hear Sinatra hits as close to the original as possible, Steve is the man!”

Both halves of the program will feature Lippia singing classics that include “The Lady is a Tramp,” “The Best is Yet to Come,” “All the Way,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Angel Eyes,” “That’s Life,” “Come Fly with Me,” “Mack the Knife,” “New York, New York,” “My Way” and many other American Songbook standards that have become synonymous with Ol’ Blue Eyes.  In addition to the RPO, Lippia will be accompanied by a talented local trio familiar to RPO audiences:  John Nyerges on piano, Dave Mancini on drums and Jeff Campbell on bass.

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra has been committed to enriching and inspiring our community through the art of music since its founding in 1922. The RPO presents up to 150 concerts a year, serving nearly 200,000 people through ticketed events, education and community engagement activities, and concerts in schools and community centers throughout the region. Notable former music directors include Eugene Goossens, José Iturbi, Erich Leinsdorf, David Zinman, and Conductor Laureate Christopher Seaman; Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik has earned a national reputation for excellence in pops programming during his 19-year tenure with the RPO. With Michael Butterman as Principal Conductor for Education and Outreach (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair) – the first position of its kind in the country – the RPO reaches 12,000 children through its specific programs for school-aged children.

Media please note:  High-resolution images are available upon request and at docs.google.com/folder.  Interviews, as well as photo and footage opportunities, can be arranged.