Award-winning singer-songwriter-composer Rufus Wainwright makes his debut with the Minnesota Orchestra in concert on Saturday, December 2, at Orchestra Hall. The concert, which is conducted by Sarah Hicks, principal conductor of Live at Orchestra Hall, features original music by Wainwright such as Poses, This Love Affair, and Oh What a World, plus holiday selections and more. Wainwright’s first performance at Orchestra Hall was during Sommerfest 2010 (performing without the Orchestra), when he shared a special concert with his sister, folk-rock singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright.

The performance is held at Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis on Saturday, December 2, at 8 p.m. with ticket prices ranging from $40 to $99. More information is available at minnesotaorchestra.org and by phone at 612-371-5656. For further purchasing details, refer to the information section at the conclusion of this press release.

Rufus Wainwright

Rufus Wainwright has released eight studio albums, three DVDs and three live albums. He has collaborated with artists ranging from Elton John, David Byrne, Robbie Williams, Mark Ronson, Joni Mitchell to Burt Bacharach. His album Rufus Does Judy, recorded at Carnegie Hall in 2006 was nominated for a Grammy. His acclaimed first opera, Prima Donna, premiered at the Manchester International Festival in July 2009 and will be performed this summer at the Armel Opera Festival in Hungary and the Augsburg Theatre in Germany. Wainwright celebrated Shakespeare on the 400th anniversary of his death with the spring 2016 release of his latest album, Take All My Loves: 9 Shakespeare Sonnets, on Deutsche Grammophon worldwide. The Canadian Opera Company commissioned Wainwright’s second opera, about Roman Emperor Hadrian, to premiere in Toronto in the fall of 2018. More: rufuswainwright.com.

Sarah Hicks, conductor

Sarah Hicks, the Minnesota Orchestra’s principal conductor of Live at Orchestra Hall, has led a broad range of programs since joining the Orchestra as assistant conductor in 2006. During the 2017-18 season, she conducts Orchestra performances with Ben Folds, Pink Martini, Cloud Cult and Cirque de la Symphonie, as well as a brand-new “Home for the Holidays” program, and film music concerts including La La Land, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Little Mermaid and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. She has recently conducted the San Francisco Symphony, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and San Diego Symphony, and debuted with the major orchestras in Melbourne, Brisbane, Montreal, Toronto and Lisbon. More: minnesotaorchestra.org.