Music lovers have watched Renée Fleming sing her enchanting opera in large concert halls and opera houses around the world, but never in the intimate galleries of the Parrish Art Museum.
On Saturday, August 13, at 7 p.m., the four-time Grammy-winning soprano is performing a special recital with guest singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. The public is invited to attend this celebration of opera and music theater that includes a private reception after the show.
Although she normally performs on large, open stages, Ms. Fleming is excited to venture onto a much more compact setting at the Parrish that can fit an audience of around 100. The duet plans to entertain the small crowd with a set list they planned just for this event, including a special performance of “Hallelujah” that was originally released by artist Leonard Cohen. Mr. Wainwright sang a version of “Hallelujah” that was featured in the animated film “Shrek.”
Ms. Fleming began performing opera in the 1980s while she was a graduate student at Juilliard in Manhattan. Over the past few decades, her musical talent has made her one of the most notable and accomplished opera singers of her generation. In addition to her four Grammys—three for Best Classical Vocal Performance and one for Best Classical Vocal Solo—she was also awarded the prestigious National Medal of Arts in 2012, given to her by President Barack Obama, and the Richard Tucker Award in 1990.
Her creative counterpart for the evening, Mr. Wainwright, is an award-winning artist also worth seeing. In nearly two decades, he has released 10 albums, recorded songs for 28 compilations and film soundtracks and composed the opera “Prima Donna.” His mesmerizing voice will complement Ms. Fleming’s soprano to create a duet unlike any other.
“We recorded together last year for my Christmas album,” the opera star said of Mr. Wainwright. “He’s wonderful and such a great musician.”
She created this event to provide the East End community with a fun night of entertainment, she said. Guests will be able to enjoy a live musical performance while also enjoying the natural setting of the Parrish.
“I’m a culture fanatic. I felt like there wasn’t enough going on [in the Hamptons]. People out there in the summer might totally disagree.” Ms. Fleming laughed. “I visited and fell in love with the Parrish Art Museum. The architecture is spectacular. I’ve grown to love architecture. I have experienced a lot of new concert halls by major current architects and I’ve developed a major appreciation for it.”
In order to make this event possible, Ms. Fleming partnered up with IMG Artists and its principal owner, Barrett Wissman, French choreographer Benjamin Millepied, the Parrish and Tokyo-based philanthropic institution IFAC Handa Foundation.
Tickets are $250 for members of the Parrish Art Museum and $275 for non-members. Advance reservations are required. To purchase tickets, visit parrishart.org.
on Aug 8, 2016