Press Release

November 9, 2016

Michael Feinstein

ARTrageous Benefit Gala
Starring Michael Feinsten
Saturday, December 3, 2016, 8:30 p.m.
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) – The incomparable “Ambassador of the Great American Songbook,” Michael Feinstein, with a special guest, will headline Scottsdale Arts’ annual ARTrageous Benefit Gala on Saturday, Dec. 3, at 8:30 p.m. at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. The event celebrates and supports the nonprofit Scottsdale Arts, which includes the Center, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA), Scottsdale Public Art, as well as arts education and outreach initiatives reaching more than 40,000 participants each year.

Michael Feinstein has built a dazzling career during the past three decades bringing the music of the Great American Songbook to the world. From recordings that have earned him five Grammy Award nominations to his Emmy-nominated PBS-TV specials, his acclaimed NPR series, concerts spanning the globe, and his work as an educator and archivist, Feinstein is one of the most important musical forces of our time.

A captivating performer, composer and arranger of his own original music, Feinstein is also an unparalleled interpreter of music legends such as George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington and Frank Sinatra. He has performed in many of the world’s most iconic venues, including The White House, Buckingham Palace, Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall and Sydney Opera House.

In 2007, Feinstein founded the Great American Songbook Foundation, dedicated to celebrating the art form and preserving it through educational programs, master classes and the annual High School Songbook Academy. This summer intensive, open to students from across the country, has produced graduates who have gone on to record acclaimed albums and appear on television programs such as NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” Feinstein also serves on the Library of Congress’ National Recording Preservation Board, an organization dedicated to ensuring the survival, conservation and increased public availability of America’s sound recording heritage.

Scottsdale Arts’ 2016 ARTrageous Benefit Gala invites guests to step back into the Jazz Age through an inspired experience laced with the allure of the era that ushered in a purely American style of creativity. In addition to Michael Feinstein’s performance, the evening features delectable culinary offerings prepared by Santa Barbara Catering, a silent auction and raffle with one-of-a-kind experiences, and for the grand finale, The Speakeasy After-Party featuring music, dancing, divine edibles and surprises, hosted by The Avant-Garde on Second Street (AG2), the young professionals of Scottsdale Arts.

Tickets for the Michael Feinstein concert and Speakeasy After-Party are $149 through www.ScottsdalePerformingArts.org or 480-499-TKTS (8587).

Tickets to the ARTrageous Benefit Gala silent auction, gourmet dinner, Michael Feinstein concert and Speakeasy After-Party start at $500 and are available by contacting [email protected] or 480-874-4609.

SPONSORS
The 2016 ARTrageous Benefit Gala is made possible by Premium Sponsors BMO Harris Bank, Nationwide and Western Refining; Presenting Sponsors COX, Pro-Em Party & Event Rentals and Dr. Terence Roberts; Signature Sponsors BlueCross BlueShield of Arizona, DMB, Gainey Ranch Financial Center, Hotel Valley Ho, Sherman & Howard, SRP, The Donor Solution, The Jazz Cruise, Valley Couture for WORTH NEW YORK; and Supporting Sponsor Southwest Airlines. The honorary chairs for the event are Susie and Don Cogman.

SCOTTSDALE ARTS
Through its dynamic partnership with the City of Scottsdale, the nonprofit Scottsdale Arts (formerly known as Scottsdale Cultural Council) creates diverse, inspired arts experiences and educational and outreach opportunities for the community, while fostering the active engagement of individuals, businesses, education and government with the arts. Since its founding in 1987, Scottsdale Arts has grown into a regionally and nationally significant, multi-disciplinary arts organization offering an exceptional variety of programs through three acclaimed operating divisions – Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) and Scottsdale Public Art – serving more than 375,000 participants annually.

HOW TO REACH US
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
7380 E. Second St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.ScottsdalePerformingArts.org
480-499-TKTS (8587)