Rufus Wainwright
Affectionately referred to by Elton John as "the greatest songwriter on the planet" and praised by The New York Times for his "genuine originality," Rufus Wainwright has established himself as one of the great male vocalists and songwriters of his generation. He has just written and composed his first opera, "Prima Donna," which premiered last summer at the Manchester International Festival. It will make its North American debut in June 2010 at Toronto's Luminato Festival and also be at London's Sadler’s Wells in April of 2010. He has released seven albums and three DVDs to date, as well as appearing on numerous soundtracks and compilations and collaborating with artists including Elton John, David Byrne, Burt Bacharach and the Pet Shop Boys. Wainwright was nominated for a Grammy for the live recording from his Carnegie Hall concert, Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall, which has been released concurrently with a live DVD, Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Does Judy! Judy! Judy!, which captures his celebrated Judy Garland tribute performance at the London Palladium. His previous album, Release The Stars, has achieved Gold sales status in Canada and the U.K. Last year, he released an album and DVD of a live concert with his band titled, Milwaukee at Last!!! Rufus’ forthcoming album is called All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu, is set for a April 20th, 2010 release.
