Sting Goes Classical With The Philadelphia Orchestra

The Academy of Music celebrates its anniversary every with a special performance and gala. This year, they have snagged the perfect rock artist to headline and play alongside one of their best string orchestras. On January 30th, Sting will be playing songs of The Police and his solo albums within string arrangements to help the Academy of Music celebrate its 153rd Anniversary.

Sting fits perfectly into this event. With his latest album, If On A Winter’s Night… – which embraces classical influences – recently debuting at #1 on Billboard, becoming a popular album for the Holiday season and also certified as gold, the Academy of Music welcome the highly esteemed songwriter and performer.

According to AntiMusic, the Academy of Music’s President, Joanna McNeil Lewis explained why Sing was their perfect headliner:

“The Academy has a history filled with performers representing an impressive and diverse array of music. Sting is the epitome of that representation as his talent spans across many genres, and he continues to explore new possibilities. Now the public will have an opportunity to see him perform with our Philadelphia Orchestra, one of the premier orchestras in the world.”

Sting’s acceptance to their invitation was also not a surprise since he has talked about how much classical music has meant to him before:

“I grew up listening to classical music, and remember being under the piano while my mother played Beethoven sonatas in our house. I always strive to challenge myself and music allows me to constantly learn new things.”

As previously mentioned, Sting will be playing songs from both The Police repertoire as well as songs from his own solo collections. He will be playing with the Philadelphia Orchestra, but will also have his own special quartet made up of the following musicians: Dominic Miller (guitar), David Sancious (piano), Vinnie Colaiuta (drums) and Christian McBride (bass).

After the performance, an extravagaent gala champagne dinner and ball will be held to continue the celebration. Eight different dance orchestras will be spread throughout the facility. Now that’s fancy! You can find more information on the gala by calling the Academy of Music Restoration Fund Office at 215.893.1940.

For now, here is the outline of the performance part of the night:

Academy of Music 153rd Anniversary Concert
January 30, 2010, at 7:30 PM – Saturday evening – Academy of Music

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, conductor
Juan Diego Flórez, tenor

With special guest Sting
David Hartley, conductor
Dominic Miller, guitar
David Sancious, piano
Christian McBride, bass
Vinnie Colaiuta, drums

Concert Program includes:
Mozart Overture to The Marriage of Figaro
Donizetti “Ah! mes amis,” from The Daughter of the Regiment
Donizetti “Una furtive lagrima,” from The Elixir of Love
Giménez Intermezzo, from The Wedding of Luis Alonso

What do you think of Sting going classical?