RufusWainwright
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Tanja Schnitzer
Representation
About Rufus
Praised by Sir Elton John as “the greatest songwriter on the planet,” Wainwright adeptly bridges and obscures borders between pop, classical and opera. The New York-born, Montreal-raised singer and composer has released seven studio albums to date, and has collaborated with artists as wide-ranging as Elton John, Burt Bacharach, Robert Wilson, David Byrne, Boy George, Joni Mitchell, Pet Shop Boys, Robbie Williams, Jessye Norman, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Sting, Deborah Voigt, Thomas Hampson and Mark Ronson. In addition to having won multiple Juno and GLAAD Media Awards, he has composed two operas, plus music for film, television and theatre, and has appeared on stage with many of the world’s leading orchestras.
Having first become interested in opera during adolescence, the genre has strongly influenced his music over the years. His debut opera, Prima Donna, premiered at the Manchester International Festival in July 2009 and has since been performed in London, New York, Paris, Buenos Aires and Hong Kong, among others. His second, based on the love story between the Roman Emperor Hadrian and Antinous, was first seen in October 2018 at the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto and won a Dora Award for Outstanding New Opera.
On the concert stage, Rufus has worked with orchestras including the Chicago Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Residentie Orkest (The Hague), Britten Sinfonia, Orchestre national d’Île-de-France, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the orchestra of the Teatro Real. He has appeared at many of the world’s great concert halls and festivals including the Royal Albert Hall and BBC Proms, Carnegie Hall, London Palladium, Sydney Opera House, Teatro Colón in Argentina, LA’s Hollywood Bowl, the Elbphilharmonie, the Olympia, Glastonbury and Roskilde, and at the Kennedy Center Honors paying tribute to Billy Joel. In 2010, he was joined by his father Loudon Wainwright III and sister Martha, among others, for a five-night residency at London’s Royal Opera House titled House of Rufus.
Representation
Video
Rufus Wainwright - Want Symphonic
The 2023-24 and 2024-25 season mark 20 years since the release of Rufus Wainwright’s critically-acclaimed Want One and Want Two albums and, to mark the 20th anniversary, we celebrate Want Symphonic, where the "breathtaking and eccentric oppulence" (German Rolling Stone) of the original songs are translated into new lush symphonic arrangements by Sally Herbert (Woodkid, Florence + the Machine) and Max Moston (Antony and the Johnsons). Tour dates available at www.rufuswainwright.com/tour Credit: Rufus Wainwright
PlayingRufus Wainwright - Going to a Town Live from Teatro Colon
Credit: Rufus Wainwright
PlayingRufus Wainwright - Damsel In Distress (Official Music Video)
Official Music Video | Rufus Wainwright – Damsel In Distress Animation By: Josh Shaffner Illustrations By: Rufus Wainwright, Josh Shaffner Stream "Damsel in Distress" here: https://rufus.lnk.to/DamselinDistress “’Damsel In Distress’ is an homage to Joni Mitchell in some ways,” says Wainwright, “particularly the structure. My husband and I now live in Laurel Canyon. I wasn’t that familiar with Joni’s music but Jörn became obsessed and took me on a journey into her music. We ended up hanging out with her and I get now why she’s one of the greats. So it’s part Laurel Canyon, part a song about a personal relationship that I’m trying to come to terms with, but mostly my Mitchell virginity being broken.” Credit: Rufus Wainwright
PlayingRufus Wainwright - Trouble in Paradise (Official Music Video)
Official Music Video for Rufus Wainwright – Trouble in Paradise Credit: Rufus Wainwright
Playing
Projects
Rufus Wainwright | Want Symphonic
Praised as “the greatest songwriter on the planet,” by Sir Elton John, and “simply one of the great writers” by David Bowie, Rufus Wainwright’s Want One and Want Two have earned recognition as iconic albums worldwide, with Paste Magazine elevating Want One to the No.1 album of the year, and Rolling Stone Magazine listing it in their top 5 best albums of 2003. Bowie hailed Wainwright’s song ‘Dinner at Eight’ as the “best father/son song he knew”.
Learn about this projectProjects
Rufus Wainwright | Want Symphonic
Praised as “the greatest songwriter on the planet,” by Sir Elton John, and “simply one of the great writers” by David Bowie, Rufus Wainwright’s Want One and Want Two have earned recognition as iconic albums worldwide, with Paste Magazine elevating Want One to the No.1 album of the year, and Rolling Stone Magazine listing it in their top 5 best albums of 2003. Bowie hailed Wainwright’s song ‘Dinner at Eight’ as the “best father/son song he knew”.
Learn about this project