Let’s call it Sting with Strings! The Police frontman will tour with London’s Royal Philharmonic this summer, including a date at Morrison’s famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
It’s incredibly rare to see the London-based Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra in these parts of the United States, but the 45-piece orchestra — under the leadership of maestro Steven Mercurio — will play a string of North American dates backing up , promoter Live Nation announced today.
And yes, there’s a Colorado date in there — at , no less.
Sting will play the biggest songs from his catalog on this tour, which starts in Vancouver on June 2 and moves on to Red Rocks Amphitheatre on June 9. The tour will also play a date at the Hollywood Bowl (June 15) and a few shows at Chicago’s Ravinia Festival (July 17-18). Other shows will be announced in New York, Dallas, Boston, Houston, Philadelphia, Seattle, Portland, Toronto and Montreal.
(Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. March 8. American Express cardholders can purchase tickets early, starting at 10 a.m. March 1.)
Sting will play Police tracks as well as solo selections with the Royal Philhamonic backing him, including these songs from the press release: “Roxanne,” “Next To You,” “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” “Every Breath You Take,” “Englishman in New York,” “Fragile,” “Russians,” “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You,” “Fields of Gold” and “Desert Rose.”
The tour is an outgrowth of Sting’s 2008 performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
“Performing with both the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Philadelphia Orchestra was truly a highlight of my career,” Sting said in the release. “I’m delighted by this new opportunity to tour with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and reinterpret the songs I’ve been playing for many years.”
For the full text of today’s release from promoter Live Nation, see the next page.
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Ricardo Baca is the founder and co-editor of and an award-winning critic and journalist at The Denver Post. He is also the executive director of the , Colorado’s premier indie music festival. Follow his whimsies at , his live music habit at and his iTunes addictions at .
The official release:
An Evening With
STING
Performing His Most Celebrated Songs
Featuring the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra
Conducted by Steven Mercurio
World Tour Presented by Xerox
(New York, NY – Tuesday, February 23, 2010) – Live Nation announced today that Sting, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, will embark on a world tour this summer. The tour will find Sting performing his most celebrated songs re-imagined for symphonic arrangement. The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra will be conducted by Maestro Steven Mercurio (Pavarotti, Bocelli).
Drawing from a diverse and illustrious career that has produced numerous multi-platinum albums, a staggering list of number one songs, countless accolades and worldwide record sales of nearly 100 million, Sting’s greatest hits will be reinterpreted with brand new orchestrations created especially for this tour. Selections will include fan-favorites such as “Roxanne,” “Next To You,” “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” and “Every Breath You Take,” to notable songs from Sting’s enduring solo career – “Englishman in New York,” “Fragile,” “Russians,” “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You,” “Fields of Gold,” and “Desert Rose.”
Presented in a variety of settings, the tour begins June 2 in Vancouver and then travels to numerous cities across North America. Dates announced today include: June 9 at Red Rocks in Denver; June 15 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles; July 17 and 18 at Chicago’s renowned Ravinia Festival. Sting will also perform in New York, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, Portland, Seattle and Washington and return to Canada, with stops in Toronto and Montreal. Additional North American cities, venues and on-sale dates will be announced in the next few weeks, with other territories throughout the UK and Europe to follow soon.
Never afraid to blaze the path of new musical territory, Sting’s foray into the classical realm began with the crossover success of his #1 album “Songs from the Labyrinth,” a lute-based interpretation of the music of 16th century composer John Dowland, released in 2006 on Deutsche Grammophon. After completing the enormously successful Police reunion world tour, Sting returned to pursue his passion for uniting musical genres with his most recent release “If On A Winter’s Night…” which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s classical chart and remains there.
Sting’s interest in collaborating with an orchestra began in 2008 following an invitation to perform with the legendary Chicago Symphony Orchestra. After reworking selections from his expansive catalog, he and several members of his longtime band joined the orchestra in a performance that left an indelible mark on Sting. Eager to explore the possibilities of further symphonic collaboration, Sting was excited when the Philadelphia Orchestra asked him to join them in commemoration of the 153rd anniversary of the Academy of Music.
“Performing with both the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Philadelphia Orchestra was truly a highlight of my career. I’m delighted by this new opportunity to tour with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and reinterpret the songs I’ve been playing for many years,” commented Sting.
The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra has previously performed with internationally-renowned artists ranging from opera luminaries Andrea Bocelli, Bryn Terfel, Renée Fleming, Kiri Te Kanawa and the late Luciano Pavarotti to popular cultural icons including Burt Bacharach, George Benson, Michel Legrand, Diana Krall, Tina Turner and Randy Newman. The 45-piece orchestra will be featured on all North American concert dates of the tour.
Sting will also be joined by a quartet comprised of Dominic Miller (Sting’s longtime guitarist), David Cossin (a multi-percussion specialist in new and experimental music and featured member of the Bang on a Can All-Stars), Jo Lawry (vocalist) and Ira Coleman (bassist).
The tour is promoted by Live Nation and produced by RZO Entertainment, Inc. in association with Universal Music Classical Management & Productions.
“We are thrilled to be a part of bringing this exciting and unique tour with Sting to the world,” said Arthur Fogel (CEO/Chairman Live Nation Global Touring). “The arrangements, combined with Sting’s brilliant songwriting and musicianship, will no doubt result in a magical evening of music.”
We are pleased to have Xerox as the tour presenter.
Our global sponsorship of Sting’s 2010 world tour offers an opportunity for Xerox to showcase not only Sting’s legendary talents but also the real business of entertainment,” said Christa Carone, vice president, Marketing and Communications, Xerox. “Every great performance depends on a smoothly run backstage and that’s the role Xerox plays behind the scenes with our customers today. Our technology and services will support the needs of the tour so that they can focus on what they do best: giving Sting’s fans around the world a magical evening of music.”
We are also delighted to have Starwood Hotels and Resorts as the official hotel partner.
“As one of the most celebrated artists of our time, we’re thrilled to be the Official Hotel sponsor of the 2010 Sting tour. This sponsorship provides a distinctive opportunity for us to reward our loyal members by connecting with them through their passion for music,” said Phil McAveety, Chief Brand Officer for Starwood.
