LINDA RONSTADT TO PERFORM NELSON RIDDLE ARRANGEMENTS
AT OREGON SYMPHONY ANNUAL GALA CONCERT
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Portland Ore. … Linda Ronstadt, one of the most enduring and beloved voices in the history of contemporary music, will sing the great Nelson Riddle big-band arrangements when she joins Music Director James DePreist for the Oregon Symphony's annual Gala concert Tuesday, Oct. 30, at 8 p.m. at the Rose Garden's Theater of Clouds. The Gala concert is presented in partnership with the Oregon Arena Corporation and the Portland Trail Blazers. Media support is provided by KINKfm102

Ronstadt collaborated with Riddle, one of the most admired and versatile arranger/composers of the post-war era, for three highly acclaimed albums, including "For Sentimental Reasons," "What's New" and "Lush Life." According to Ronstadt, "I like the stuff I did with Nelson Riddle better than anything I've ever done. My entire life, the accumulation of all my experience as a person, went into the work with Nelson." The Gala concert will feature a selection of these popular hits, which include Ronstadt's celebrated interpretations of works by George Gershwin and Cole Porter. The program will be announced from the stage.

DePreist will conduct the first half of the concert, which will feature Styne's Overture to "Gypsy," Debussy's "Danse," Massenet's "Scènes pittoresques," Menken's Medley from "Beauty and the Beast" and others.

Ronstadt, known for her diverse career, has included country, rock and roll, big band, jazz, opera, Broadway, Mexican and Afro-Cuban influences in her music. Her worldwide album sales have reached 50 million, and of her 32 albums, many are gold, platinum and/or Grammy Award winning.

The Gala concert is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 30, at 8 p.m. in the Rose Garden's Theater of the Clouds. Tickets start at $25 and may be obtained by calling 503-228-1353 or through Ticketmaster via the symphony's Web site at www.orsymphony.org. Patron Tickets include dinner, the concert and complimentary parking at $350. Gold Patron Tickets may be purchased for $450 and include dinner, the concert, complimentary parking and a post-concert artists' reception. A portion of the tickets to the event (Patron or Gold Patron) benefits the Oregon Symphony. Contact the Symphony's Development Office at 503-416-6315 to make reservations.

Linda Ronstadt

Few artists approach their work with the grace and dignity of Linda Ronstadt. For more than four decades, and through some 32 albums, she has remained one of the most beloved singers of our generation. Her career is a virtual testament to the idea that nothing quite lifts the human spirit like a good song. With an impresario's ear, and a voice that still resonates with a haunting gift-like quality, she's crossed all genres, always defying expectations as to what a pop record should be.
"What I've always done is set myself in a traditional genre and tried to be completely faithful to what the genre demands," says Ronstadt. Whether it be rock, country, pop, or stylistic ventures in big band music, jazz, opera, Broadway standards or Mexican and Afro-Cuban music, Ronstadt has worked with an incredible dedication to her craft. Her most recent albums continue to reflect her virtuosity, such as last year's acclaimed Christmas release, Merry Little Christmas, and 1995's unique collection of lullabies for children, Dedicated To The One I Love, to name a few.

Ronstadt made her pop debut in 1967 with the Stone Poneys. It was soon after that she began working with Neil Young. "I sang backup on a lot of his records. He'd call up and say 'I'm making a record, come on down.' He had a recording studio on this ranch. We'd record all day and end up with so much stuff I'm still not sure what made it on to the records." Few knew in those early days that both artists would go on to rewrite pop history. With seven Grammy Awards and over 50 million albums sold to her credit, Ronstadt says the only formula she's ever lived by is an undying allegiance to the slow craft of songmaking. With a platinum track record that includes classic albums Heart Like A Wheel, What's New, and her Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris collaboration Trio, as well as its follow-up in the late '90's, it's obvious the workmanship has never wavered.

Her love for the art of recording helped her form a long standing partnership with legendary engineer George Massenburg, whom she proudly calls a "friend as well as a musical guiding light."

From her debut album, 1967's Evergreen, to last year's holiday gift to her fans, Merry Little Christmas, Ronstadt has helped redefine what it means to be a contemporary artist. For a singer who has won rock, pop, country and Latin music Grammy's, she has triumphed for more than four decades raising great songs from their hiding places, polishing each one with her own indomitable artistry.