NEPA Scene Staff

Singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright performs at Wyoming Seminary in Kingston on Jan. 16

Singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright performs at Wyoming Seminary in Kingston on Jan. 16
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From a press release:

After celebrating the 20th anniversary of his debut album with the All These Poses Tour that wrapped up last month, singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright will perform at the Kirby Center for the Creative Arts on Wyoming Seminary’s Upper School campus in Kingston on Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 7:30 p.m.

The concert is part of the Sem Presents! Performing Arts Series, now in its third year at the Kirby Center for the Creative Arts (260 N. Sprague Ave., Kingston).

Tickets, which are $55 for adults and $45 for students, seniors, and staff, are on sale now via SeatAdvisor.

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. The New York-born, Montreal-raised singer/songwriter has released seven studio albums, three DVDs, and three live albums, including the fantastic Grammy Award-nominated “Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall,” which captured his celebrated Judy Garland tribute performance at the London Palladium in 2007, and the album “Release the Stars” which went gold in Canada and the United Kingdom.

Wainwright has received Juno Awards for Best Alternative Album in 1999 and 2002 for “Rufus Wainwright” and “Poses,” respectively, and nominations for his albums “Want Two” (2005) and “Release the Stars” (2008). He was nominated for Songwriter of the Year in 2008 for “Release the Stars” and also composed the original music for choreographer Stephen Petronio’s work “Bloom,” which has toured across the country.

Musically, Wainwright has collaborated with artists including Elton John, David Byrne, Boy George, Joni Mitchell, Pet Shop Boys, and producer Mark Ronson, among others. His most recent collaboration is on the title track of Robbie Williams’ latest album, “Swings Both Ways,” which was co-written with renowned musician and producer Guy Chambers and sung as a duet between Wainwright and Williams.

In addition to being a celebrated contemporary pop singer, he has made a name for himself in the classical world. His much acclaimed first opera, titled “Prima Donna,” premiered at the Manchester International Festival in July 2009. The opera was subsequently performed in London at Sadler’s Wells in April of 2010, in Toronto at the Luminato Festival in June of 2010, and at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Howard Gilman Opera House in February of 2012. Now fully established as a composer of operas, Wainwright was commissioned by the Canadian Opera Company to write his second opera based on the story of the Roman Emperor Hadrian and Antinous. The new opera, “Hadrian,” premiered in Toronto on Oct. 13, 2018.