Tony Bennett Brings His Music and Art to Washington, DC, in August

The nation's capital and its surrounding area will be treated to both the art and music of Tony Bennett in August. The legendary performer and accomplished painter will have an exhibition of his original works at P&C Art Gallery in Georgetown from August 18-31 and a concert appearance at Wolf Trap on Monday, August 16.

The art exhibition will showcase Bennett's past and current works, featuring a selection of oils, watercolors and sketches. Bennett will also attend a private invitation-only reception at the P&C gallery on Tuesday, August 17. The P&C Art Gallery is located at 3108 M Street NW in the Georgetown section of Washington DC. The hours of operation are Monday- Saturday, 10am-7 pm, and Sundays from 12-5 pm. For further gallery information please call 888-299-6783 and to view Tony Bennett's artwork online please visit http://www.benedettoarts.com/.

The 12-time Grammy winner will also be performing with his quartet in concert at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia, on Monday, August 16. Show time is at 8 PM and tickets are priced at $75, $42, and $25. Tickets can be purchased by calling 703-218-6500 or 800-955-5566. For further information on Wolf Trap please visit their website at http://www.wolftrap.org/

With over 50 million records sold world-wide and platinum and gold albums to his credit, Bennett has won eleven Grammy Awards including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The MTV generation first took Tony Bennett to heart during his appearance with the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the 1993 MTV Video Awards ceremony. He appeared on MTV UNPLUGGED and the resulting recording of the same name garnered the singer Grammy's top award, "Album of the Year."

"Tony Bennett has not just bridged the generation gap," pointed out THE NEW YORK TIMES, "he has demolished it. He has solidly connected with a younger crowd weaned on rock. And there have been no compromises." Bennett credits his son and manager, Danny, for his success in capturing a whole new generation of listeners. Through over five decades as a recording artist he has introduced dozens of pop standards into the Great American Songbook. His latest release, A WONDERFUL WORLD, features duets with singer k.d. lang of songs associated with Louis Armstrong, and was described by THE NEW YORK TIMES as "a vocal fit so perfect it seems made in heaven." A new Tony Bennett album will be due out this fall.

Ever since Anthony Benedetto, at the age of five, began drawing chalk pictures on the sidewalks of his hometown in Astoria, Queens, he has had a commitment to art that has flourished. With his standing over five decades as one of the premier entertainers in the world, he finds time to paint every day, sketching the view from the windows of his hotel suite or out in the country sides to which he travels. The United Nations has commissioned his artwork on two occasions including their 50th Anniversary. Bennett's painting honoring good friend David Hockney, "Homage to Hockney," is on permanent display at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio, and his original oil painting, "Boy on Sailboat, Sydney Bay," is part of the permanent collection at the prestigious National Arts Club in Gramercy Park in Manhattan. Bennett was also commissioned to be the official artist of the 2001 Kentucky Derby and created two original watercolors for this historic racing event.

Tony Bennett began formal training as an art student at the School of Industrial Arts (now known as the School of Art and Design) in Manhattan and continued his studies with private studios and teachers throughout the years. A self-proclaimed "museum freak," he visits museums and galleries all over the world, especially during his extensive concert tours. As an artist of both worldly and familiar subjects, Tony Bennett has experimented with a wide range of subjects, has studied the intricacies of various styles, and has learned from the great masters. His body of work reflects an awareness of the history of art and the artist's continuing passion for enjoying and creating that which is universally recognized as beautiful. Common to all his work, be it the oils, watercolors or sketches, is his desire to communicate. His work as a painter has been featured in several art publications including a cover story in ART AND ANTIQUES, ARTNEWS, INFORMART, THE ARTIST'S MAGAZINE, and INTERNATIONAL ARTIST magazine. Among the many owners of original Benedetto paintings around the world are the late Cary Grant, Carol Burnett, Whoopie Goldberg, the late Frank Sinatra, Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey, Mickey Rooney, Katie Couric and contemporary artist Robert Rauschenberg.

SOURCE: RPM Music Productions

CONTACT: Sylvia Weiner, RPM Music Productions, +1-908-301-1779,
sweiner@rpm-productions.com

Web site: http://www.benedettoarts.com/
http://www.wolftrap.org/