Michael Feinstein, May 31 & June 1, and Ellis Hall, June 3 & 4 with the Boston Pops

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The Boston Pops and Keith Lockhart usher two enormous talents to the Symphony Hall stage for an exploration of the American Songbook and the American Icons who have transformed its tunes into cultural cornerstones. First up is Michael Feinstein, a performer whose vocal acrobatics are matched with an archivist’s instinct for a century of great American music. This two-part American Songbook program, first features a Boston Pops performance of light classical pieces, such as selections from Aaron Copland’s cowboy ballet Rodeo. The spotlight then shifts to Mr. Feinstein, as he croons tunes from the Frank Sinatra Songbook, with his irresistible Rat Pack charm, on Tuesday, May 31, and Wednesday, June 1. The June 1 concert also features performances by the up-and-coming musicians who topped the 2011 Young Artists Competition at the Boston Pops presented by Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund®.

The Pops next welcome Ellis Hall, the former lead singer of Tower of Power, for an evening of Motown magic and the icons of soul. As the first and only artist to sign to Ray Charles’s personal record label, Ellis Hall is arguably the best living artist to recall the Charles legacy and other legends of rhythm and blues on Friday, June 3, and Saturday, June 4. Boston Pops cellist Mihail Jojatu also takes center stage during these concerts to perform Gulda’s Concerto for Cello.

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