Rufus Wainwright unveils new concert recording of "Gay Messiah" from upcoming album

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT UNVEILS NEW CONCERT RECORDING ON HIS UPCOMING ALBUM: RUFUS WAINWRIGHT AND AMSTERDAM SINFONIETTA LIVE   RECORDED LIVE DURING ACCLAIMED 2017 TOUR   LIVE RENDITION OF “GAY MESSIAH” PREMIERES TODAY   U.S. TOUR CURRENTLY UNDERWAY   RUFUS WAINWRIGHT AND AMSTERDAM SINFONIETTA LIVE ARRIVES ON VINYL AND DIGITAL DOWNLOAD ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26   PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE NOW HERE

2x GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright has announced the upcoming release of an all-new concert recording. Rufus Wainwright and Amsterdam Sinfonietta Live arrives Friday, November 26 via BMG’s Modern Recordings on vinyl, CD, and digital download, with two additional bonus tracks on digital format and CD formats; pre-orders are available now HERE   PRE-ORDER RUFUS WAINWRIGHT AND AMSTERDAM SINFONIETTA LIVE   Rufus Wainwright and Amsterdam Sinfonietta Live was recorded in January 2017 as Wainwright toured with the prestigious all-string ensemble Amsterdam Sinfonietta through the Netherlands. Curated by Wainwright, the ten concerts reflected the immense bandwidth of his musical influences and interests, spanning Verdi arias, pieces by Rameau and his beloved Berlioz, American standards, classics by Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell, French chanson, songs by his family, and songs of his own, some written expressly for this program. At the album’s emotional center is an epic version of late Canadian singer-songwriter Lhasa de Sela’s harrowing “I’m Going In,” a song written about her own death from cancer at the age of 37. With Wainwright’s voice truly at the peak of its substantial power, Rufus Wainwright and Amsterdam Sinfonietta Live 2017 showcases the astounding artistic kinship between the celebrated singer-songwriter and the Amsterdam Sinfonietta – led by Candida Thompson – making these previously unreleased live recordings something utterly unique and entirely breathtaking.   “These were some of the most challenging and most fulfilling shows I have done in my life,” says Wainwright. “Never have I sung so many songs from such different styles and worlds of music from French baroque to classical arias to contemporary music. I don't think this would have been possible without the Amsterdam Sinfonietta and Candida Thompson. I was caught, uplifted, secure, challenged in their beautiful string playing."   Rufus Wainwright and Amsterdam Sinfonietta Live are heralded by a stunning version of Wainwright’s own landmark song, “Gay Messiah,” available as an instant grat download with all pre-orders and premiering today on all digital platforms.   “This song earned me an explicit lyrics sticker on the 2004 Want Two album,” says Wainwright. “It was written at a bleak time for gay people. Aids was still ravaging our community. The melody is beautiful, uplifting, and sweet. I often reference images and characters from the Western cultural canon, in this case obviously Jesus, and transplant them into my queer world. I am quite proud of my bridges in my songs, but I think this one has truly one of the most beautiful melodies in the bridge that I have written.”   LISTEN TO “GAY MESSIAH”   Rufus Wainwright and Amsterdam Sinfonietta Live was mixed by multiple GRAMMY® Award-winner Ryan Freeland and mastered by Ruairi O’Flaherty, both in Los Angeles, and is comprised of recordings from five of the 10 concerts. All arrangements were created specifically for the Amsterdam Sinfonietta.   Wainwright will reunite with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta for an eagerly awaited tour of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, set for January 2022. The Amsterdam Sinfonietta has previously worked with giants in the classical world including Sol Gabetta, Kristian Bezuidenhout, Thomas Hampson, Janine Jansen, and Giovanni Sollima. In addition, the Amsterdam Sinfonietta’s New Year’s tour has become a well-known project with unique and unforgettable performances by the orchestra with artists from pop, jazz, or world scenes.   Wainwright is currently traveling the U.S. on an acclaimed co-headline tour alongside José González, Wainwright will visit the UK next month for a full band Unfollow The Rules tour. Additional dates will be announced soon. For complete details and remaining ticket availability, please see rufuswainwright.com/tour.     RUFUS WAINWRIGHT ON TOUR 2021   SEPTEMBER 24 – Chicago, IL – The Chicago Theatre * 25 – Carmel, IN - The Palladium at The Center For The Performing Arts * 26 – Detroit, MI –Cathedral Theatre at The Masonic Temple * 28 – Washington, DC – The Anthem * 29 – Boston, MA – The Orpheum Theatre * 30 – New York, NY – The Rooftop at Pier 17 *   OCTOBER 1 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre * 3 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount † 9 – Edinburgh, Scotland – Usher Hall † 10 – Manchester, England – Bridgewater Hall † 12 – Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England – City Hall † 13 – York, England – Barbican † 15 – Cambridge, England – The Corn Exchange † 17 – Southend-on-Sea, England – Leas Cliffs Pavilion † 19 – London, England – The London Palladium † 20 – Brighton, England – Brighton Dome †   JANUARY 2022 7 – Groningen, Netherlands – SPOT ‡ 8 – Leiden, Netherlands – Stadsgehoorzaal ‡ 10 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Het Concertgebouw ‡ 13 – Enschede, Netherlands – Muziekcentrum ‡ 16 – Harleen, Netherlands – Parkstad Limburg Theaters ‡ 17 – Utrecht, Netherlands – Tivoli Vredenburg ‡ 19 – Arnhem, Netherlands – Musis ‡ 20 – Tilburg, Netherlands – Concertzaal ‡ 22 – Eindhoven, North Brabant - Muziekgebouw Eindhoven ‡ 23 – Brussels, Belgium – BOZAR ‡ 24 – Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia - Tonhalle Düsseldorf ‡   MARCH 2022 30 – Paris, France – Le Grand Rex   JULY 2022 11 – Amstelveen, Netherlands – Amsterdamse Bostheater 30 – Glasgow, Scotland – Kelvingrove Bandstand   * w/José González † Unfollow The Rules w/full band ‡ Rufus Wainwright and Amsterdam Sinfonietta