After an unforgettable 2021 performance that culminated in a fervent standing ovation, audience favorite Pink Martini brings its infectious and bubbly sounds back to the Moss Arts Center with singer China Forbes and two new guest vocalists on Friday, Oct. 27, at 7:30 p.m.

With vintage jazz vibes, the 12-member ensemble takes the audience on a musical trip around the world, from a samba parade in Rio to a French nightclub, for a celebration guaranteed to have the audience dancing in the aisles.

Pink Martini bandleader/pianist Thomas Lauderdale founded Pink Martini in 1994 to provide beautiful and inclusive musical soundtracks for political fundraisers for such causes as civil rights, affordable housing, the environment, libraries, public broadcasting, education, and parks. A year later, he asked his former Harvard classmate — singer Forbes — to join the ensemble. They began to write songs together, and their first song, “Sympathique (Je ne veux pas travailler),” became an overnight sensation in France and to this day remains a mantra (“Je ne veux pas travailler” means "I don't want to work") for striking French workers.

Pink Martini has performed its multilingual repertoire at opera houses, concert halls, film festivals, museums, and fashion shows around the world. The ensemble has shared the stage with more than 70 orchestras, performed songs in 25 languages, and been inducted into both the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame and the Oregon Music Hall of Fame in 2014.

The band has released 11 studio albums on its own independent label, Heinz Records (named after Lauderdale’s dog), selling over 3 million albums worldwide. In 2019 it released two albums featuring the vocals of Pink Martini’s newest members, Jimmie Herrod and Edna Vazquez. Both vocalists have toured with the band for the past year and are officially part of the group with the release of Herrod’s album “Tomorrow” and Vaquez’s “Besame Mucho,” both of which were co-produced by Lauderdale and Forbes. 

Tickets 

Tickets for the performance are $40-85 for general audience and $10 for students and youth 18 and under. Tickets can be purchased online; at the Moss Arts Center's box office, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; or by calling 540-231-5300 during box office hours.  

Venue and parking information

The performance will be held in the center’s Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, located within the Street and Davis Performance Hall at 190 Alumni Mall. Convenient parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street and in downtown Blacksburg. Find more parking details online.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Jamie Wiggert at least 10 days prior to the event at 540-231-5300 or email wiggertj@vt.edu during regular business hours. 

Support for the performance  

This performance is supported in part by a gift from Mrs. Tamara N. Hodsden. Additional funding is provided by the Timothy and Michelle Bendel Center for the Arts Excellence Fund.

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