79-529: The Manchester International Festival is a biennial international arts festival , with a specific focus on original new work, held in the English city of Manchester and run by Factory International . The festival is a biennial event, first taking place in June–July 2007, and subsequently recurring in the summers of 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021. MIF23 will take place in summer 2023. The organisation
158-457: A Leonard Cohen song covered by Buckley (and later by Wainwright). "Nobody's Off the Hook" is written to close friend and fellow musician Teddy Thompson . Wainwright and his music have influenced several artists in the music industry. They include Katy Perry , Olly Alexander of Years & Years , Liv Bruce of Pwr Bttm , and Kimbra . In Nick Hornby 's book Slam , the child born to
237-689: A "unique environment within Manchester Art Gallery " for solo piano, violin and cello JS Bach works called the JS Bach Chamber Music Hall , created by Zaha Hadid Architects. The entire festival programme featuring more than 20 commissions was announced in March 2009. It included a Kraftwerk and Steve Reich commission performed at the Manchester Velodrome , performance art by Marina Abramović at
316-711: A 12-minute documentary from 1998, featuring Wainwright and his family, and a short tribute to the McGarrigle sisters featuring Rufus and Martha. In February 2005, the Pennsylvania Ballet premiered a ballet by Matthew Neenan that was set to Wainwright's music. The Pennsylvania Ballet has performed the work (titled 11:11 ) several times, including during an eponymous program in June 2006. It has been an audience favorite, although critical reviews have been mixed. Stephen Petronio commissioned Wainwright to write
395-609: A Juno Award for Best Alternative Album, and was nominated by the Juno Awards for Best Songwriter ("Poses" / " Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk " / "Grey Gardens"). From 2001 to 2004, he toured with Tori Amos , Sting , Ben Folds , and Guster , as well as headlining the 2001 and 2002 tour in support of the album. Wainwright became addicted to crystal meth in the early 2000s and temporarily lost his vision. His addiction reached its peak in 2002, during what he described as "the most surreal week of my life". During that week, he played
474-611: A November 2005 release to coincide with the beginning of a British tour. This version of Want One contains two extra songs: "Es Muß Sein" and "Velvet Curtain Rag". The Want package in the UK has two bonus tracks: "Chelsea Hotel No. 2" (a Leonard Cohen cover) and "In With the Ladies", which replace "Coeur de parisienne – Reprise d'Arletty" and "Quand vous mourez de nos amours" from 2004's augmented edition. Wainwright's fifth studio album, Release
553-590: A Town ", was released on April 3, 2007, in the iTunes Music Store . The second single released was " Rules and Regulations ", and the third single was a 500-copy (12" vinyl) release of " Tiergarten ", a one-track EP with the Supermayer remix of Tiergarten , which was released exclusively through iTunes and 7digital on October 29. Two music videos were released for the album: "Going to a Town", directed by Sophie Muller , and "Rules and Regulations", directed by Petro Papahadjopoulos and styled by J.W. Anderson. Release
632-486: A cameo role in the UK comedy television program Absolutely Fabulous , spent several nights partying with George W. Bush 's daughter Barbara , enjoyed a "debauched evening" with his mother and Marianne Faithfull , sang with Anohni of Antony and the Johnsons for Zaldy 's spring 2003 collection, and experienced recurring hallucinations of his father throughout. He decided after that he "was either going to rehab or I
711-550: A crush he once had on a straight man. Other songs address full-blown love and the consequences of falling out of love ("This Love Affair", "Leaving for Paris", and "Peach Trees"). Wainwright also sings about his family relationships. "Beauty Mark", "Little Sister" and "Martha", and " Dinner at Eight " address, respectively, his experiences with his mother, sisters, and father. Several songs deal with his experiences with addiction ("Go Or Go Ahead", "Early Morning Madness" "Baby" and " I Don't Know What It Is "). The song "Matinee Idol"
790-524: A folk group featuring Rufus, his sister Martha , his mother Kate, and aunt Anna . His song "I'm a-Runnin'", which he performed in the film Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller at the age of 14, earned him a nomination for a 1989 Genie Award for Best Original Song . He was nominated for a 1990 Juno Award for Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year . Wainwright identified as gay while
869-729: A headlining tour in Hoboken , New Jersey. Wainwright lived in the Chelsea Hotel in New York City for six months, during which he wrote most of his second album. On June 5, 2001, Wainwright's second album, Poses , was released to critical acclaim but limited sales. The album ranked No. 117 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top Heatseekers chart. Poses won a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Music Album and
SECTION 10
#1732780150076948-518: A journalist. There are four characters, and the libretto is in French. The opera was originally commissioned by Metropolitan Opera general manager Peter Gelb . However, because of a dispute over Wainwright's decision to write the libretto in French and the Met's inability to schedule an opening in the 2009 season, Wainwright and the Met ended their relationship. Instead of a New York opening, Prima Donna
1027-466: A man at a bar. In an interview years later, he described the event: "I said I wanted to go to the park and see where this big concert was going on. I thought it was going to be a romantic walk in the park, but he raped me and robbed me afterwards and tried to strangle me". Wainwright states that he survived only by pretending to be an epileptic and faking a seizure. He has been reported to have stated that he remained celibate for five or seven years after
1106-605: A million attendees, generating £40 million for the city of Manchester. The 18-day Festival included over 300 performances of more than 30 new commissions and special events which included collaborations with artists such as Maxine Peake , Kenneth Branagh , The xx , Massive Attack and Tino Sehgal . Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh directed a new adaptation of Macbeth at the Church of St Peter in Ancoats . Branagh starred as Macbeth alongside Alex Kingston as Lady Macbeth in
1185-667: A parade of disparate individuals from Manchester on a runway in Piccadilly Gardens , "What Is the City but the People?", and closed with a celebration of the installation of a statue of Friedrich Engels in Tony Wilson Place, outside HOME . Major productions included Fatherland , created by Frantic Assembly 's Scott Graham, musician Karl Hyde and playwright Simon Stephens ; Jane Horrocks ' Cotton Panic! , telling
1264-451: A performance which The Daily Telegraph ' s Dominic Cavendish described as "a thrilling and cinematically fluid production" in his five star review. The production was co-commissioned with New York's Park Avenue Armory where it played to rave reviews in May and June 2014. During the shows run at MIF13, Macbeth was broadcast to cinemas around the world by National Theatre Live . One of
1343-472: A rare cancer that affects connective tissue such as bone, muscle, nerves, and cartilage. It was the last performance made by his mother before her death in January 2010. In late 2010 Wainwright became engaged to his partner Jörn Weisbrodt . The couple moved to Toronto , Ontario, in early 2012 after Weisbrodt was named artistic director of Toronto's annual Luminato festival. In 2011, Wainwright announced
1422-748: A sense of remorse in Trump. He also endorsed Kamala Harris' presidential campaign. Wainwright has appeared in the films The Aviator , 2011's Silver Bullets and its extended footage follow-up, Stray Bullets , and Heights in addition to his role in Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller but said in a 2010 interview "I definitely enjoy seeing myself thirty feet high, but it's not something that I'm running toward passionately". He has also recorded tracks specially for films, including Brokeback Mountain , I Am Sam , Moulin Rouge! , Shrek , Meet
1501-533: A stunning visual display", adding that "the Icelandic singer made a typically eye-popping entrance on huge platform shoes and sporting blue and white facepaint". Sinéad O'Connor also performed at the festival, earning favourable reviews. Damon Albarn debuted his opera Doctor Dee , based on the life of Elizabethan scientist and philosopher John Dee , at the Palace Theatre . Directed by Rufus Norris,
1580-477: A teenager. In 1999, he told Rolling Stone that his father recognized his homosexuality early on. "We'd drive around in the car, he'd play " Heart of Glass " and I'd sort of mouth the words, pretend to be Blondie . Just a sign of many other things to come as well." Wainwright later said in another interview that his parents "could not even handle me being gay. We never talked about it really." Wainwright became interested in opera during his adolescent years, and
1659-577: A theatre piece by Robert Wilson . Wainwright's self-titled debut album was released through DreamWorks Records in May 1998. His second album, Poses , was released in June 2001. Wainwright's third and fourth studio albums, Want One (2003) and Want Two (2004), were repackaged as the double album Want in 2005. In 2007, Wainwright released his fifth studio album, Release the Stars , and his first live album, Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall . His second live album, Milwaukee at Last!!! ,
SECTION 20
#17327801500761738-554: A warm vocal timbre. He often performs with his sister, Martha Wainwright, on backup vocals. Despite critical acclaim, Wainwright has experienced limited commercial success in the United States, although the release of Release the Stars saw increased media attention there, as did the associated 2007 U.S. tour. Wainwright's work contains several recurring themes: opera, literature, pop culture, politics, and love (often unrequited love ). "Foolish Love" and "Danny Boy" are about
1817-726: A year after releasing the stand-alone single "Sword of Damocles" in October 2018, Rufus signed a record deal with music publisher and record label BMG Rights Management for a new album. Soon after, the new song "Trouble in Paradise" was released as the first single from the album. In February 2020, the album, Unfollow the Rules , was announced alongside the release of the Joni Mitchell -inspired single "Damsel in Distress" and
1896-630: Is a descendant of Peter Stuyvesant , the 17th-century Dutch governor of New Amsterdam , later New York. Wainwright has dual US and Canadian citizenship. He attended high school at the Millbrook School in New York (which would later inspire his song "Millbrook"), and later briefly studied piano at McGill University in Montreal. He began playing the piano at age six, and started touring at age 13 with "The McGarrigle Sisters and Family",
1975-423: Is a recording of his show at the New York venue. In 2008, Garland's daughter Lorna Luft expressed strong approval of Wainwright's recordings of her mother's songs. The album was nominated for a 2009 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album . Wainwright created the concept of Blackoutsabbath in early 2008. In an attempt to become more environmentally conscious, participants are asked to live " off
2054-702: Is based in Blackfriars House, adjacent to Blackfriars Bridge but is due to move to a new £110 million new home, Factory International , in 2023. The Festival was promoted and initiated with three pre-festival commissions. The first of these took place in November 2005, when Gorillaz performed live at the Manchester Opera House . Recordings of these performances were later released as the Demon Days Live DVD. The second
2133-414: Is his highest score on the site equal only to his 2001 LP Poses . On March 7, 2023, Wainwright announced his eleventh studio album, Folkocracy , would be released in June 2023. He said, "This album is almost like a recorded birthday party and birthday present to myself. I just invited all the singers that I greatly admire and always wanted to sing with." On the same day, Wainwright released "Down in
2212-565: Is make an artistically and culturally important festival that is of the highest quality". The abolition of the Northwest Regional Development Agency , which contributed £900,000 to the 2009 festival, resulted in a loss of funding for 2011's Manchester International Festival. Björk began the MIF11, with the live debut of her new album Biophilia , with Dave Simpson of The Guardian stating that she "provided
2291-598: The Berlin State Opera , and performed at the Palace Theatre . As well as Monkey , the Festival showcased two other events. The first was Il Tempo del Postino , a visual arts show curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Philippe Parreno and produced in conjunction with the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, performed at the Manchester Opera House . The other was a new stage adaptation of The Pianist , combining
2370-475: The National Theatre opening on Monday 23 November 2015 and running into 2016. The 2015 festival had initially been expected to attract 250,000 visitors, however the end figure was 259,648. Finance for MIF 15 Total amount = £12m Total amount = £12m The 2015 festival broke even (£12m worth of funding minus £12m expenditure). The economic impact to the region was £38.8m. In November 2014 it
2449-565: The Whitworth Art Gallery , a procession along Deansgate organised by Jeremy Deller and a collaboration between Elbow and The Hallé orchestra. Manchester alternative rock band Epiphany are also appearing as part of the procession. The festival also featured It Felt Like A Kiss , a multimedia production created by documentary-maker Adam Curtis , Damon Albarn and Punchdrunk theatre company. Other artists included De La Soul , Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson , Antony and
Manchester International Festival - Misplaced Pages Continue
2528-535: The Festival ran from 30 June to 17 July 2011 and staged 27 original projects, featuring artists and performers such as Björk , Damon Albarn , Snoop Dogg , Marina Abramović , Victoria Wood , WU LYF , D/R/U/G/S and Air Cav, along with the Punchdrunk's Doctor Who production The Crash of the Elysium . Manchester International Festival's director Alex Poots stated that "the most important thing for us to do
2607-940: The Game , was released in late April 2012 in the UK and Canada and in early May in the US. On August 23, 2012, Wainwright and Jörn Weisbrodt married in Montauk, New York . Artist Justin Vivian Bond officiated. His second opera, called Hadrian , premiered at the Canadian Opera Company as their opening production of the 2018 mainstage season at the Four Seasons Centre in Toronto , directed by Canadian Director Peter Hinton, with libretto written by Canadian playwright Daniel MacIvor . Hadrian attended
2686-499: The Johnsons with the Manchester Camerata , Carlos Acosta and The Durutti Column , performing a tribute to the late Tony Wilson . Finance for MIF 09 Total amount = £9.5m Total amount = £9.3m The 2009 festival made a £0.2m profit (£9.5m worth of funding minus £9.3m expenditure), which made up the £0.2m deficit incurred by the 2007 festival. The economic impact to the region was £35.9m. The 2011 edition of
2765-528: The Knitting Factory in downtown Manhattan. Joined by other artists such as Emmylou Harris , Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson , the cast performed original and traditional Christmas-themed songs. In November 2009 Revelation Films released the concert on DVD. Following his 2007–2008 tour, Wainwright began writing his first opera, Prima Donna , about "a day in the life of an opera singer ", anxiously preparing for her comeback, who falls in love with
2844-617: The Palace Theatre, Manchester in September. The production will then go on tour to Bristol Hippodrome , the Mayflower Theatre , Southampton and Sadler's Wells Theatre, London later in the year. The 2017 Manchester International Festival took place from 29 June to 16 July. The first four commissions were announced in autumn 2016, together with a creative community programme called "My Festival". The festival opened with
2923-679: The Robinsons , Big Daddy , Zoolander , and Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man . His recording of " Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered " plays during the closing credits of the film The History Boys . He is seen in the Denys Arcand film Days of Darkness (L'Âge des ténèbres) , performing two arias . The All I Want DVD, released in 2005, features a full-length documentary ( A Portrait of Rufus Wainwright ), performances at Central Park Summerstage and Cambridge Corn Exchange , studio sessions, music videos, and two bonus Easter eggs :
3002-506: The Stars , was released by Geffen on May 15, 2007. The album was produced by Wainwright and featured Richard Thompson , friend Teddy Thompson , sister Martha Wainwright , mother Kate McGarrigle , Neil Tennant , Joan Wasser , Julianna Raye, Larry Mullins (also known as Toby Dammit), and actress Siân Phillips . It reached No.2 on the UK Albums Chart , and debuted at No.23 on the Billboard 200 . The first single, " Going to
3081-530: The Stars was certified gold in the UK. The accompanying world tour saw Wainwright visit North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, ending on February 14, 2008, with a concert at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. On June 10, 2006, NPR 's Weekend Edition Saturday broadcast an interview of Wainwright by Scott Simon . The segment concerned Wainwright's sold-out pair of Carnegie Hall shows on June 14 and 15, 2006 in which he performed
3160-644: The Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.226 via cp1108 cp1108, Varnish XID 221322166 Upstream caches: cp1108 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:49:10 GMT Rufus Wainwright Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright (born July 22, 1973) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and composer. He has recorded eleven studio albums and numerous tracks on compilations and film soundtracks. He has also written two classical operas and set Shakespeare's sonnets to music for
3239-753: The Willow Garden", which features Brandi Carlile . On March 24, 2023, Wainwright released the single "Dear World", a piano ballad about healing the world. On September 5, 2023, Wainwright appeared at the Royal Albert Hall in the BBC Proms , performing songs from his albums Want One and Want Two specially arranged for the BBC Concert Orchestra , with conductor Sarah Hicks . In addition to his tenor singing voice, Wainwright plays piano and guitar, often switching between
Manchester International Festival - Misplaced Pages Continue
3318-408: The album was limited; the debut failed to chart in any country, though he ranked No.24 on Billboard' s Top Heatseekers chart. Wainwright toured with Sean Lennon in 1998 and began his first headline tour later that year. In December 1998, he appeared in a Gap commercial directed by Phil Harder , performing Frank Loesser 's "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?". In March 1999, Wainwright began
3397-425: The bedroom at all." In April 2010, Wainwright came out publicly in favour of legalizing same-sex marriage in the United States because he wanted to marry Weisbrodt. Wainwright stated, "I wasn't a huge gay marriage supporter before I met Jörn because I love the whole old-school promiscuous Oscar Wilde freak show of what 'being gay' once was. But since meeting Jörn that all changed." In 2014, Wainwright reiterated he
3476-476: The best albums of the year, and named the singer Best New Artist of the year. Wainwright was nominated for four awards by the Gay & Lesbian American Music Awards, including Album of the Year, Pop Recording of the Year and Video of the Year, and won for Best New Artist. Rufus Wainwright won a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Music Album and a Juno Award for Best Alternative Album. However, commercial success of
3555-435: The birth of his first child, with childhood friend Lorca Cohen, daughter of Leonard Cohen . In July 2011 a 19-disc box set called House of Rufus containing all his studio and live recordings as well as previously unreleased material was released. Wainwright recorded his seventh studio album with producer Mark Ronson . He described the new songs as more "danceable" than his previous material. The album, titled Out of
3634-512: The cause. Special guests performing at the concert included Joan Wasser, Jenni Muldaur, and friend and fellow singer-songwriter Teddy Thompson . The organization's official site contains updates about the program and contains links to various tools, green products and services, studies, and groups that promote energy conservation and environmental protection. In December 2008 Rufus performed alongside his sister, Martha Wainwright , and mother, Kate McGarrigle , as well as many more of his family at
3713-494: The date the LP was originally due to be released. One more single, a tongue-in-cheek commentary on fame and status relative to geographic location entitled "You Ain't Big" , was released in early June. On July 10, Rufus Wainwright's 10th studio album, Unfollow the Rules , was released. The album was met with a warm reception upon release and has amassed mostly positive critic reviews, with an aggregate score of 82 on Metacritic , which
3792-746: The entire Judy Garland concert album that was recorded there in 1961. He later repeated his performance at the London Palladium , the Paris Olympia , and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Live CD and DVD recordings of the concerts were released on December 4, 2007. The DVD is entitled Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Does Judy! Judy! Judy!: Live from the London Palladium . The CD album, Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall ,
3871-462: The genre strongly influences his music. (For instance, the song "Barcelona" features lyrics from the libretto of Giuseppe Verdi 's opera, Macbeth .) During this time, he became interested in Édith Piaf , Al Jolson , and Judy Garland . As a youth he trained at Interlochen Arts Camp , studying classical music. At age 14, Wainwright was sexually assaulted in London's Hyde Park after picking up
3950-456: The grid " as much as possible on a designated date by unplugging appliances, walking or cycling for transportation, turning out lights and decreasing energy usage in any other ways possible. As the sun sets on the evening of Blackoutsabbath, participants write ways they can contribute to the Earth's well-being throughout the rest of the year. Annual benefit concerts take place to raise awareness of
4029-426: The incident, and eventually became promiscuous. Throughout the summer of 1995, Wainwright played weekly shows at Cafe Sarajevo in Montreal. Eventually, he cut a series of demo tapes produced by Pierre Marchand , who later produced Wainwright's second album Poses . The resulting tapes impressed Wainwright's father Loudon, who passed them on to family friend and musician Van Dyke Parks . Parks then in turn sent
SECTION 50
#17327801500764108-466: The ineptitude and pure evil of the Trump administration" in a 2020 interview with NME . In October 2024, he issued a statement in response to the use of his cover of Leonard Cohen 's " Hallelujah " at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania on October 14. He described its use at the rally as "the height of blasphemy" but hoped, without much expectation, that listening to the lyrics of the song might engender
4187-523: The main events was Massive Attack vs Adam Curtis , a collaborative performance from Massive Attack 's Robert Del Naja and Bafta-winning filmmaker Adam Curtis which took place in the Mayfield Depot . Robert Wilson directed Mikhail Baryshnikov and Willem Dafoe in a surrealist adaptation of Daniil Kharms ' short story The Old Woman at the Palace Theatre . MIF13 introduced a members scheme which granted people access to priority booking for
4266-550: The most highly anticipated events. Also new was a £12 ticket scheme, allowing Greater Manchester residents on lower incomes access to more events after festival organisers acknowledged some tickets were out of the reach of local residents on lower wages. Manchester City Council provided £2 million in funding and the festival boosted the local economy by £38 million. Finance for MIF 13 Total amount = £11.9m Total amount = £11.9m The 2013 festival broke even (£11.9m worth of funding minus £11.9m expenditure). The economic impact to
4345-518: The original words of Władysław Szpilman spoken by actor Peter Guinness , with the music of Frédéric Chopin performed by leading pianist Mikhail Rudy , and directed by Neil Bartlett at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester . Finance for MIF 07 Total amount = £8.8m Total amount = £9.0m The 2007 festival made a £0.2m loss (£8.8m worth of funding minus £9.0m expenditure), which
4424-406: The physical product is extremely important. I am incredibly proud of this album and the way I want you to experience it ideally is listening to it from front to back in the comfort of your living room, reading the lyrics, and looking at the booklet that I carefully designed." This announcement was accompanied by the announcement of a fourth single, "Alone Time" , which was released on April 24, 2020,
4503-499: The production was described as "by no means an opera in the conventional sense" by The Guardian ' s Alfred Hickling, who described Dr Dee as "an erudite affair", giving it four stars. Finance for MIF 11 Total amount = £11.3m Total amount = £11.2m The 2011 festival made a £0.1m profit (£11.3m worth of funding minus £11.2m expenditure). The economic impact to the region was £37.6m. The festival returned in 2013 and ran from 4 to 21 July attracting an estimated quarter of
4582-596: The recordings to DreamWorks Records executive Lenny Waronker , who signed Wainwright to the label in 1996. The singer moved to New York City in 1996, performing regularly at Club Fez . He relocated to Los Angeles that year and began his first studio album, 1998's Rufus Wainwright . Waronker paired Wainwright with producer Jon Brion , and the two spent most of 1996 and 1997 making the record. Wainwright recorded 56 songs in total, on 62 rolls of tape. The sessions cost $ 700,000. Wainwright's self-titled debut received critical acclaim; Rolling Stone recognized it as one of
4661-448: The region was £38m. Manchester International Festival returned in 2015 and ran from 2 to 19 July. On 19 November 2014 Manchester International Festival announced the first three new commissions for MIF15. Tree of Codes is a new contemporary ballet directed and choreographed by Wayne McGregor with music composed by Jamie xx and visual concept by Olafur Eliasson . The performance, took place 2–10 July 2015 at Manchester Opera House ,
4740-563: The score while Hewlett designed the set and costumes. Adapted and directed by Chen Shi-Zheng , whose credits range from classical Chinese opera to the Meryl Streep movie Dark Matter , the show also featured 45 Chinese circus acrobats , Shaolin monks and Chinese vocalists. The production was designed and created by Théâtre du Châtelet in co-operation with the Manchester International Festival and
4819-559: The story of the Cotton Famine ; and New Order performing with a 12-piece synthesiser ensemble from the Royal Northern College of Music , a show entitled Σ(No,12k,Lg,17Mif) produced in collaboration with artist Liam Gillick . In all, 380 performances of 32 commissions and events took place over 18 days, with a record 300,000 visitor count. Arts festival Too Many Requests If you report this error to
SECTION 60
#17327801500764898-527: The two instruments when performing live. While some songs feature just Wainwright and his piano, his later work is often accompanied by rock instrumentation or a symphony orchestra, displaying complex layering and harmonies with an operatic feel. Wainwright is an opera enthusiast and likes Franz Schubert 's lieder . Wainwright's music has been described as " popera " (pop opera) or " baroque pop ". Many of his compositions are densely packed amalgams of strings, horns, operatic choruses, and ragtime rhythms, with
4977-638: The workshop Opera Fusion: New Works , a collaboration of Cincinnati Opera and University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music , before its premiere. In 2015, Wainwright launched a new version of his first opera, accompanied by a film directed by Francesco Vezzoli , featuring Cindy Sherman as the Prima Donna. The finale was shot in Paris during spring 2015 and produced by Petite Maison Production, before it premiered in Athens in September. Almost
5056-610: The young protagonists gets called "Rufus" because his mother listened to Rufus Wainwright while recovering from the ordeal of giving birth. Wainwright, a gay man, married German art administrator Jörn Weisbrodt on August 23, 2012. Wainwright has a daughter, Viva Katherine Wainwright Cohen, born February 2, 2011, conceived via sperm donation by Wainwright to photographer and antique dealer Lorca Cohen, daughter of Leonard Cohen . She lives with her mother. Wainwright identifies as "a complete libertarian " and stated in 2008, "I don't think any government should encroach on what goes on in
5135-435: Was The Schools Festival Song , a new piece by Ennio Morricone and Nicholas Royle sung by an 8,000-strong schools' choir, organised by Young Voices, which took place on 4 December 2006. The third was an art installation, in conjunction with the Imperial War Museum , by Turner Prize -winning artist Steve McQueen , as a response to the 2003 Iraq war and as a tribute to British service personnel killed in that conflict. It
5214-448: Was a "complete libertarian", and explained that while he did not initially support President Barack Obama , he said he has "become a very big Obama fan", expressing support for his agenda, including women's healthcare and government-provided health coverage. Wainwright has publicly opposed 45th US President Donald Trump , addressing him in the music video for his song " Sword of Damocles " in 2018 and stating "It's impossible to minimise
5293-536: Was announced that Alex Poots, Manchester International Festival's founding director, would be stepping down from his role after MIF 15. Poots left to take on the role of chief executive of the Culture Shed in New York. In May 2015 it was announced that Poots would be succeeded in 2015 by John McGrath , the Artistic Director of National Theatre Wales . The festival announced a co-production of Giselle between themselves English National Ballet and Sadler's Wells Theatre to be directed by Akram Khan and performed at
5372-444: Was announced that the next MIF15 commission would be Wonder.land , a new musical with music by Damon Albarn , book and lyrics by Moira Buffini and that it would be directed by Rufus Norris . Wonder.land is inspired by Alice In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and is a co-production with The National Theatre . It was performed at the Palace Theatre, Manchester from the 29th of June to 12 of July 2015. Wonder.land will tour to
5451-438: Was calling it All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu . The album was released on March 23 in Canada, April 5 in the UK and April 20 in the US, with the first single "Who Are You New York?". In December 2009, Wainwright appeared with sister Martha Wainwright and mother Kate McGarrigle at the Royal Albert Hall in London, raising $ 55,000 for the Kate McGarrigle Fund, which was established in 2008 to raise awareness of sarcoma ,
5530-419: Was exhibited in the Great Hall of Manchester Central Library from 28 February to 15 July 2007. The first edition of the Festival ran from 28 June – 15 July 2007. The Festival's showpiece production was Monkey: Journey To The West , a re-working of the ancient Chinese legend Journey to the West by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett , collaborating on their first major project since Gorillaz. Albarn wrote
5609-485: Was going to live with my father. I knew I needed an asshole to yell at me, and I felt he fitted the bill." He subsequently spent a month in a rehab facility in Minnesota. In 2003, Rufus released the full-length album Want One . Then Wainwright's album Want Two , from which four songs were released as the EP Waiting for a Want , was released by DreamWorks / Geffen on November 16, 2004. The live iTunes Sessions EP entitled Alright, Already: Live in Montréal
5688-553: Was inspired by the book Tree of Codes by Jonathan Safran Foer and featured soloists and dancers from The Paris Opera Ballet . The Tale of Mr Tumble a new theatre show for young children and families; Justin Fletcher invited audiences to step inside the colourful world of one of the most cherished TV characters, the show took place at Manchester Opera House from the 11–19 July. Manchester International Festival announced their full line-up in spring 2015. On 21 January 2015, it
5767-433: Was made up by the council's contingency and made up in the 2009 festival. The economic impact to the region was £28.8m. The 2009 Manchester International Festival took place between 2–19 July 2009; in October 2008, a press release announced the first three commissions for 2009. These were Prima Donna , Rufus Wainwright 's debut opera, Everybody Loves a Winner , a "new theatrical experience" by director Neil Bartlett , and
5846-456: Was released in 2009, followed by the studio albums All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu (2010) and Out of the Game (2012). The double album Prima Donna (2015) was a recording of his opera of the same name . His ninth studio album, Take All My Loves: 9 Shakespeare Sonnets (2016), featured nine adaptions of Shakespeare's sonnets . Rufus' 10th studio album, Unfollow the Rules , was released on July 20, 2020. His 11th, Folkocracy ,
5925-517: Was released on June 2, 2023. Wainwright is the son of musicians Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle , and the older brother of singer Martha Wainwright . Wainwright was born in Rhinebeck , New York, to folk singers Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III . His parents divorced when he was three, and he lived with his mother in Montreal , Canada, for most of his youth. His father
6004-511: Was released on March 15, 2005. A DVD entitled All I Want , featuring a biographical documentary, music videos, and live performances, was released internationally in 2005. That same year, Wainwright made two major contributions as a solo vocalist to a pair of records: the Mercury Prize -winning Antony and the Johnsons ' I Am a Bird Now and Burt Bacharach 's At This Time . Want One and Want Two were repackaged as Want for
6083-595: Was slated for an April release. A third single, "Peaceful Afternoon" , was released on digital platforms in March, with a French version, "Pièce à vivre", as a B-side. In early April, the album release was delayed until July after escalation of the COVID-19 pandemic , Wainwright stating that "The CD's and vinyl LP's of my new album Unfollow The Rules are stuck in the warehouses they had to shut down to make way for all essential businesses being able to operate at full speed", adding "You know that I am an old school guy and for me
6162-584: Was staged during the Manchester International Festival , where the first performance took place at the Palace Theatre on July 10, 2009. Reviews for the performance were mixed, with one publication suggesting Wainwright "may struggle to convince critics he is worthy of a place among the greats". Prima Donna won a Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Musical/Opera in June 2011. In November 2009, Wainwright announced that he had finished recording his sixth studio album, and
6241-402: Was written about River Phoenix . "Memphis Skyline" is a tribute to the late singer Jeff Buckley , whom he met briefly in the 1990s when Wainwright was an up-and-coming act. By this time, Buckley had already released his first album Grace , and was well on his way to stardom. The two met several months prior to Buckley's drowning, during a gig by Wainwright. The song references " Hallelujah ",
#75924