about the concert
Sinatra's distinctive style made him one-of-a-kind. The brilliant vocalist Steve Lippia interprets Sinatra favorites with a tip of the hat to Ol' Blue Eyes.
Concert Duration:1 hour and 45 minutes
Guest Conductor: Victor Vanacore - Slide Down || Slide Up
Grammy Award winner Victor Vanacore has been at the nexus of popular music for more than 25 years. Widely respected for his versatility, he has had a long history of fruitful collaborations with the biggest names in the entertainment industry as a conductor, pianist, composer and arranger.
Mr. Vanacore’s latest musical incarnation is that of symphony pops conductor. Recent engagements have included the St. Louis, Grand Rapids, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Buffalo, and Phoenix Symphonies, among others. He has also worked with orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Houston Symphony, Seattle Symphony and San Francisco Symphony. Abroad he has worked with the philharmonic orchestras of Calgary, London, Belgrade, Bratislava, and Skopije as well as the Hanover Pops, the Mozarteum Orchestra, and the symphony orchestras of Sydney, Melbourne, Edmonton and Vancouver. In the 2010/11 season, he conducts the symphony orchestras of Detroit, Ft. Worth, Hartford and Greensboro, as well as the Florida Orchestra.
In conjunction with his career as a conductor, Mr. Vanacore has had numerous associations with celebrity vocalists. He served as conductor, keyboardist and musical arranger for the Jackson Five as well as conductor and arranger for the Fifth Dimension. Not long afterward, Johnny Mathis hired him as musical director for his world tour. He joined Barry Manilow for 6 years in the same capacity, receiving album credits including “If I Should Love Again,” “Barry Live in Britain,” “Barry,” and “The Greatest Hits.”
Additionally, Mr. Vanacore feels honored to have enjoyed a close ongoing relationship with the musical icon Ray Charles, whom he met in 1990. They remained colleagues and friends until Mr. Charles’ passing in 2004, during which time he served as his musical director, arranger, and opening act. Ray Charles’ only platinum album entitled “Genius Loves Company” features Mr. Vanacore’s orchestral arrangements, including the Grammy-winning “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” with special guest Johnny Mathis.
As a composer/arranger, Mr. Vanacore’s recent work has included the Motown themed “Detroit Soul” for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra; “America Then and Now” for the New Jersey PublicTelevision Network; “Spain Meets Birdland” for the Berklee College of Music’s 60th Anniversary; and original neoclassical music based on the texts of Pope John Paul II, which he composed at the request of Placido Domingo. He has also been composing in collaboration with his brother David on the critically acclaimed hit CBS show “Survivor.” Other television credits include music for the 2005 Academy Awards show, Donald Trump’s “The Apprentice,” and “American Idol.”
Originally from New Haven, Connecticut, Mr. Vanacore began learning the piano at age six and wrote his first composition at the age of eight, thus beginning his life-long fascination with music. As a teenager, he played the piano in nightclubs, shows, and theatres, receiving valuable experience along the way by accompanying Broadway acts, opera singers, and celebrities. After serving in the U.S. Navy Band, he enrolled in the Berklee College of Music, from which he recently received an Alumnus Recognition Award as “one of the top 50 Alumni.”
Mr. Vanacore is a member of ASCAP, AFTRA, the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences, The Society of Composers and Lyricists and the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers. He lives in Southern California where he enjoys spending time with his family and hobbies including sailing, golf, scuba diving, and making pizza in his imported outdoor ovens.
For more information about Mr. Vanacore, please visit http://www.VictorVanacore.com
Guest Performer: Steve Lippia - Slide Down || Slide Up
Steve Lippia has become one of the most prominent, in-demand vocalists and has quickly established his place among the finest interpreters of “standards” and traditional pop music in the nation. STEVE’S youthful, energetic talent and powerful show creates a perfect blend of “classic” with “today”. His show introduces a new generation to this timeless music, while appealing to long-time listeners.
Steve has headlined in highly successful, extended engagements at the Rio Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and Resorts Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, where SRO audiences lined up more than two hours before show time to vie for seating. He has performed in multiple engagements for Hilton Atlantic City and Casino Windsor, among others.
Steve has recently performed to sold-out audiences with many major symphonies across North America, to name just a few, Toronto, Rochester Philharmonic, Palm Beach Pops, Indianapolis, Oregon, Irving, Austin, Calgary, Naples Philharmonic, Tacoma, Alabama, Greensboro, Hilton Head, North Carolina, Tacoma, Winnipeg, Tucson, Duluth-Superior, Allentown, Lexington, Grand Rapids, Louisiana Philharmonic, Brampton, Colorado, York, Jacksonville, Edmonton, Vancouver, Charlotte, York, Bowling Green, Danville, Virginia, Fort Worth, Shreveport, North Arkansas, Corpus Christi, Kansas City, Cleveland Pops, Mississippi, Chattanooga, Missouri, Southwest Michigan and Brampton-Ontario.
He currently has signed contracts with symphonies for the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 seasons with Philly Pops, Edmonton, Dayton, Las Cruces, Amarillo, Akron, Signature, Boulder Philharmonic, Huntsville, New Jersey, Columbus Indiana, West Shore, Hartford, New Haven and Evansville.
In testimonials, directors write:
- “…the best POPS concert they had ever seen anywhere in the country.”
- “We are still receiving calls from our POPS subscribers…”
- “Almost a year before the date, a fan called to purchase tickets.”
- “…Steve was a knockout. His show was everything advertised and much more.”
- “Steve is an excellent singer and entertainer and the quality of his performance was first-rate. The crowd loved him…”
Steve has headlined to SRO crowds at the legendary “Birdland Jazz Club” in New York City, backed by the Nelson Riddle and Woody Herman Orchestras. He performed in a highly successful European Jazz Festival Tour that resulted in a nationally televised special on Finnish TV2.
STEVE has performed at numerous prestigious special events:
- A $1,000 per plate gala event for the world-renowned JazzAspen Festival
- Special event at the estate of producer Irwin Winkler in Beverly Hills
- Special event at the estate of Aaron Spelling in Beverly Hills
- Gala fundraiser honoring Mrs. Betty Ford in Vail, Colorado
- Multiple events for Donald Trump, Michael Dell and the Walton Family
Steve’s TV appearances include “EXTRA”, FOX’s “Good Day New York”, CNN’s “Showbiz Today”, ABC and the BBC.
Steve’s much acclaimed, self-titled CD was recorded at Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles with a 41-piece symphony. In addition, Steve has recorded “Steve Lippia Live”, a collection of some of his live performances. He is currently in pre-production for this third CD, as yet unnamed, with an anticipated release date in 2009.
Steve is a native of Southington Connecticut, but makes his home in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Return to Top
Enjoy Local Art and Live Music Before the Show in the Lower Lobby.
