CAIRO, EGYPT (Top40 Charts) This past weekend, Yanni performed two landmark concerts at the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. "YANNI: THE DREAM CONCERT - LIVE AT THE GREAT PYRAMIDS, GIZA" saw the musical icon performing with a 15-member orchestra at the foot of the Sphinx for two sold out audiences.
The concerts proved to be events of great scope and cultural significance, The concert earned acclaim and attention throughout the Middle East, with Al Bawaba praising Yanni's "magnificent music" amidst an array of spectacular photos. While already notable for its state-of-the-art sound, light show, and firework display, the event's most memorable moment came when Yanni's longtime friend, NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly, joined the show via a special video message from the International Space Station. "Good evening Yanni, Egypt, and the world," said Station Commander Kelly, marking the first time the Egyptian people have heard their nation's name said from space. Kelly's call - which can be viewed now at Yanni's official Facebook - has since become a viral sensation in Egypt.
"YANNI: THE DREAM CONCERT - LIVE AT THE GREAT PYRAMIDS, GIZA" fulfills Yanni's long stated goal of performing at Giza, continuing more than two decades of concert events at the world's most significant monuments, from the Taj Mahal and China's Forbidden City to the Kremlin and Puerto Rico's imposing El Morro. Of his experiences in Egypt Yanni states, ""My visit to Egypt has changed my life forever! The outpouring of love, acceptance and support that I felt from the Egyptian people, combined with their endless smiles and open hearts, has made me fall in love with them! I can never be the same again! Thank you for making my dream come true and for helping me complete a very important and beautiful cycle in my life! I will never forget you !"
The shows were captured in 4K state-of-the-art high definition audio/video for broadcast next year on PBS stations nationwide. In addition, the special will be available to fans via PBS Blu-ray and DVD. The public TV program marks Yanni's 12th appearance on PBS and first since 2012's acclaimed concert special "YANNI: LIVE AT EL MORRO, PUERTO RICO," filmed in at San Juan, Puerto Rico's 16th century Castillo de San Felipe del Morro.
Yanni - accompanied by his 15-member international orchestra - will launch a major 2016 North American tour, embarking February 2nd at Sarasota, FL's Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and then traveling into the spring. The trek will see Yanni performing classic compositions from throughout his career alongside an array of new favorites and special surprises. For complete details - including a full itinerary and remaining ticket availability - please visit www.yanni.com/tour.
"YANNI: THE DREAM CONCERT - LIVE AT THE GREAT PYRAMIDS, GIZA" is the latest in a series of epic performances at the world's most historic sites begun in 1993 with the now legendary "LIVE AT THE ACROPOLIS" concerts in Yanni's native Greece. Recorded and filmed at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, "LIVE AT THE ACROPOLIS" proved a global phenomenon upon its 1994 release, ascending to #1 on Billboard's "Top New Age Albums" chart - as well as to the top 5 on the overall Billboard 200 - on its way to 4x platinum certification from the RIAA and total worldwide sales in excess of 7 million.
Yanni is a truly global artist, a multiple GRAMMY® Award-nominated composer, multi-instrumentalist, producer, ethnographer, and performer whose extraordinary body of work has both pioneered contemporary instrumental music and re-imagined the live concert-going experience. Since making his solo debut with 1984's "OPTIMYSTIQUE," Yanni has seen no less than 15 albums reach #1 on Billboard's "Top New Age Albums" chart - more than any other artist ever - with 1992's "DARE TO DREAM" and "1993's "IN MY TIME" each receiving GRAMMY® Award nominations as "Best New Age Album."
For over two decades, Yanni has been one of the world's top selling live acts, performing in every continent bar Antarctica, in more than 30 countries, before a cumulative worldwide audience of more than 5 million and counting. In North America alone, Yanni's 1995, 1998, and 2003-2005 concert tours were each named among Pollstar's top 10 concert tours of the year.
Yanni followed the momentous "LIVE AT THE ACROPOLIS" by taking his universal music to such iconic landmarks as India's Taj Mahal and China's Forbidden City, captured for posterity on 1997's concert film and chart-topping RIAA platinum certified album, "TRIBUTE." While Yanni's milestones as a live artist are too numerable to measure, highlights include 10 consecutive sold out shows at New York City's Radio City Music Hall, performing inside the Kremlin in Russia, festival events at Tunisia's Roman Theatre of Carthage and Lebanon's ancient city of Byblos, and an historic concert beneath the world's tallest skyscraper, Dubai's Burj Khalifa.
Though rarely played on the radio, Yanni's inimitable work has long found a home on soundtracks for film, television, and commercials including British Airways' award-winning "Face" campaign. YouTube now provides fans around the world with heretofore-unprecedented access to Yanni's music and videos, generating close to 350 million individual views over the past year alone.
To embed Astronaut Scott Kelly's video message, click here: https://youtu.be/of6-Jm5mIMI
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www.youtube.com/yannivideos
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