Performances and Artists

Since the release of his 2004 critically acclaimed CD, When I Fall In Love, Chris Botti has become the largest-selling American instrumental artist. His success has crossed over to audiences usually reserved for pop music, and his ongoing association with PBS has led to four #1 jazz albums, as well as multiple Gold, Platinum and Grammy Awards.

His latest album Impressions won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental. Performing worldwide and selling more than four million albums, he has found a form of creative expression that begins in jazz and expands beyond the limits of any single genre. Hitting the road for as many as 300 days per year, the trumpeter has performed with some of the best musicians and vocalists, with the finest symphonies, and at some of the world’s most prestigious venues.

Kathy Mattea has enjoyed the kind of success many artists only dream of: two Grammy wins, four CMA Awards, five Gold albums, and a Platinum collection of her greatest hits. Mattea’s dream almost ended, though, when she entered her 50s and found her voice changing. There was no getting around the fact that she simply wasn’t hitting the notes she used to. Taking the stage and giving anything less than her best wasn’t an option, so as far as Mattea was concerned, there were only two choices: re-learn to sing or walk away forever.

Mattea persevered, though, undergoing intensive vocal training and emerging with the most poignant album of her career, Pretty Bird. Recorded over the course of a year with roots music wizard Tim O’Brien at the helm, Pretty Bird draws its strength not only from Mattea’s touching performances, but also from her uncanny ability to weave seemingly disparate material into a cohesive whole.

Street Corner Symphony is a contemporary a cappella group based out of Nashville, Tennessee, founded in 2010 to compete in NBC’s all-vocal competition, The Sing-Off. These southern gents quickly won over Sing-Off judges Ben Folds (Ben Folds Five), Shawn Stockman (Boyz II Men), and Nicole Scherzinger (The Pussycat Dolls) and, most importantly, millions of NBC primetime viewers after demonstrating their unique, laid-back-yet-dynamic style of a cappella.

Since their success on The Sing-Off, Street Corner Symphony has made their mark on the music world recording albums, providing clinics for schools, giving benefit performances, singing across the country and around the world, and even working with major artists like Ben Folds, Alison Krauss, and Take 6’s Claude McKnight.

Grand Ole Opry members, five-time Grammy Award winners individually, three-time Grammy Award nominees collectively, four-time DOVE Award winners, and winners of 35 IBMA Awards altogether, Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent (and their world-class band) share their blend of bluegrass, traditional country and gospel music with audiences across the globe.

They have a popular television series, The Dailey & Vincent Show on RFD-TV, and a PBS special Dailey & Vincent ALIVE – In Concert to their name. Their most recent live CD, Dailey & Vincent ALIVE, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Bluegrass charts, and the latest release of their first-ever Christmas album, Dailey & Vincent: The Sounds of Christmas debuted at #1 on the Billboard Bluegrass chart and #8 on the Billboard Holiday chart, right behind Michael Bublé and Pentatonix.

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is considered one of the finest orchestras in the country. Since its inception in 1959, the MSO has continued to find new ways to deliver innovative music for area audiences, help young people develop an appreciation for music, and elevate Milwaukee’s reputation as an orchestral hub. Once again this season, the Cedarburg-Grafton Rotary Club presents the MSO’s holiday concert at Cedarburg PAC. (A student performance, funded by the Cedarburg PAC, Inc., with a grant from the Rita Edquist Memorial Fund at the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, is also being offered by the MSO.)

Named a Rising Star Male Vocalist by Downbeat magazine, DeSare has lived up to this distinction by winning critical and popular acclaim for his concert performances throughout North America and abroad. From jazz clubs to Carnegie Hall to Las Vegas (headlining with Don Rickles) to major symphony orchestras, DeSare has taken his fresh perspective on ‘old school class’ around the globe.

DeSare has three top ten Billboard jazz albums under his belt and has been featured on the CBS’ Early Show, NPR, A Prairie Home Companion, and NBC’s Today Show. His music has been posted by social media celebrity juggernaut, George Takei. He is also an accomplished award-winning composer and has written the theme song for the motion picture My Date With Drew, and has recently composed the full soundtracks for the Hallmark Channel’s Love Always, Santa and Lifetime’s Nanny Nightmare.

Ricky Nelson Remembered is a musical celebration of America’s first Teen Idol and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ricky Nelson. Nelson emerged from The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet to establish himself as one of the most important rock artists and influential musicians of the last 50 years, selling over 140 million recordings.

The Nelson Family Legacy continues as Ricky’s twins Matthew and Gunnar Nelson present an interactive, multi-media rock and roll concert experience, taking the audience on a musical journey down memory lane. Matthew and Gunnar perform their dad’s greatest hits including “Poor Little Fool,” “Hello Mary Lou,” “Travelin’ Man,” “I’m Walking,” and “Garden Party,” alongside their self-penned chart toppers “Love & Affection” and “After the Rain.” This show is truly a slice of Americana.

The Texas Tenors are the most successful music group and third highest selling artists in the history of NBC’s America’s Got Talent. Since appearing on the show in 2009, JC, Marcus and John have released 4 studio albums, 2 PBS Specials, 4 DVDs, multiple singles and a children’s book that have earned them impressive recognition, including 3 Emmy Awards. Their most recent albums Rise and A Collection of Broadway and American Classics both debuted at #1 on the Billboard Classical chart.

These classically trained, versatile tenors have performed more than 1,300 concerts around the world including headline shows in Las Vegas, China and a 24-city tour in the United Kingdom. The Texas Tenors celebrated 10 years together in 2019 by launching their “10th Anniversary Tour.” They are honored to be included among the top 50 acts in the world and take pride in remaining the same self-managed and self-produced “three friends with a dream.”