MEDIA RELEASE

PBS Hawaii will premiere Great Performances Andrea Bocelli: Live in Central Park, at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4.

Due to a fire that disabled its studio, PBS Hawaii has borrowed an adjacent studio from the UH Media Lab for the live pledge-of-support broadcast.

The program will be co-hosted by PBS Hawaii President and CEO Leslie Wilcox and PBS Hawaii Board Member and jazz vocalist Jimmy Borges. The PBS Hawaii Board of Directors, chaired by Robbie Alm, will staff the live broadcast’s phone bank.

An emergency windup flashlight will be offered to donors as a mahalo gift.

Bocelli began his musical journey at the age of six, learning how to play piano. Blind since he was 12, Bocelli would concentrate on developing his voice, playing the piano in bars to earn money for singing lessons.

Since then, the world renowned tenor is the biggest-selling solo artist in the history of classical music.

The Great Performances special includes guest appearances by Celine Dion, Tony Bennett, Chris Botti and David Foster. Sopranos Ana Maria Martinez and Pretty Yende, violinist Nicola Benedetti, bass baritone Bryn Terfel and flutist Andrea Griminelli also perform.

As Hawaii’s only public television station, PBS Hawaii reaches viewers across the island state. Locally owned and independent, the nonprofit media organization is evolving on-air and online to best serve the people of Hawaii.

Through quality programming and community interaction, PBS Hawaii connects with citizens of all ages to share trustworthy information, culture and the arts, and lifelong learning.

— Find out more:
http://PBSHawaii.org