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07-23-20
CF Kip Winger featured in Classical 91's Local Composers Month
Classical With A Kick: Kip Winger On The Harmony Between Heavy Metal And Orchestral Music
In celebration of 91Classical’s Local Composers Month, we posed six questions to some of Nashville’s classical music creators. This week, check in with Kip Winger. After finding tremendous success with his rock band Winger, Kip has made a name for himself as a classical composer. And he says the two genres have more in common than you may think.
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10-09-19
Playbill Announces: Eden Espinosa to Headline Concert of New Musical Thriller Get Jack
Eden Espinosa to Headline Concert of New Musical Thriller Get Jack. The concert will also feature Jeanna De Waal, Jeanette Bayardelle, and Isabel Santiago.
Wicked and Brooklyn star Eden Espinosa will appear in an upcoming concert of the new musical thriller Get Jack October 29 at 7 PM at Rockwood Music Hall in Manhattan. Tony nominee Kelly Devine (Come From Away, Rocky) will direct.
Rock musician Kip Winger and Damien Gray collaborated on the musical based on London serial killer Jack the Ripper, in which his five female victims return to tell their stories, and get justice.
The concert will also feature Jackie Evancho, P.J. Griffith (Rock of Ages), Jeanna De Waal (Diana: A New Musical), Jeanette Bayardelle (The Color Purple), Matt Hetherington (Becoming Nancy), Isabel Santiago (In the Heights), and Tony LePage (Come From Away).
Espinosa is also set to star the upcoming 15th anniversary benefit concert of BKLYN: The Musical.
TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/get-jack-in-concert-tickets-71859061387
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10-07-19
Broadway World Announces - Jackie Evancho, Eden Espinosa, Jeanna De Waal and More to Star in GET JACK In Concert
A concert of songs from the new rock musical thriller, GET JACK will be presented Tuesday October 29th, 2019 at 7pm on Stage 2 at Rockwood Music Hall on NYC's Lower Eastside. GET JACK follows the five victims of Jack The Ripper from the dirty streets of Whitechapel, to the strangest depths of Hell. Upon their demise, a devilish "Keeper" arms the women with supernatural powers and sends them back to London on a mission to identify their now-too-infamous killer and bring him to hell. GET JACK is an epic hybrid of hard rock and symphonic classical with music by Kip Winger, lyrics and book by Damien Gray and direction by 2019 Olivier Award Winner Kelly Devine.
The 10/29 concert will feature performances by Jackie Evancho (Platinum Recording Artist, AGT), Eden Espinosa (Wicked, Falsettos), Jeanna de Waal (Diana, Kinky Boots), P.J. Griffith (Rock of Ages, American Idiot), Matt Hetherington (Becoming Nancy, The Voice- Australia), Jeannette Bayardelle (Girl From North Country, The Color Purple), Isabel Santiago (Giant, In The Heights) and Tony LePage (Come From Away, Rock Of Ages). The concept album of GET JACK (which entered the Billboard Charts at #7 is available on Apple Music and Spotify as well as for a purchase at the concert.
Composer Kip Winger rose to fame in the late 1980's as the charismatic frontman/ songwriter of the band Winger, releasing such hits as "Headed For A Heartbreak", "Seventeen" and "Easy Come, Easy Go". Kip's album Conversations with Nijinsky was nominated for a 2017 Grammy for Best Classical Contemporary Composition.
Writer Damien Gray penned the film Florentine (produced by Francis Ford Coppola) and has developed work for the Sundance Theater, Live Nation, The Walt Disney Company and Universal Studios Japan, most recently developing:directing SING On Tour. Director Kelly Devine recently won the 2019 Olivier Award for Best Choreography for The West End Production of Come From Away. She also received Tony nominations for her work in Come From Away and Rocky on Broadway. Her other work on Broadway includes choreography for the musicals Rock Of Ages (currently running Off-Broadway), Escape To Margaritaville (currently on tour), Zhivago and the upcoming musical Diana. GET JACK is music directed by Andy Peterson (Tootsie, Atomic).
GET JACK In Concert is produced by Anita Waxman in association with P.J. Griffith and ClockJack Productions. A limited number of tickets are still available to the public.
Rockwood Music Hall is located at 196 Allen Street (at Houston), New York, NY, 10002 Tickets are $20. More information about the show is available at https://www.GetJack.com
TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/get-jack-in-concert-tickets-71859061387
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09-19-19
Get Jack! A Musical Thriller - In Concert Oct 29, 2019 in NYC
GET JACK in Concert! Songs from the bloody new rock musical thriller, Tuesday October 29th, 2019 at 7:00 PM
Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2
196 Allen Street (at Houston), New York, NY, 10002
Get Jack, A Musical Thriller
Music by Grammy-Nominee Kip Winger
Book/Lyrics by Damien Gray
Directed by 2019 Olivier Award Winner Kelly Devine
Musical directed by Andy Peterson
The concert will feature performances by Jackie Evancho (Multi-Platinum Recording Artist, A.G.T.), Eden Espinosa (Wicked, Falsettos), Jeanna de Waal (Diana, Kinky Boots), Pj Griffith (Rock of Ages, American Idiot), Jeannette Bayardelle (Girl From North Country, Color Purple), Matt Hetherington (Becoming Nancy, The Voice Australia), Tony LePage (Come From Away, Rock Of Ages) and Isabel Santiago (Giant, In The Heights).
WEBSITE: https://www.GetJack.com
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08-02-19
No.7 on Billboard!
Get Jack Enters No.7 on Billboard! The album can be found at these locations:
DOWNLOAD: https://music.apple.com/us/album/get-jack/1467461591?ls=1&app=itunes
PHYSICAL CD's:
https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/cfkipwinger
https://www.amazon.com/Get-Jack-Gray-Damien-Winger/dp/B07SRF1MBQ
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06-21-19
Get Jack! A Musical Thriller By Kip Winger & Damien Gray
The Get Jack Concept Album is complete! The pre-sale of this album begins June 21st through July 19th. If you participate in this, your pre-order will automatically enter your name for your chance to win a custom painted, one-of-a-kind, Get Jack guitar. If you choose to support us in ordering the pre-sale, please go to GETJACK.COM, email your proof of purchase and you will automatically become eligible to win the Get Jack guitar, as well as a special bonus track for Winger fans. The winner will be announced via FaceBook Live in August.
GET JACK, tells the story of five women on the night they were murdered and mutilated by Jack The Ripper. The 5 murdered women, AKA, The Canonical Five are back and the spotlight is now on them!
Act 1 is a fall back through time in which we meet each of The Canonical Five in a series of interviews regarding the night of their murders.
In the second act, the ladies take on a mission and journey through the mind of a serial killer to force him to reveal himself to the world. They torment their killer by making him face his demons and then drag the murdering bastard to hell!
“We’re five slaughtered women! Remember Our Names! Canonical Five, Canonical Five, Kelly, Chapman, Eddowes, Nichols and Stride!”
Though history has brought forth multiple suspects, no one has ever definitively identified the killer, and neither does Get Jack. In this show the character of Jack The Ripper is a composite of different suspects put together to form one man locked in a fierce battle between madness and denial.
Since this concept album was recorded the show has continued to evolve through several workshops and is now a full-scale musical gearing up for its first production. In this concept album the story is told as a remembrance of past events, while the story in the staged musical happens in real time. Because of this shift, some songs and music featured here will not appear in the staged musical.
Buried in the work are references to everything from infamous serial killers to Shakespeare. The devil is in the details. Have fun playing our funny little games. Crank up your speakers and let’s Get Jack!
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10-30-18
Get Jack Update!
Get the latest news and updates on Kip Winger, and Damien Gray’s, musical thriller, Get Jack! Live Video Update can be viewed in its entirety on the Get Jack FaceBook Page. Thanks for following us on this project!
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07-18-18
CF Kip Winger's 'Ghosts' - Paul Vasterling’s 20th Anniversary Gala, Nashville Ballet
Paul Vasterling’s 20th Anniversary Gala
Andrew Jackson Hall
Tarantella choreography by George Balanchine
Music by Louis Moreau Gottschalk, reconstructed and orchestrated by Hershy Kay
Live music performed by the Nashville Symphony
Ghosts © excerpt choreography by Christopher Wheeldon
Music by C.F. Kip Winger
Live music performed by the Nashville Symphony
Bloom excerpt choreography by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa
Music by Philip Glass
Live music performed by the Nashville Symphony
World premiere choreography by Carlos Pons Guerra
I Enjoy You choreography by Darrell Moultrie
Music composed and performed live by Louis York
Romeo & Juliet excerpt choreography by Paul Vasterling
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Live music performed by the Nashville Symphony
Firebird excerpt choreography by Paul Vasterling
Music by Igor Stravinsky
Live music performed by the Nashville Symphony
Honor Nashville Ballet’s extraordinary past, exceptional present and groundbreaking future. Join Nashville Ballet for the ultimate evening of celebration commemorating Paul Vasterling’s 20th anniversary as Artistic Director. Curating a collection of classical and contemporary works never before seen at Nashville Ballet with a few familiar favorites, Vasterling sets the tone for the company’s next 20 years of athleticism, artistry, imagination and innovation—all culminating in a truly grand finale featuring a procession of Nashville Ballet artists from School of Nashville Ballet students to the professional company.
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01-19-18
Frontiers Music srl Press Release
CF Kip Winger - Solo Box Set Coming Soon
On March 23, 2018, Frontiers Music Srl will release a box set, collecting all the solo works of acclaimed Grammy Nominated Composer Kip Winger into one collection. The set will be comprised of Kip's solo albums, including:
- This Conversation Seems Like a Dream (1997)
- Down Incognito (1998)
- Songs from the Ocean Floor (2000)
- From the Moon to the Sun (2008)
In addition, there is going to be a bonus disc (exclusive to the physical edition, while stock lasts), which includes a new previously unreleased song and all of the bonus cuts from previous records.
The "Solo Box Set Collection" will be a strictly limited edition of 1,500 copies (worldwide) and include five cds in vinyl replica cases and a booklet with liner notes written by Kip Winger. Pre-order here: http://radi.al/KipWingerCollection
Kip Winger rode the wave of the '80s/early '90s pop-metal explosion first with Alice Cooper and then in the wildly successful band of his namesake, Winger, before beginning a solo career in the late '90s. His debut solo effort, "This Conversation Seems Like A Dream", was released in 1997 and supported with a solo acoustic tour. An acoustic album featuring the new Track "Another Way" and of past favorites, "Down Incognito" was then released in 1999. Winger followed it with his second proper solo album, 2000's "Songs from the Ocean Floor", which addressed his grief over the loss of his wife, who had passed away in a car accident shortly after the release of his first solo album.
After a long hiatus with his solo work, Kip returned with "From The Moon To The Sun" in 2008; an extensive body of work that includes everything from straight up heavy and dark music to absolutely melodic and beautiful works.
More recently, Winger has enjoyed success composing classical music. Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon created the ballet "Ghosts", based on a piece Kip wrote, which premiered at the San Francisco Ballet on February 9, 2010. The ballet was a hit and was brought back for a five seasons in 2010. Ghosts will make its Nashville debut in May 2018 with Nashville Ballet.
Winger then composed a four-part work entitled "Conversations with Nijinsky", intended to celebrate the life of ballet dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky. A recording of the piece performed by the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra on the album "C.F. Kip Winger: Conversations with Nijinsky" entered at number one on the traditional classical category on the Billboard music charts. "Conversations with Nijinsky" was also nominated in the Best Classical Contemporary Composition category at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. Winger also recently finished a two act musical, Get Jack, which is currently in development in New York City.
This collection is an unmissable opportunity to get to know in-depth the astounding musical abilities and art of one of today's musical greats!
TRACK LISTING:
CD 1 - This Conversation Seems Like A Dream
Kiss Of Life
Monster
Endless Circles
Angel Of The Underground
Steam
I'll Be Down
Naked Son
Daniel
How Far Will We Go
Don't Let Go
Here
CD 2 - Down Incognito
Another Way
Down Incognito
Under One Condition
Miles Away
Steam
Headed For A Heartbreak
How Far Will We Go
Naked Son
Spell I'm Under
Easy Come Easy Go
Daniel
CD 3 - Songs From The Ocean Floor
Cross
Crash The Wall
Sure Was A Wildflower
Two Lovers Stand
Landslide
Faster
Song Of Midnight
Free
Only One Word
Broken Open
Resurrection
Everything You Need
CD 4 - From The Moon To The Sun
Every Story Told
Nothing
Where Will You Go
Pages And Pages
In Your Eyes Another Life
Runaway
California
What We Are
One Big Game
Why
Reason To Believe
CD 5 - Bonus Cd
Hands Of Love
Monster (European Bonus Track)
Holy Man
Free (Instrumental)
Ghosts
Now And Forever
Kiss Of Life (Demo)
Don't Let Go (Demo)
Headed For A Heartbreak (Demo 1987)
Hour Of Need (Demo)
Monster (Demo)
Rainbow In The Rose
Blind Revolution Mad
Headed For A Heartbreak (Live)
Pre-order here: http://radi.al/KipWingerCollection
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10-06-17
Get Jack News!
GRAMMY AWARD NOMINEE KIP WINGER AND ACCLAIMED WRITER/DIRECTOR DAMIEN GRAY TO DEBUT NEW MUSICAL THRILLER IN TWO CONCERT PRESENTATIONS ON MONDAY,,OCTOBER 30, 2017 AT SIR STUDIOS
(New York, NY)
Grammy Award-Nominated composer and rock icon Kip Winger, in his theatrical composing debut, and acclaimed writer/director Damien Gray (Atomic the Musical) will present two concert presentations of their new musical thriller GET JACK on Monday, October 30 at SIR Studios, 520 W 25th St. The concerts are invitation-only.
And now if you will, a murder review, where 5 fallen women make their bloody debut. A legend is born as blood drips from a knife and this is the story I'm telling tonight.
One of the most murderously debated, debunked, and devoured tales of all time gets 'ripped' to guitar shreds as five female victims of Jack the Ripper rise from the dead to track down their killer and get their glorious revenge. Brought to spine-tingling life with music by a genre-defying rock icon, GET JACK combines Winger's mastery of classical compositions and rock glory in one bloodtastic musical. Giving voice to the vindicated victims is innovative and acclaimed book writer, lyricist and director Damien Gray, whose unique career path has crossed
genres and disciplines - from directing for Walt Disney World to writing for both theater and film.
The killer cast features - The Canonical Five: Eden Espinosa (Wicked, Rags) as Catherine Eddows, Charissa Hogeland (BAZ, Heathers: The Musical) as Mary Jane Kelly, Katie Thompson (Gypsy, Pump Boys And Dinettes) as Annie Chapman, Carrie Manolakos (Wicked) as Mary Ann (Polly) Nichols, and Shannon Conley (Hedwig And the Angry Inch) as Elizabeth Stride; as well as, Tony Award Winner Levi Kreis (Million Dollar Quartet's Jerry Lee Lewis) as The Player, PJ Griffith (We Will Rock You, Mamma Mia,) as The Keeper and Michael Falzon (Australia's Rock of Ages & Hedwig And The Angry Inch Australia) as BitPart.
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10-06-17
Introduction to the Get Jack Cast
GET JACK CAST
Top Row
Eden Espinosa, Katie Thompson, Charissa Hogeland, Levi Kreis
Bottom Row
Michael Falzon, Carrie Manolakos, Shannon Conley, PJ Griffith
Get Jack, by Kip Winger and Damien Gray. Music Director Andy Peterson
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08-29-17
Get Jack, the new musical by Kip Winger and Damien Gray
Get Jack! Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned. A KILLER NEW MUSICAL BY Kip Winger and Damien Gray coming soon! For more information, or to buy tickets, please visit their Kickstarter Campaign.
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04-26-17
CF Kip Winger World Premiere
World Premiere of Grammy Nominated CF Kip Winger's "A Parting Grace" from his #1 Billboard Debut Classical CD "Conversations With Nijinsky"
Sun River Music Festival - 40th Anniversary Summer Festival
CLASSICAL CONCERT I - Saturday August 12, 2017 - Tower Theatre in Bend - Featuring concertmaster Steven Moeckel
ROSSINI La Gazza Ladra (The Thieving Magpie)
MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64
KIP WINGER Parting Grace (World Premiere)
MOZART Symphony No. 36 in C Major (Linz), K. 425 (from the first ever Sunriver Music Festival program 40 years ago!)
http://sunrivermusic.org
http://sunrivermusic.org/events/tickets
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03-15-17
Nashville Ballet to feature C.F. Kip Winger's "Ghosts"
Nashville Ballet 'steps into the future' with ambitious 2017-18 season
"Modern Masters," May 4-6, 2018 (TPAC's Jackson Hall.) "Modern Masters" will include three ballets - "6 Dances,," with Jiri Kylian's clever choreography set to Mozart's "Six German Dances"; "Ghosts'" featuring choreography by Christopher Wheeldon and music by Grammy-nominated composer C.F. Kip Winger,,previously known as front man for rock band Winger; and George Balanchine's "Western Symphony!" set in the Old West and featuring American folk tunes.
MODERN MASTERS
KYLIAN, WHEELDON & BALANCHINE
MAY 4-6, 2018
TPAC'S JACKSON HALL
Six Dances Choreography by Jiri KYLIAN
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Ghosts Choreography by Christopher Wheeldon
Music by Grammy-nominated composer C.F. Kip Winger
Western Symphony Choreography by George Balanchine
Music by Hershy Kay
Live Music Performed by the Nashville Symphony
Tickets on sale soon - http://www.nashvilleballet.com/2017-2018-season/
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01-30-17
Nashville Symphony featuring CF Kip Winger's "Conversations With Nijinsky"
Nashville Symphony has revealed their 2017/18 Season featuring C.F.Kip Winger's 'Conversations With Nijinsky':
"Universal Language"
Few music directors are as devoted as Guerrero is to championing new works from American composers; the 2017-18 season will include a commissioned piece from composer Jonathan Leshnoff as well as contemporary works by Christopher Rouse and Kip Winger, among others.
Aegis Sciences Classical Series
PROGRAM
Debussy - Prelude to the Afternoon of the Faun
MacDowell - Piano Concerto No. 2
C.F. Kip Winger - Conversations with Nijinsky
Stravinsky - The Firebird Suite (1919 version)
Thursday, September 14, 2017 at 7:00 pm
Friday, September 15, 2017 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, September 16, 2017 at 8:00 pm
On sale NOW to 2017/18 subscribers
On sale to the public July 21st at 10:00 AM
2017/18 subscribers: call 615.687.6400 to purchase now
On sale to the public in July
Questions? Email tickets@nashvillesymphony.org
PERFORMERS
Nashville Symphony
Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor
Andre Watts, piano
https://www.nashvillesymphony.org
Tickets: https://www.nashvillesymphony.org/tickets/concert/2017-Stravinskys-Firebird
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12-06-16
CF Kip Winger Nominated for a Grammy
CF Kip Winger has been nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Classical Composition for his debut Classical Release "Conversations With Nijinsky" - C. F. Kip Winger, composer (Martin West & San Francisco Ballet Orchestra)
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10-18-16
Press Release by Naxos on CF Kip Winger's New Classical CD, 'Conversations With Nijinsky'
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 14, 2016
C.F KIP WINGER CELEBRATES THE LIFE OF DANCER AND CHOREOGRAPHER VASLAV NIJINSKY IN DEBUT CLASSICAL ALBUM
Additional compositions include ballet and chamber music
"Kip Winger has captured my father's heart and soul. Many have been inspired by Nijinsky in words and dance, but no one, until now, in music. Nijinsky was inspired by the music he heard. And now, Kip Winger reminds us of Nijinsky's genius with his work."- Dame Tamara Nijinsky
Conversations With Nijinsky, a four-movement musical tribute to the artistry and life of Nijinsky is the centerpiece of Kip Winger's debut album as a classical composer. Performed by the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra with Martin West conducting, and recorded by GRAMMY-winning recording engineer Leslie Ann Jones, Winger's world-premiere recording declares loudly and clearly that, while he may be the front man of the rock band Winger, he is a force to be reckoned with as a classical composer. The album also includes a recording of Winger's ballet, Ghosts, a composition that has finally made its way to CD after a nine-year odyssey. World-renowned choreographer Christopher Wheeldon has been a champion of the piece ever since Winger sent him his first sketch of Ghosts in 2007. After convincing the composer to add four minutes to the score, Wheeldon subsequently choreographed a ballet that ran in the San Francisco Ballet repertoire for four years, with performances at Lincoln Center in New York, Sadler's Wells Theatre in London, the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, and the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.
Winger is no stranger to ballet, having studied it since he was 16 as an extension of his interest in martial arts. His exposure over the years to the many ballet scores of Tchaikovsky, Ravel, Stravinsky and Debussy made the form a natural choice as he began to explore classical composition. But the transition to classical composing was no overnight decision. Winger dug deep into the process, studying ear training and composition with such prominent teachers as Richard Danielpour, Michael Kurek and Richard Hermann.. His traditional approach has resulted in commissions from the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Sun River Music Festival (Oregon), and the Tucson Symphony. Winger's partnership with Martin West and the award-winning San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, which developed during the Ghost performances, culminated in the orchestra's commitment to Winger's music and this recording in particular.
Conductor Martin West states, "I think he does feel like he has something to prove. I personally don't think he has anything to prove. For him, I think he would love to be known as a classical composer of note. That's very difficult for anyone to achieve. But as far as I'm concerned, he is and I'm happy to be his advocate and play his music."
The final work featured on the album, an adagio titled A Parting Grace, is a chamber piece which Winger - from his unique perspective as both a composer and a dancer - sees as yet another link to ballet. Winger says he "sees" all of his music as dance, subscribing to George Balanchine's idea that we should "see the music, hear the Dance." Winger's debut album enables the listener to do just that.
This VBI Classical Recording is digitally distributed by Naxos in conventional and high resolution formats and as a CD through CD Baby, Amazon and more.
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08-30-16
Winger's Seventeen Added to Rock Band
Rock Band has added Seventeen to its downloadable songs library. Here's what they had to say:
"A powerful rock'n'roll track, "Seventeen" by Winger, is also coming to the Rock Band Library. Guitarists will get their rock on with this tune, complete with two insanely difficult guitar solos. Our Audio QA team even commented that this has some of the hardest guitar charts they've ever authored, and is right on par with Symphony X's "Nevermore". You'll definitely want to spend some time in Practice Mode for this one"
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07-21-16
Kip Winger feature on Billboard - Topping The Classical Album Charts on Billboard
Composing a classical album is a dream Winger has harbored since the days his band was charting top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 like "Miles Away" and "Headed For A Heartbreak." It's the result of years of studying composition that he embarked on in the late 90s. "To have this record made by such a great orchestra, amazing conductor, and to be taken seriously and then have it No. 1 on the Traditional Classical chart is surreal," says Winger. "Really, absolutely awesome."
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06-26-16
NPR Features CF Kip Winger and his Musical Journey
NPR met with CF Kip Winger to discuss his musical journey and his #1 Billboard debut Classical Release "Conversations With Nijinsky"