Forward-thinking creative agency Park Avenue Artists has joined forces with innovative independent music publisher Primary Wave Music  to create and tour a radically new approach to amplifying and reveling in the voices of legacy artists. 

Their first collaboration is “The Voice of Whitney: A Symphonic Celebration,” coming to the stage in August 2024. The Chicago Philharmonic will provide a lush foundation for original master recordings of the singer’s most beloved performances. Before traveling to top venues across the country, the celebration will premiere at the Ravinia Festival near Chicago. (For additional info, see ravinia.org)

“The Voice of Whitney” represents the first shared effort between the partners, in what is planned to be an ongoing collaboration to craft compelling performances using the voice or instrument of late, great musicians. These orchestral concerts pair refined symphonic scores with high-quality recordings to shine a new light on favorite works and songs.

This creative approach to expand the concert has been part of PAA’s work for years. The agency’s unique expertise in the symphonic space ranges from a sold-out concert at the Dolby Theater for Grammy-winning electronic musician ZEDD, to the acclaimed PBS special Seasons of Cuba with Joshua Bell. With its attention to musical detail and its open-minded engagement with technology, PAA is an ideal partner to transform the evergreen work of legacy artists into fresh entertainment.

To create shows like “The Voice of Whitney,” PAA worked with The Estate of Whitney E. Houston and Primary Wave Music to find rare footage and license recordings. Whitney’s vocal part, separated from the instrumental bed fans know from her songs, will resound via high-quality recording over a lush symphonic score played live and created to highlight what made Whitney so compelling. From her legendary Super Bowl XXV performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” to timeless hits “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” “Greatest Love of All,” “I Will Always Love You,” and “How Will I Know,” among many others, Whitney fans will be immersed in the great singer’s world as the evening weaves through her iconic songbook, film performances, intimate home videos, and never-before-seen photos and footage.

“We are constantly seeking new ways to bring culturally impactful, artful performances to more audiences,” says David Lai, PAA co-president.

 “This project highlights how legacy artists and their estates can continue to create meaningful experiences for music lovers, and ‘The Voice of Whitney’ is the first in several planned collaborations,” continues PAA co-president, Ross Michaels “We know it will be successful thanks to this partnership with Primary Wave.”