Gershwin and the Golden Age
Sunday, October 11, 2026 at 7:00 PM
The Soraya
Featuring Michael Feinstein
After achieving massive success on Broadway and in classical music, George Gershwin moved to Hollywood, joining the predominantly Jewish composers behind Hollywood film scores of the 1930s. Composing original songs and scores for films starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Gershwin and his contemporaries established the emotional, symphonic style of American film scoring. Through his work with lyricist Ira Gershwin, musician and educator Michael Feinstein became a preeminent historian and champion of the Gershwin legacy through The Great American Songbook Foundation. A renowned interpreter of the talented brothers’ music, Feinstein is joined by the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony for a Soraya original celebration of the Gershwins’ memorable contributions to the Golden Age of Hollywood — with a finale that features a rare performance of George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F major.
FEATURED COMPOSER
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist who bridged the worlds of popular and classical music. Born in Brooklyn to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents, he began his career as a “song plugger” in Tin Pan Alley before rising to national prominence as a composer of songs, Broadway musicals, and concert works. His major compositions include Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris, and Porgy and Bess, all of which reflect his signature blend of jazz, blues, and classical forms. Gershwin died in 1937 at the age of 38, at the height of his career.
FEATURED SOLOISTS
In addition to his recognition as one of the leading musical entertainers and piano virtuosi of recent decades, Michael Feinstein’s work as an educator, archivist, interpreter, and Ambassador of the Great American Songbook has established the popular and honored musician as a pre-eminent force in contemporary music. His dazzling career as a top-selling and critically acclaimed recording artist and a star performer on Broadway, and the world’s great concert stages has earned him five GRAMMY® Award nominations, a special Tony Award for Excellence in Theatre for his Feinstein’s New York venue, two Emmy nominations for his television specials, and acclaim for his NPR series. His live concerts have spanned the globe, including such iconic venues such as The White House, Buckingham Palace, Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, and the Sydney Opera House.
In 2022, Feinstein released to rave reviews, Gershwin Country, an album of standards in duet with some of the biggest names in Country Music, from Dolly Parton and Alison Krauss to Brad Paisley and Amy Grant. This same year, he made his debut at the legendary Café Carlyle in New York to rave reviews and sell-out performances.
Born in Los Angeles, pianist Samuel Glicklich is a graduate of the Colburn Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Fabio Bidini, and is currently continuing his studies at the Musik-Akademie Basel with Claudio Martínez Mehner.
A prizewinner at numerous international competitions, Glicklich received 1st Prize at the 2025 Maestro Piano Competition, the KulturKontakt Eppan Artist Prize at the 2025 Piano Academy Eppan, 2nd Prize at the 2022 Casagrande International Piano Competition, and 3rd Prize at the 2021 Singapore International Piano Competition. He was also a prizewinner in the 2025 Bösendorfer Piano Competition, the 2021 Canada International Piano Competition, the 2017 Seattle International Piano Competition, the 2017 Glendale Piano Competition, and a solo finalist in the 2023 Busoni Piano Competition.
Glicklich has collaborated with leading artists including Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Gautier Capuçon, Eric Whitacre, Tatjana Masurenko, Martin Beaver, and Peter Lloyd, and has performed in venues across Asia, Europe, and North America.
Presenter
