Sunday, January 1 at 7:30 p.m.
From Vienna: The New Year's Eve Celebration 2012
Stage and screen legend Julie Andrews returns for the third time to host the merry annual New Year’s celebration with the Vienna Philharmonic, under the direction of Mariss Jansons from Vienna’s Musikverein. This is Jansons’ second time at the podium of this much cherished event. The famed Vienna Boys’ Choir will add their celestial voices to the gala.

Friday, January 6 at 9:00 p.m.
Herbie Hancock, Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil Celebrate Gershwin
Los Angeles Philharmonic Music Director Gustavo Dudamel and Creative Chair for Jazz Herbie Hancock launched the LA Phil’s 2011/12 season with a sparkling George Gershwin gala at Walt Disney Concert Hall in September. . “This is the first time as a professional musician that I’ll be playing a piece that’s essentially classical music with jazz overtones with a symphony orchestra, and what a symphony orchestra it is!” marvels Hancock just before the concert, referring to his keyboard work in Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”

Friday, January 13 at 9:00 p.m.
Let Me Down Easy
Meet a range of individuals all portrayed by Anna Deavere Smith. Called “the most exciting individual in American theater” by Newsweek magazine, Anna Deavere Smith (“The West Wing,” “Nurse Jackie”) turns her theatrical exploration to matters of the human body. This new gallery of indelible portraits ranges from boldface names such as cyclist Lance Armstrong, supermodel Lauren Hutton and Texas Governor Ann Richards, to lesser-known but equally memorable characters, including a rodeo bull rider, a New Orleans hospital doctor and the director of a South African orphanage — all sharing their searing experiences in confronting the price and politics of health, facing the end of life and encountering the ultimate resilience of the human spirit.

Friday, January 27 at 9:00 p.m.
Tony Bennett Duets 2
In celebration of his 85th birthday, the legendary Tony Bennett released the critically acclaimed Duets II, which followed his Grammy-winning Duets CD, released in honor of his 80th birthday. Featuring his greatest hits, performed by today’s biggest stars, Duets II was recorded live in studios from Los Angeles to London, New York to Italy, with Nashville in between, Bennett is joined by a diverse roster of artists, including, Lady Gaga, John Mayer, Michael Buble, k.d. lang, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Queen Latifah, Norah Jones, Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli and Amy Winehouse in what became her last recording.

 

For more information on this program go to www.pbs.org/gperf.