Praised as “the greatest songwriter on the planet” by Sir Elton John, Rufus Wainwright joins the Royal Conservatory Orchestra for a special one-night-only engagement performing selections from his albums Rufus does Judy at Carnegie Hall, Want One, Want Two, and beyond.
On the mark of its 20th anniversary this year, Wainwright’s Rufus Does Judy is undoubtedly one of the most sensational shows from his incredible career, an exhilarating and loving recreation of Judy Garland’s infamous 1961 comeback concert. Rufus Does Judy made its premiere at Carnegie Hall in 2006 and garnered Wainwright’s first Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. The full program has been performed globally including the London Palladium, Hollywood Bowl, Paris’ L'Olympia, and Toronto’s Luminato Festival. For the Koerner Hall performance, Wainwright will curate a special selection of his favorite songs from the album. 2026 will be the last time Rufus reprises this iconic show.
Rufus Wainwright’s Want One and Want Two have earned recognition as iconic albums worldwide, with Paste Magazine elevating Want One to the No. 1 album of the year, and Rolling Stone listing it in their top 5 best albums of 2003. Bowie hailed Wainwright’s song “Dinner at Eight” as the “best father/son song he knew.” 22 years later, these songs have been given new life through lush symphonic arrangements by Sally Herbert (Woodkid, Florence + the Machine) and Max Moston (Antony and the Johnsons).
Combined in one program, these works form just a few of the many pillars of Rufus Wainwright’s extensive career - works that define his singular voice and fearless emotional range, merging vulnerability with spectacle, tradition with reinvention. Decades on, these songs continue to resonate as the foundation of Wainwright’s legacy.
Part of the Temerty Orchestral Program at The Glenn Gould School (GGS), the Royal Conservatory Orchestra (RCO) is widely regarded as an outstanding ensemble and one of the best training orchestras in North America. It consists of instrumental students in the undergraduate and graduate programs of The Glenn Gould School. Graduates of the RCO have joined the ranks of the greatest orchestras in the world.
After the concert, keep the party going with an exclusive post-show DJ set!
Orchestrated: Where Genres Collide
See your favourite artists, backed by the Royal Conservatory Orchestra, through a different lens. Enjoy specialty cocktails and dance the night away at an after-party led by some of the city’s best DJ’s. Let RCM orchestrate the perfect night for you and your friends, all in Canada’s most intimate concert venue: Koerner Hall.
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