Contact: Scott Belford, Director of Marketing
E: scottb@charlottesymphony.org
P: 704-714-5113

W: www.charlottesymphony.org

For Immediate Release                                    May 31, 2011

Wells Fargo Private Bank Presents Jennifer Holliday in Concert with the Charlotte Symphony

Concert will benefit the UNCF - United Negro College Fund 

Wells Fargo Private Bank presents the Tony Award-winning actress and singer Jennifer Holliday in performance with the Charlotte Symphony on Saturday, June 25 at 8 p.m. at the Belk Theater. The performance, a fundraiser for the UNCF - United Negro College Fund, will be conducted by nationally acclaimed conductor Charles Floyd. Holliday will perform selections from the hit Broadway musical Dreamgirls, as well as other selections from across her career. The concert follows the 9th Annual UNCF Maya Angelou Women Who Lead Luncheon, which will be held June 25 at The Westin Charlotte.

“Wells Fargo is committed to supporting education, and the UNCF scholarship program aligns with our focus on providing educational access to deserving young students,” said Madelyn Caple, regional managing director for Wells Fargo Private Bank. “We are pleased to support UNCF through our sponsorship of this exciting event. The combination of Jennifer Holliday’s incredible talent and live accompaniment by the Charlotte Symphony will make for a very special evening.”

Jennifer Holliday has been proclaimed by both critics and fans alike as one of history’s greatest Broadway legends. Her performance of “And I’m Telling You, I’m Not Going” in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls made her a household name more than 25 years ago, earning her a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and a Grammy for Best R&B Female Vocalist. Her trademark arrangement and performance of “And I’m Telling You, I’m Not Going” was #1 on the R&B charts for four consecutive weeks and a Top 40 hit on the Pop charts. From 1985 to 1992 she enjoyed solid public support with five Top 10 singles on the R&B Dance charts.  Holliday’s album, Say You Love Me, earned an additional Grammy for her rendition of Duke Ellington’s classic, “Come Sunday.”

Charity work is very important to Holliday, and she uses her talents to raise money and awareness for the many causes that are of special importance to her.  In the summer of 2007, she founded the Yolanda D. King “Achieving The Dream” Artistic Scholarship Fund in memory of her beloved friend and fellow actor, the eldest daughter of Dr. Martin and Mrs. Coretta Scott King.  Scholarships are awarded for books and school supplies to students who attend a Historically Black College or University in the field of music, theater, or film.

Conductor, pianist, and composer Charles Floyd began studying piano at age four and by age 20 had been heard in solo recital, chamber music, and concerto performances throughout the United States and Spain. As a conductor, Floyd has led more than 500 orchestras throughout the United States and internationally. He is an annual guest conductor of the Boston Pops, where his programs have featured artists such as Sting, Elton John, Jennifer Holliday, James Taylor, and Stevie Wonder. In January, 2009, he conducted the pre-inaugural concert entitled We Are One for President Barack Obama at the Lincoln Memorial.

Concert tickets start at $28 and are available through the Charlotte Symphony Ticket Office at 704-972-2000, or the CSO website at www.charlottesymphony.org.

About the Charlotte Symphony

The Charlotte Symphony is the largest performing arts organization in the Charlotte region and the largest professional orchestra in the central Carolinas, employing more than 100 musicians, 62 on full-time contracts.  The orchestra performs nearly 100 concerts each year, reaching more than 200,000 listeners. The CSO also operates the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestras and the Oratorio Singers of Charlotte and is committed to broad educational outreach. The CSO is supported by ticket revenue, generous corporate and individual giving, and foundation grants and receives operating support from the N.C. Arts Council and the Arts & Science Council.

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.2 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 9,000 stores, 12,000 ATMs, the Internet (wellsfargo.com and wachovia.com), and other distribution channels across North America and internationally. With approximately 280,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in America.  Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 23 on Fortune’s 2011 rankings of America’s largest corporations. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy all our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. (5/5/11)

About the UNCF - United Negro College Fund

The United Negro College Fund is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, strengthens its 39 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 18 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 900 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” Each June, the North Carolina office of UNCF presents the Maya Angelou Women Who Lead Luncheon to benefit UNCF and local college scholarships. At the 2010 luncheon, Jennifer Holliday was honored with the Maya Angelou/Elizabeth Ross Dargan Lifetime Achievement Award. Learn more at www.UNCF.org or call 704-377-8625.

Wells Fargo Private Bank provides products and services through Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. its various affiliates and subsidiaries.

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