George Michael

It's the news his millions of fans across the world have been hoping for. This summer George Michael makes his eagerly awaited return to the stage with Symphonica: Th e Orchestral Tour, his fi rst European dates since the widely acclaimed 25Live tour concluded in Copenhagen in August 2008.

One of British music's greatest singer-songwriters and most loved artists, George Michael has never toured like this; he will perform not only a carefully chosen selection of his own songs, spanning all his remarkable, near 30-year career, but he will cover some of his favourite songs from other artists. The music will be re-worked and re-arranged for the orchestra which will accompany George at each location. This new classical setting will give each song added layers and new nuances. It's unmistakeably George Michael, but not as we've ever known him.

Symphonica will be both a new musical direction for George, fulfi lling a long-cherished artistic ambition and a signifi cant cultural exchange, not least since many of the concerts will take place in specially selected venues - the fi rst time George has played such settings - in countries including Denmark, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the UK.

The tour will begin in August in the Czech Republic's capital, Prague at the State Opera House. Since its opening in 1888, this venue has been regarded as one of Europe's most beautiful theatres. Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Nellie Melba and Enrico Caruso are just some of the towering figures of opera who have passed through its exquisite portals. Aft er Prague, other venues will include black tie events at London's Royal Opera House and Paris's Palais Garnier, home of the city's Opera from 1875 to 1989. Several of the venues have been specially chosen for their architectural beauty, their quality of sound and their cultural history. The combination of Europe's fi nest venues and arenas, popular music's most exquisite singer-songwriter and a symphony orchestra will make an ideal setting for this unique experience.

A much-loved, enduringly popular fi gure in music, George Michael's career has evolved from the era-defining pop of Wham! to a solo career of extraordinary lyrical beauty, genuine emotional depth and life-affi rming melody. For all the spine-tingling intimacy of his music and his still-spectacular voice, George Michael fills stadiums and arenas across the globe, making the prospect of him appearing in the exclusive settings of the Symphonica tour more special still. A magical experience awaits singer and audience alike...