Rufus Wainwright
Amicably described from Elton John as "the world's greatest songwriter" and praised by the New York Times for his "original authenticity," Rufus Wainwright has established himself as one of the best songwriters of his generation. The son of folk singers Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle,brother of Martha Wainwright, Rufus has been able to find his own distinctive sound that has decreed his success in the worlds of rock,opera, theater, dance and film.In 2009 he composed his first opera Prima Donna, which debuted successfully at the Manchester International Festival. The same year was his collaboration with director Robert Wilson in Shakespeare Sonette at the Berliner Ensemble in Berlin, for which he signed the original music. Wainwright has released 6 albums and 2 DVDs. He has also participated to numerous compilations and soundtracks, and collaborated with artists such as Elton John,David Byrne, Rosanne Cash and Keane. He has just released his latest album All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu. His previous album entitled Milwaukee At Last !!! is a live performance of the Release The Stars tour.In 2007 the live concert recorded at Carnegie Hall, Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall, received a Grammy nomination. Among the awards he received were the Juno Awards for Best Alternative Album in 1999 and 2002, for Rufus Wainwright and Poses, respectively. He was nominated for Songwriter of the Year in 2008 for the album Release the Stars. Alongside his musical career, Rufus Wainwright is a film actor. He took part in Oscar-winning director Deny Arcand's film L'Âge des Ténèbres (2007), Merchant Ivory's film Heights (2005), and the colossal The Aviator (2004) directed by Martin Scorsese. At the age of 14, he composed and performed a song for the film Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller that earned him a nomination in 1989 for the Genie Award (Canada) for Best Original Song and in 1990 for the Juno Award for Most Promising Male Voice.