Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

Arts & Culture

Yanni: Live At El Morro

Yanni, backed by his orchestra, performs at the historic 16th-century Castillo San Felipe del Morro in San Juan, Puerto Rico, December 2011.
Courtesy of Krystal Vinck
Yanni, backed by his orchestra, performs at the historic 16th-century Castillo San Felipe del Morro in San Juan, Puerto Rico, December 2011.

Airs Saturday, November 3, 2012 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV

On December 16 and 17, 2011, Yanni, music’s true world citizen and most popular contemporary composer, fulfilled a 20-year-old dream to perform at the beautiful and historic 16th-century Castillo San Felipe del Morro in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Backed by his renowned orchestra, the two sold-out concerts were filmed in HD for PBS.

Connect With Yanni

Yanni is on Facebook, and you can follow @Yanni on Twitter.

Yanni On Tour

Yanni just completed an 80 date concert tour throughout the U.S. and Canada and will be continuing his World Tour throughout 2012-2013! Visit his website for a virtual backstage pass including videos of Yanni and his crew as they perform for different cultures, experiencing the rich history of each country, and tasting a variety of ethnic cuisine.

Yanni performed a two-hour set of favorites from his career, including “Santorini,” “Felitsa,” “Voyage,” “The End of August,” “The Rain Must Fall,” “Nightingale,” “Arcoyali,” “Marching Season” and more, as well as two encores featuring “Standing in Motion,” “Nostalgia,” “The Storm” and “One Man’s Dream.”

During Friday night’s performance, Mother Nature interfered when high winds and rainstorms blew through the castle, forcing the band to end the concert early for safety reasons.

Advertisement

Saturday night concertgoers were treated to better weather, and the production went off without a hitch, creating a truly memorable night. “El Morro lived up to its reputation,” said Yanni. “The evenings were magical, the weather became part of the show and the audiences were among the best I have ever played for.”

The performance at El Morro connects the famed Puerto Rican landmark — a recognized UNESCO Heritage Site — with other spectacular sites such as the Taj Mahal in India, the Acropolis in Greece and the Forbidden City in China, that have played host to Yanni’s performances.

"Yanni: Live At El Morro" marks the composer’s 10th collaboration with PBS and will air exclusively in the United States. Having sold more than 35 million albums globally, Yanni has found an audience for his music, expansive creations that he designed to be positive and life-affirming. “I want to remind people of their potential for greatness,” he says. “I want to inspire as well as to entertain.”

This program is part of our TV Membership Campaign. Support quality programming you depend on from KPBS. Join or renew today!

Preview: Yanni: Live At El Morro
Yanni: Taj Mahal, India
Yanni Live at the Acropolis, Greece
Yanni On Tour: Beijing at the Forbidden City