DAVID FOSTER is one of the most illustrious composers of our time. He has 16 Grammy Awards—including three for Producer of the Year—an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe, and three Oscar nominations for “Best Original Songs.” Foster has also earned a reputation as a keen spotter of new talent. He played a key role in the discovery and career launches of Celine Dion, Josh Groban, and Michael Bublé. Few other individuals can claim to have their fingerprints on more major moments in all of popular music than David Foster. He has created hit songs for a diverse array of artists, including Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Chicago, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind Fire, Tony Braxton, Natalie Cole, Michael Bolton, Seal, Chaka Khan, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Hall Oates, Brandy, ’N Sync, Boz Scaggs, and Gloria Estefan.
In 2008 and 2011, Foster stepped out as a performer in his own right with Hitman: David Foster & Friends PBS specials, which became the highest-rated PBS shows in decades. In 2018/19, Foster toured with his show An Intimate Evening with David Foster. The shows garnered rave reviews and were so successful that he now devotes much of his time to sold-out concerts around the world. In 2022, David released a Christmas album with Katharine McPhee entitled, Christmas Songs. Foster took-on Broadway last year with BOOP!, a new musical about the iconic animated character Betty Boop.
Foster has made charitable work his life’s other priority. Meeting with a young girl from his hometown who was awaiting a liver transplant made a profound impact on him and led him to create The David Foster Foundation in 1986. Its mission is to provide financial support to Canadian families with children in need of live-saving organ transplants, along with a new focus on organ donor awareness.
KATHARINE MCPHEE is one of a handful of artists who takes the lead in a career that includes film, television, Broadway, recording, and concert tours. Katharine first burst onto the scene in 2006, during a successful run on Season 5 of American Idol, elevating her into a household name. As an actress, she is well-known to television audiences as “Paige Dineen” on the CBS’ spy drama Scorpion, and as one of the leads in the NBC musical drama Smash, by executive producer Steven Spielberg. She also starred in the Netflix comedy series, Country Comfort. She has also guest-starred in the series CSI: NY, Community, Family Guy, and Ugly Betty.
As a singer, Katharine is renowned for her powerhouse presence, and show-stopping performances. Her recordings have topped the charts in multiple genres, including pop, jazz, and adult contemporary. A sought-after performer, Katharine has taken the stage for various PBS broadcasts throughout the years, including David Foster & Friends, Chris Botti In Boston, and headlining her own SoundStage special. In spring 2018, McPhee made her Broadway debut starring as Jenna in the hit musical Waitress, featuring music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles. She then originated the leading role in the West End production before returning to Broadway to perform in the show’s final weeks. In addition to her acting and singing career, McPhee is a passionate philanthropist, having served as an ambassador for organizations such as BuildOn, Malaria No More, and Feeding America. Katharine continues to perform at many charitable events, such as The David Foster Foundation, of which is an avid supporter.
A veteran of the concert stage, Katharine performs to sold out audiences around the world. Most recently Katharine paired with David Foster to create a show called, An Intimate Evening with David Foster and Katharine McPhee. This in-demand show has garnered rave reviews and they perform to sold out concert venues around the world. In 2022, Katharine released Part 1 of her Christmas album called Christmas Songs, a collection of Christmas classics produced by David Foster. Part 2 was released Christmas 2023.
Photo credit: Michael Tammaro
Sean O’Loughlin is the Principal Pops Conductor of Symphoria, the exciting new symphony in Syracuse, NY, and the newly appointed Principal Pops Conductor of the Victoria Symphony in Victoria, B.C., Canada. A fresh voice and a rising name in the music world, his music is characterized by vibrant rhythms, passionate melodies, and colorful scoring. Commissions from the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra highlight and showcase his diverse musical abilities. As a conductor, he has led performances with the Boston Pops Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the Chicago Symphony, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony, the Vancouver Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the Houston Symphony, the Victoria Symphony and the Seattle Symphony amongst others.
Recent collaborations include such artists as Sarah McLachlan, Adele, Josh Groban, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Journey, Melissa Etheridge, Blue Man Group, Janelle Monáe, Audra McDonald, Hall and Oates, Gloria Estefan, the Indigo Girls, Diana Krall, Itzhak Perlman, Natalie Merchant, Chris Isaak, Pink Martini, Brandi Carlile, The Decemberists, Martina McBride, Josh Ritter, Gloria Gaynor and others.