Yanni Captivates Segerstrom Hall in Costa Mesa, CA!
Yanni performing live in 2014. (Photo Credit: Anis Mill / PRI.org)
Yanni has captivated audiences for years with his unique sounds and new-age music. And now, because he is back in North America for his 2016 Tour, we at LAexcites were able to catch his performance on March 20th, 2016, live in Costa Mesa, California.
The Segerstrom Hall (one of five facilities at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts) was packed with a myriad of people from all walks of life and ethnic backgrounds, dressed exquisitely, and ready to be captivated by Yanni’s classic songs. These included hits such as “Felitsa,” and “Aria,” as well as brand new, never-before-released songs like “Human Condition (2016 version),” which is slated to be released on Yanni’s next album.
In 1994, Yanni became a household name in the United States when he, via PBS, gained exposure, specifically because of the excited chatter surrounding his historic concert in Greece — Live at the Acropolis. That concert alone raised $13 million dollars in PBS fund-raising revenue, not to mention the gross sales from the video cassette (750,000 copies sold) and album (7 million copies sold). Yanni has since released numerous albums, and has re-released many of his old tracks with vocalists and added instrumentation.
Being a beneficiary of his own musical evolution, Yanni surprised and satisfied attendees with an extraordinary performance in Costa Mesa. He enthralled the audience by first mentioning his love for the city and by also making proper note of how Segerstrom Hall is uniquely able to support blissfully radiant sounds. He told us very personal stories of his mother and father and the wisdom they passed down to him. In his own words, his performance was not dissimilar from playing privately for a group of friends, and much of us in the audience felt the same way. It was a collective and spiritual experience that could not be easily duplicated.
Yanni from an interview in 2016. (Photo Credit: Associated Press, Bruce Barton)
Moreover, the stage production values used in the show were nothing less than stellar. The lighting effects were perfectly synced with Yanni’s music as, one by one, each light would underscore the international star and his stage colleagues. Intermittently, spotlights would shift toward the audience, so much so that they would feel empowered by it as if they were a part of history in the making.
Also invaluable to the presentation were the other artists, particularly the talented women who effortlessly graced the stage and sung over many of Yanni’s renowned instrumental tracks, adding a new layer to the Greek’s recognizable discography. Another man played the harp with such passion and chutzpah that the only way to describe it was that he was in the zone like a well-versed virtuoso would be. Last but not least, we saw Yanni’s right-hand man and good friend from Live at the Acropolis, Samvel Yervinyan, who played the violin with the same flair that he did 22 years prior.
All in all, if Yanni’s night at the Segerstrom Hall was any indication, his 2016 North American Tour is guaranteed to be a success. His grace, not only as a very talented and sage musician, but as an incredible pianist, will charm you, your family, and everyone you know. Indeed, his concerts are for everybody. There are no age restrictions.
For more special events only at the Segerstrom Center, check out SCFTA.ORG
For more information on Yanni and his current tour, visit Yanni.com
