Rufus Wainwright: “A Night of Gratitude" at the Redstone Room at Common Chord -- August 23.
Sunday, August 23, 7 p.m.
The Redstone Room, 129 Main Street, Davenport IA
Concluding 2026's Culture Bright Summer Series with a special August 23 evening of music, appreciation, and celebration, Common Chord presents an intimate performance by acclaimed singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright in the Davenport venue's newly reopened Redstone Room. The invitation-only evening is designed to honor the donors, partners, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters whose belief in arts and culture helps make extraordinary experiences possible throughout the Quad Cities.
Praised by the New York Times for his “genuine originality,” Rufus Wainwright has established himself as one of the great male vocalists, songwriters, and composers of his generation. The New York-born, Montreal-raised singer-songwriter has released 10 studio albums to date, three DVDs, and three live albums including the Grammy Award-nominated Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall. He has collaborated with artists such as Elton John, Burt Bacharach, Miley Cyrus, David Byrne, Boy George, Joni Mitchell, Pet Shop Boys, Heart, Carly Rae Jepsen, Robbie Williams, Jessye Norman, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Sting, and producer Mark Ronson, among many others. Wainwright has also written two operas and numerous songs for movies and television.
His 2020 Grammy-nominated studio album of original songs, Unfollow the Rules, finds Wainwright at the peak of his powers, entering artistic maturity with passion, honesty, and a new-found fearlessness. In 2023, he embarked on a journey to his family folk roots with his Grammy-cited album Folkocracy featuring reinvented folk duets with artists including Chaka Khan, Brandi Carlile, John Legend, and Anohni, among many others.
His first musical John Cassavetes’ Opening Night, staged for London's West End in collaboration with Tony winner Ivo van Hove, premiered at the Gielgud Theater in March of 2024. During this time, Wainwright also completed his Dream Requiem, which premiered with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France in June of 2024 and featured Meryl Streep as the narrator. A recording of the performance was released via Warner Classics in January 2025, which was followed by the U.S. premiere at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles featuring Jane Fonda as the narrator. Co-commissioners for the Dream Requiem are the Master Chorale in Los Angeles, the Palau de la Musica in Barcelona, the Helsinki Symphony Orchestra, the RTE Orchestra in Ireland, and the Royal Ballet London.
Rufus Wainwright performs Common Chord's A Night of Gratitude on August 23, the evening featuring a 6 p.m. cocktail hour with heavy hors d'oeuvres, brief announcements at 6:45 p.m., and the musical guest taking the stage at 7 p.m. The event is by invitation only to Encore Society members, lead supporters, and key partners whose generosity makes Common Chord's work possible.
For more information on the night, and to learn how to join the Encore Society and receive an invitation to the August 23 event, contact Executive Director Tyson Danner at (563)223-8642 and visit CommonChordQC.org.
