Water Mill - The second annual Watermill Summer Concert 2009: Last Song of Summer will bring together two exceptional artists on an outdoor stage at the laboratory for performance founded by Robert Wilson. Rufus Wainwright and Norah Jones, two of today's most beautiful pop voices, will sing together for the first time. On Saturday, Aug. 29 at 4:30 p.m., Wainwright and Jones will headline the concert, which will begin with Martha Wainwright who will showcase material from her new project of rare Edith Piaf songs, a collaboration with Hal Willner.

Due to the approaching tropical storm Danny the concert is being held in the Field House House of the Ross Lower School at 739 Butter Lane in Bridgehampton, a five-minute drive from the Watermill Center. The Field House is a comfortable, sizable venue, so everyone who is on the list - and a few more - can fit; there are still some tickets being sold.

This is a concert not to miss: It's the first time Rufus Wainwright and Norah Jones, two of today's greatest pop voices, share a stage, and an early opportunity to hear material from Martha Wainwright's new project of rare Edith Piaf songs.

The proceeds of the concert will allow Watermill to grow its ambitious artist-in-residency program that enables emerging artists to explore new interdisciplinary approaches.

Watermill Concert 2009: Last Song of Summer. Images courtesy of the Watermill Center.

About Rufus Wainwright
Affectionately referred to by Elton John as "the greatest songwriter on the planet" and praised by The New York Times for his "genuine originality," Wainwright has established himself as one of the great male vocalists and songwriters of his generation. He has released eight albums and two DVDs to date, as well as appearing on numerous soundtracks and compilations and collaborating with artists including Elton John, David Byrne, Burt Bacharach and Pet Shop Boys. Wainwright's latest album is a live recording from his Carnegie Hall concert, "Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall," and has been released concurrently with a live DVD, "Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Does Judy! Judy! Judy!," which captures his celebrated Judy Garland tribute performance at the London Palladium earlier this year. His previous album, "Release The Stars," has achieved Gold sales status in Canada and the U.K.

About Norah Jones
The multiple-Grammy Award-winning Norah Jones' third album for Blue Note, "Not Too Late" (2007), has sold over four million copies worldwide, having spent three weeks at #1 on the Billboard chart upon its release. What was most striking about the album was not its commercial success - something common to all three of her albums - but Jones' evolution as a songwriter, which earned her a new level of acclaim for "Not Too Late." Another recent milestone in Jones' career is the celebrated acting debut she made in "Wong Kar Wai's My Blueberry Nights."

Jones burst upon the pop music world with her auspicious debut, "Come Away With Me," in 2002. The album has sold almost 10 million copies in the U.S. and over 20 million worldwide, and it swept the Grammy Awards in 2003. Two years later, Jones followed up with "Feels Like Home," another engaging and heartfelt album. "Feels Like Home" debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts, going on to sell over four million units in the U.S. and over 10 million worldwide. Both albums were overseen by legendary producer Arif Mardin.

Attendees enjoying last year's concert.

About the Watermill Center
Theater and visual artist Robert Wilson founded the Watermill Center in 1992 to be a springboard for the avant-garde of the future. The 22,000 square foot facility, designed by Wilson, serves as a laboratory for new approaches in the performing arts. It fosters research into the arts of the stage to provide young and emerging artists with a unique environment for creation and exploration in theater and all its related art forms. Watermill is located on the six-acre site of a former Western Union communication research facility at 39 Watermill Towd Road.

Watermill supports projects that reflect the approach of its founder Wilson: mixing and integrating different genres and art forms, breaking with traditional forms of representation, developing democratic and cross-cultural approaches. Watermill is about artists living and working together to share their creative experiences. It seeks to develop a strong global network of artists of all ages, experience, social, religious and cultural backgrounds.

Watermill offers a wide range of programs and activities throughout the year. For the well-known International Summer Arts Program, Wilson invites approximately 60 artists, who come from dozens of countries to gather for four to five weeks of intense creative exploration. The program provides a unique opportunity for emerging artists to learn from peers and established professionals in a laboratory environment. There are daily workshops with Wilson and his collaborators, based on new projects they are developing in all areas of the arts. For the Center's Fall and Spring Residency programs, which take place from September to June, a high-profile committee of practitioners in the arts and humanities, including Marina Abramovic, Alanna Heiss, Gerard Mortier, John Rockwell, Jonathan Safran Foer, Albert Maysles and others selects over 15 groups, individual artists and scholars in residence to workshop their own creations. The residencies are complemented by educational programs with schools and other institutions; public events such as open rehearsals and lectures, seminars and symposia; and tours of the building and grounds.

Concert Co-Chairs: Lisa Anastos, Martin Dawson, Amanda Hearst, Shamim M. Momin, Dalia Oberlander, Arden Wohl and Viktor & Rolf.

The Watermill Concert 2009: "Last Song of Summer" is sponsored Viktor & Rolf Parfums, with additional support from Brooks Brothers. Drinks provided by Peroni, Ty-Ku, Voss Water, Ketel One Vodka and Gus. Treats provided by Olivier Cheng Catering and Events.. Tickets range from $125 to $500, the latter price including access to a backstage meet-and-greet with the artists after the show. For tickets, call the Byrd Hoffman Watermill Foundation at 212-253-7484, ext. 10.

The proceeds of the concert will allow Watermill to grow their ambitious artist in residency program that enables emerging artists to explore new interdisciplinary approaches. Watermill aims to be a haven for the creative process and supply its residents with a network of like-minded institutions to further develop and expand their work.