Yanni Continues World Tour in Australia and New Zealand, Jan 2013

Chugg Entertainment confirms that legendary composer and performer, Yanni, is set to continue his World Tour throughout into early 2013 with dates in Australia. The tour will begin in New Zealand tonight, 12th January at Vector Arena, before travelling to Australia to begin at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Tuesday 15th January, Sydney Entertainment Centre on Thursday 17th January, Melbourne's Palais Theatre on Saturday 19th January, Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Wednesday 23rd January and finishing up at the Perth Arena on Sunday 27th January.

Yanni's contemporary symphonic music has inspired millions of fans around the world. In concert, his passionate, soaring melodies and lush orchestration create a spirited and uplifting musical experience like no other. Yanni kicked off a world tour on April 17 with an 80 date North American itinerary including highlights such as: Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO (13/7), Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live in Los Angeles, CA (20/7) and Santa Barbara Bowl in Santa Barbara, CA (21/7).

Following the completion of the North American dates, international touring plans for 2012 and 2013 will include Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Russia, China, Hungary, Thailand, U.A.E., Oman, among others.

On tour, Yanni and his stunning 15-piece orchestra will play Favorites from throughout his career, as well as selections from his latest album, Truth of Touch (2011).

The 17 April start date for Yanni's world tour coincided with the CD and DVD release of Yanni: Live at El Morro, Puerto Rico (Sony Music), capturing two sold-out concerts in December 2011 at the historic 16th-century Castillo San Felipe Del Morro in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The dates were the first-ever performances at this recognised UNESCO Heritage Site, and the shows were filmed in high-definition and recorded in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. Performing at the castle represented a 20-year dream come true for Yanni, building on the legacy of iconic global sites that have played host to his concerts including the Acropolis in Greece, the Taj Mahal in India, and the Forbidden City in China (he was the first western performer to play at the latter two).

Yanni: Live at El Morro, Puerto Rico also made its nationwide PBS debut on 3rd March, 2012. Yanni is one of public television's all-time top fundraisers, and this latest special marks his 10th collaboration with PBS.

On 9th April, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announced a collaboration with Yanni, aimed at raising awareness of giant panda conservation noting that "what we do to earth, we do to ourselves. -Yanni." Yanni was inspired to help protect giant pandas after he "adopted" a two-month old panda cub at the Chinese Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in October 2011. Yanni was the first western artist to be given the honor of symbolically adopting one of Chengdu's pandas (a privilege reserved almost exclusively for nations, rather than personalities and is considered one of China's highest honors). He named the panda "Santorini" after one of the most beautiful islands in his native Greece. "Santorini" is also one of Yanni's most well known compositions and contains the word "Irini," which means "peace" in Greek. He views his adopted panda as "the beautiful panda of peace."

As part of the collaboration, WWF and Yanni have created a $50 Limited Edition "Santorini" Panda Adoption, allowing supporters to symbolically adopt a panda. As a thank-you to those individuals who support WWF's efforts through this program, supporters will receive a symbolic adoption kit that includes a plush panda, a photo of Yanni and Santorini, a DVD with exclusive content (including footage of Yanni and Santorini), a certificate of adoption, a re-useable tote bag, and an information card with a panda photo.

To symbolically adopt a panda, and for additional information to learn about the full story, please visit: www.Yanni.com/Santorini.

The North American tour commenced in Houston, Texas where Yanni connected with NASA, toured their facilities and met some of their leading scientists and astronauts. At The End of every concert, Yanni speaks about space and what the earth looks like from above, noting that there are no lines on the map. Yanni was honored with a plaque of appreciation from Mission Operations and continues to support NASA and the work they accomplish.

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