Award-winning singer-songwriter Ben Folds, former frontman of alternative rock band Ben Folds Five, will headline the annual Brilliance at the Bankhead fundraising gala for Livermore Valley Arts on Saturday, September 10.

The non-profit organization Livermore Valley Arts operates the Bankhead Theater and Bothwell Arts Center in Livermore. The gala at the Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St., is seen as the kickoff to the organization’s 2022-23 performance season.

Folds, who has focused on composing for chamber pop since 2014, will be accompanied by the Livermore-Amador Symphony. Chamber pop combines rock music with the complex use of strings, horns, piano and vocal harmonies. Folds is also currently the first-ever artistic advisor to the Kennedy Center National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC.

Folds replaces singer-songwriter Randy Newman, originally announced as the fundraiser’s headliner. Livermore Valley Arts said in a press release that Newman was no longer able to perform…as originally planned, but didn’t give a reason for the cancellation.

This upcoming season will mark the 15th anniversary of Livermore Valley Arts at Bankhead. The gala will include dinner provided by On the Vine Catering, live music in Bankhead Plaza before the 5:30 p.m. show, and live and silent auctions. Tickets range from $195 to $500 per seat and are available at livermorearts.org.