Pink Martini

Find your twirling shoes, this summer Pink Martini head to Bend on their 30th Anniversary Tour extravaganza featuring China Forbes!

Drawing inspiration from music from all over the world – crossing genres of classical, jazz and old-fashioned pop – Thomas Lauderdale founded the “little orchestra” Pink Martini in 1994 to provide more beautiful and inclusive musical soundtracks for political fundraisers for causes such as civil rights, affordable housing, cleaning up the Willamette River, funding for libraries, public broadcasting, education and parks.

“Pink Martini is a rollicking around-the-world musical adventure,” Lauderdale says. “If the United Nations had a house band in 1962, hopefully we’d be that band.”

China Forbes was born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts and graduated cum laude from Harvard, majoring in Visual Arts and English, with a minor in Theater. After graduation, and before being lured West to sing with Pink Martini by Harvard friend and classmate Thomas Lauderdale, China performed off Broadway, in New York regional theatre and as a singer/songwriter in NYC clubs.

China became the lead singer for Pink Martini in 1995 and has co-written many of the bands most beloved songs with Lauderdale, starting with  “Sympathique”, and continuing to the most recent singles “Lemonade Song” and “Let’s Be Friends”. Her original song “Northern Line” plays over the end credits of sister Maya Forbes’ directorial debut film Infinitely Polar Bear. In May of 2024, China released “The Road,” her first solo album in 15 years, which feature all original songs including the single “Full Circle” and “Rise”, a deeply hopeful and personal song highlighting mental health challenges and suicide prevention.

She is the recipient of the 2022 Ella Fitzgerald Award at the Montreal International Jaz Festival; previous winners include Diana Ross, Etta James, and Liza Minelli.