For ten years, the Harmony Program has brought quality music education directly into communities who need it most, providing over a thousand students with free instruments, intensive music instruction, orchestral training, and a variety of transformational cultural experiences. Year after year, our students emerge from the program with life-long friendships, increased self-confidence, and improved academic achievement — all from a shared love of music.
In honor of this significant milestone, please join us at our 10th Anniversary Benefit Concert as we celebrate the talents of young classical musicians. The evening, which includes VIP cocktails and dinner, will bring together acclaimed musicians, along with our students, supporters, and music enthusiasts from around the City for an evening in celebration of the vital role music plays in shaping our communities and our lives.
FEATURING:
In honor of this significant milestone, please join us at our 10th Anniversary Benefit Concert as we celebrate the talents of young classical musicians. The evening, which includes VIP cocktails and dinner, will bring together acclaimed musicians, along with our students, supporters, and music enthusiasts from around the City for an evening in celebration of the vital role music plays in shaping our communities and our lives.
FEATURING:
Joshua BellWith a career spanning more than 30 years as a soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, and conductor, Joshua Bell is one of the most celebrated violinists today. An exclusive Sony Classical artist, Bell has recorded more than 40 albums garnering Grammy, Mercury, Gramophone awards, and he is a recipient of the Avery Fisher Prize. Named the Music Director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields in 2011, he is the only person to hold this post since 1958 when Sir Neville Marriner formed the orchestra.
In 2018, Bell tours with Academy to the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and Asia. With pianist Sam Haywood, Bell performs recitals in Europe and America, and in February reunited with pianist Jeremy Denk for a Carnegie Hall recital broadcast live. Additional highlights include dates with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Danish National Symphony, and an all-Beethoven play/direct program with the Orchestre National de Lyon.
Recently released is Joshua Bell – The Classical Collection, a 14-CD set of albums of classical repertoire. Slated for May is Bell’s recording with the Academy of the Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy and g minor Concerto.
Bell recently engaged in two tech projects: With Embertone, the leading virtual instrument sampling company, the Joshua Bell Virtual Violin was created for producers, artists, engineers and composers. Bell also teamed up with Sony for the Joshua Bell VR Experience featuring Bell performing in full 360-degree VR and available for free download for SONY PlayStation 4 VR.
Convinced of the value of music as an educational tool, Bell is a member of Turnaround Arts and Education Through Music, which provide arts education to low-performing elementary and middle schools.
Bell performs on the 1713 Huberman Stradivarius violin.
In 2018, Bell tours with Academy to the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and Asia. With pianist Sam Haywood, Bell performs recitals in Europe and America, and in February reunited with pianist Jeremy Denk for a Carnegie Hall recital broadcast live. Additional highlights include dates with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Danish National Symphony, and an all-Beethoven play/direct program with the Orchestre National de Lyon.
Recently released is Joshua Bell – The Classical Collection, a 14-CD set of albums of classical repertoire. Slated for May is Bell’s recording with the Academy of the Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy and g minor Concerto.
Bell recently engaged in two tech projects: With Embertone, the leading virtual instrument sampling company, the Joshua Bell Virtual Violin was created for producers, artists, engineers and composers. Bell also teamed up with Sony for the Joshua Bell VR Experience featuring Bell performing in full 360-degree VR and available for free download for SONY PlayStation 4 VR.
Convinced of the value of music as an educational tool, Bell is a member of Turnaround Arts and Education Through Music, which provide arts education to low-performing elementary and middle schools.
Bell performs on the 1713 Huberman Stradivarius violin.
Larisa MartinezHighly praised for her “warm quality of voice” and “unique timbre”, soprano Larisa Martínez has established a strong and unique presence in the classical music world. Most recently she made her Madison Square Debut as a featured artist alongside Andrea Bocelli in his December tour through the USA. This Spring she will be performing the role of Violetta in Verdi’s classic La Traviata, followed by Maria in West Side Story at the Napa Valley Music Festival with Michael Fabiano as Tony. In Puerto Rico she performed Sophie in Werther alongside celebrated tenor Piotr Beczala with CulturArte PR. Last year Ms. Martínez also made her Lincoln Center and PBS debut performing in Live From Lincoln Center’s Joshua Bell’s “Seasons of Cuba” concert. Her other operatic roles include Pamina in Bare Opera’s edgy production of The Magic Flute in New York City, Fire/Rossignol from L’enfant et les Sortilèges, Rosario from Goyescas, Musetta in Loft Opera’s critically acclaimed production of La Bohème in 2014 and Corinna from Rossini’s Il Viaggio a Reims under the baton of Metropolitan Opera conductor Joseph Colaneri. Additionally, she can be seen on DVD as Isaura in the world premiere of Mercadante’s Francesca da Rimini conducted by Fabio Luisi. Ms. Martínez is a proud resident artist of Turn Around Arts, a philanthropic organization founded by Michelle Obama and directed by The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities for the advancement of arts education in public schools throughout the nation.
Jorge GlemJorge Glem is a cuatro player, mandolinist, and musical producer from Cumana, Venezuela. He is the winner of prestigious awards such as El Silbón de Oro, in 2014, and the Siembra Del Cuatro, in 2015. Jorge has also received three Pepsi music awards for his album “En el Cerrito” and has been nominated for three Latin Grammys with the ensemble C4Trio. He has three musical productions of his own, and has participated in over 200, traveling throughout four continents and sharing the stage with worldwide figures such as Paquito D’Rivera, Jordan Rudess, Rubén Blades, Carlos Vives, Calle 13, Guaco, Desorden Publico, Ensamble Gurrufío, Gualberto Ibarreto, Etienne Charles, and many others, fusing his traditional instrument with universal genres such as jazz, salsa, bluegrass, rock, pop.
Harry Smith
M.C.Harry Smith is an NBC News correspondent, appearing across all NBC News platforms including “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt” and “Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly.” One of television’s most distinguished journalists, Smith has been a news anchor for more than 30 years. Before joining NBC News in 2011, he hosted the CBS News morning shows “The Early Show” and its predecessor “CBS This Morning” for 17 years. Smith served as a senior correspondent for CBS News and substitute anchors for the “CBS Evening News”, “Face the Nation” and “CBS News Sunday Morning.” He also hosted the A&E series “Biography.” Smith has interviewed a who’s who of world leaders from Barack Obama to Margaret Thatcher. He’s reported from the Persian Gulf War, the Iraq War and the war in Bosnia. Smith reported live from Tahrir Square the night Hosni Mubarak fell from power. He covered the revolution in Libya. Smith has also reported from disaster zones in the United States as well as Japan, Sri Lanka, Haiti and the Philippines. Smith has won several Emmy Awards and an Edward R. Murrow Award, as well as numerous other honors. He is a proud graduate of Central College in Pella, Iowa. He is married to the remarkable Andrea Joyce, a sports reporter. They are the parents of two fine young men.
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M.C.Harry Smith is an NBC News correspondent, appearing across all NBC News platforms including “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt” and “Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly.” One of television’s most distinguished journalists, Smith has been a news anchor for more than 30 years. Before joining NBC News in 2011, he hosted the CBS News morning shows “The Early Show” and its predecessor “CBS This Morning” for 17 years. Smith served as a senior correspondent for CBS News and substitute anchors for the “CBS Evening News”, “Face the Nation” and “CBS News Sunday Morning.” He also hosted the A&E series “Biography.” Smith has interviewed a who’s who of world leaders from Barack Obama to Margaret Thatcher. He’s reported from the Persian Gulf War, the Iraq War and the war in Bosnia. Smith reported live from Tahrir Square the night Hosni Mubarak fell from power. He covered the revolution in Libya. Smith has also reported from disaster zones in the United States as well as Japan, Sri Lanka, Haiti and the Philippines. Smith has won several Emmy Awards and an Edward R. Murrow Award, as well as numerous other honors. He is a proud graduate of Central College in Pella, Iowa. He is married to the remarkable Andrea Joyce, a sports reporter. They are the parents of two fine young men.
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