MORE ABOUT Mary AnnE YANCEY
A native of Washington State, Mary Anne Yancey moved to New York City after graduating from Whitman College, where she has lived in Brooklyn for most of her adult life, devoting her work to organizations that either serve or benefit the Borough. She joined the Junior League of Brooklyn in the early 1960s and became its President in 1968. She was also President of St. Ann's Parent Teachers Association in its fourth year of existence, and a member of the Board of Directors of Brooklyn Kindergarten Society. She was the first woman to Chair the City Hospital Visiting Committee for the United Hospital Fund of New York, and the first woman President of the Plymouth Church Council. She has recently retired after five years as Chairperson of BRIC Arts/Media/Brooklyn. Mary Anne is presently Chairperson of the SUNY Downstate Medical Center Council and a member of the Board of Directors for BRIC and for the Brooklyn Youth Chorus Academy. She holds three Masters degrees from Columbia University's School for Public Health and Urban Planning and the Teachers' College. During the 1980s she worked for Interfaith Medical Center and the New York City Partnership. Mary Anne is married to Richard C. Yancey, with whom she has three children and five grandsons.
THE BROOKLYN YOUTH CHORUS AND ACADEMY
The Grammy® Award-winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus (BYC), now in its 18th season, is one of the country's leading children's choruses, acclaimed for its collaborations with leading orchestras and artists of all genres. Led by founder and artistic director Dianne Berkun, the Chorus has performed with the New York Philharmonic under Lorin Maazel, the Boston Symphony Orchestra under James Levine, the American Symphony Orchestra, Elton John, Lou Reed, Grizzly Bear, Barbara Cook, John Legend and Alicia Keys, among many others. Chorus members receive their training from the Brooklyn Youth Chorus Academy (BYCA), a performance-based vocal music education program serving 285 students annually in five progressively advanced ensembles. BYCA students reflect the city's economic, racial and ethnic diversity and BYCA's scholarship program ensures access for all who wish to study.
