Broadway Musicians to Play 'La Marseillaise' in Times Square to Honor Nice Victims

A week, almost to the hour, since the horrific Bastille Day tragedy in Nice, France, Broadway musicians and other NYC professional musicians will gather tomorrow, July 21st, at 5:30 p.m. to play French anthems in Times Square.

This tribute will take place at the George M. Cohan statue in Times Square (47th Street and Seventh Avenue) -- a gathering place like Nice's Promenade des Anglais. Musicians will perform a repertoire including the French national anthem "La Marseillaise" and "Nissa La Bella," the hymn of the city of Nice.

The event is being organized by trumpeter Dominic Derasse, an immigrant from Nice, currently playing in An American in Paris, with involvement of the Consulate General of France in New York.

In attendance will be 50 or more brass musicians currently performing on Broadway and elsewhere in NYC. Organizer Derasse is also founder of the FILMharmonic Orchestra, a 92-piece orchestra dedicated to the live performance of music written for film and television. His career on Broadway includes over 25 shows.

Local 802, AFM is the largest local union of professional musicians in the world. Our members include musicians who play on Broadway, at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, and in New York's top clubs and venues, whose hard work helps keep New York an arts and entertainment capital. We unite to fight for the common interests of all musicians by advancing industry standards that dignify our labor and honor and enrich our art. We seek to organize a community of all musicians and aspiring musicians, and we reach out to all who share our interests and our passion. We are committed to upholding the integrity of live musical performance and to advancing the vital role of music in education, and in the economic, cultural and social life of our community and beyond. We advocate for economic and social justice for musicians and for society as a whole.