Kaufman Music Center Goes DANCING WITH THE STARS

Put on your dancing shoes and fire up your best Latin American flare on Saturday night, March 10, because that is when Kaufman Music Center's Merkin Concert Hall is doing the Tango - and it is doing it in a way that would receive perfect 10s from "Dancing with the Stars" judges Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tognoli.

KMC is hosting a special program called SMS Live: Embrace SMS and Tango! that will bring together a star-studded array of classical, jazz and Tango performers - including three Grammy winners and a MacArthur Genius.

The evening serves to support Kaufman Music Center's Special Music School (P.S. 859), a New York City public school for musically gifted children that is the top-rated public school in the city, and to honor Lydia Kontos, Kaufman Music Center's Executive Director and the person who founded Special Music School 21 years ago. Mrs. Kontos is retiring later in the year after 40 years of dedicated leadership at Kaufman Music Center and exemplary service to music and education. The SMS Live! program has been created and sponsored by the SMS PTA.

"I am grateful to the world-class performers who are lending their talents for this memorable night, and to the SMS PTA for planning the event," said Kontos. "It has been an honor to serve at Kaufman Music Center, and I will always be a champion of Special Music School (P.S. 859). The students are truly exceptional; what a joy to watch them blossom and succeed."

The star-studded lineup includes:

• Pablo Ziegler Trio (2018 Grammy award winner and formerly Astor Piazzolla's pianist)
• Héctor Del Curto Tango Quintet (2018 Grammy award winner, Silver Medal for the Global Music Awards, funder of the Stowe Tango Music Festival and SMS parent)
• Francisco J. Nuñez (2011 MacArthur Grant Recipient, Artistic Director/Founder of the Young People's Chorus of New York City, Conductor of the University Glee Club of New York City, music educator and SMS parent) will conduct the Special Music School High School chorus.
• Maestro David Robertson (conductor of the St. Louis Symphony and Sydney Symphony Orchestra - 2017 Grammy winner) and SMS parent will conduct the Special Music School Tango Orchestra

• The internationally acclaimed pianists and SMS parents Orli Shaham and Shai Wosner
• Tango Dancers Ana Padrón and Diego Blanco

Several Special Music School parents are included in the SMS Live lineup. Following the concert, the audience is invited to indulge in the elegance, passion and sensuality of the music and dance at a Tango dance party. Before the concert, Tango lessons will be available at a venue and times TBA. Tickets range from $50-$100 and can be purchased through Kaufman's ticketing site here.

The evening's schedule is as follows:

• 7 pm - Wine Reception
• 7:45 pm - Performances
• 9:30-10:30 pm - Tango Dance Party
• Pre-concert Tango lessons - time & location TBA

About Special Music School at Kaufman Music Center (P.S. 859)
http://www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org/sms/
Special Music School at Kaufman Music Center (P.S. 859) is a groundbreaking K-12 public school for musically gifted children offering musical training, including private instrumental lessons, during the regular school day. The school combines intensive instrumental study with a rigorous academic program, providing a strong foundation for a lifetime of music. Founded in 1996, Special Music School represents a unique public/private partnership between Kaufman Music Center, a nonprofit multi-arts organization, and the New York City Department of Education, which funds the academic portion of the students' education. The music program is fully funded by Kaufman Music Center through private contributions. As with all public schools, tuition is free to residents of the residents of the five boroughs of New York City.

Tel: 212 501 3330
boxoffice@kaufmanmusiccenter.org