Photo Flash: Forever Gourmet Names 'Sing For Hope' As Cultural Animator, Beneficiary Of Michelin Star Chef's Events

Forever Gourmet has launched an exciting new partnership with the non-profit Sing for Hope, pairing world-class musicians and Michelin star chefs for unforgettable experiences, with proceeds benefiting Sing for Hope's "art for all" programs that uplift and empower communities in need.

Anyone who has ever felt transported by a painting or a poem or a song can speak to the power of art for art's sake. That said, increasingly, organizations like Sing for Hope are leaning into art's role as a driver of social deliverables - art as an amplifier of learning, healing, and social cohesion; art as a driver of the UN Sustainable Development Goals; art as a delivery system for hope; art as an optimizer of basic human connection.

In addition to experiencing the arts via traditional avenues of museums and concert halls, individuals and institutions are seeking to broaden cultural access and reframe the value proposition of the arts for our 21st century world.

With Sing for Hope as its newly named cultural animator, Forever Gourmet is championing the role of the arts, and specifically music, as a complementary element to its mission of connecting the world through food.

Honoring its Italian roots, Forever Gourmet is dedicated to creating "la dolce vita" moments in the finest resorts and homes in the world. With its roster of over 100 Michelin Star chefs set to launch in 2020, Forever Gourmet's global platform is powered by a team of individuals "brimming with passion about food."

Founder Roberta Marcenaro Lyon explains, "Forever Gourmet has partnered with the world's leading chefs, event planners, and specialty food connoisseurs to create unforgettable experiences in the most spectacular venues in the US and abroad. And now, through our partnership with Sing for Hope, we are also connected to the best and brightest musical artists in the world - artists whose hearts are as big as their talents. Through our events, we are thrilled to support Sing for Hope's creative programs that uplift schools, hospitals, refugee camps, and public spaces worldwide."

The featured chef for the recent launch event, held at the historic Salamander Resort just outside of Washington, D.C., was Milan's larger-than-life Michelin-starred maestro, Giancarlo Morelli. Morelli's renowned cuisine is at once down-to-earth and dramatic - an ideal match for world-class music. In Chef Morelli's words, "I want people to eat with their mind and taste each ingredient, the balance, the story of the ingredients, the emotion."

Joining Chef Morelli in a specially curated musical program were internationally acclaimed sopranos and Sing for Hope Co-Founders Monica Yunus and Camille Zamora. Yunus and Zamora collaborated with pianist Josephine Riggs on a far-ranging musical program that reflected Morelli's stellar cuisine in works by Puccini, Delibes, Saint-Saens, Piaf, and Lerner and Loewe.

Says Forever Gourmet Co-Founder Atticus Lyon, "We like to think that this innovative approach of uniting best-in-class chefs with world-class musicians will not only make for unforgettable experiences in the moment, but will also inspire continued creativity and dialogue on all sides."

"We have big ambitions for this company," continues Roberta. "We want Forever Gourmet to be a kind of worldwide restaurant and experiential space. We believe that every meal should be special, and Sing for Hope's ethos of creative generosity is a central part of this."

With a board of directors that includes opera stars Renée Fleming and Andrea Bocelli, Late Show bandleader Jon Batiste, Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus, and other key cultural and philanthropic leaders, Sing for Hope is the nation's leading "arts peace corps" organization that, in the words of its tagline, leverages public arts initiatives and creative outreach programming to "unite our divided world."

Of the new partnership with Forever Gourmet, Sing for Hope Co-Founders Monica Yunus and Camille Zamora say, "This weekend underscored what we all know to be true: great cuisine and great music are the most natural of partners. Both, at their core, tap the best aspects of human beings in community, and both are great vehicles for connection and care. Shakespeare said it best: 'If music be the food of love, play on!'"

More information on Forever Gourmet and Sing for Hope can be found at blog.forevergourmet.com and singforhope.org.