'Sing for Hope' Honors Bennett, Perelman and Ziff, 10/14

On October 14th, 2010, Sing for Hope (www.singforhope.org) will present its annual gala at 583 Park Avenue in New York City. The gala will raise awareness and support for Sing for Hope's programs that mobilize professional artists in volunteer service to benefit schools, hospitals and communities. The event will also raise funds for the 2011 return of Sing for Hope Street Pianos, a public art installation that brought 60 upright pianos to the streets of New York this past summer, and embodies Sing for Hope's mission of making art available to all.

Sing for Hope's 2010 Gala: An American Songbook will feature performances by leading Sing for Hope Donor Artists from Lincoln Center and Broadway, and conversation with renowned philanthropic and artistic leaders. All proceeds will support the charitable mission of Sing for Hope, which in the words of Sing for Hope Board Member Renée Fleming, "is dedicated to bringing the healing power of art to those who need it most."

The evening, chaired by prominent New York philanthropists Joseph and Judi Flom, and co-chaired by Renée Fleming, Deborra-Lee and Hugh Jackman, and Dr. Muhammad Yunus, will feature an intimate dinner and conversation with honorees Tony Bennett ~ 15-time Grammy Award Winner, Kennedy Center Honoree, and recipient of the United Nations Citizen of the World Award; Ronald Perelman ~ Businessman and Philanthropist; and Ann Ziff ~ Metropolitan Opera Co-Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Lincoln Center. Sing for Hope Donor Artist Tituss Burgess from The Little Mermaid and Guys and Dolls on Broadway will emcee the event. Confirmed guests include Billie Jean King, Martha Stewart, New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, Lincoln Center President Reynold Levy, Vietnamese concert pianist Chau-Giang Thi Nguyen and Hollywood producer Brian Grazer, as well as other figureheads from the worlds of business and the arts.

Sing for Hope Donor Artists featured on the evening's program include internationally-renowned operatic baritone Nathan Gunn, stage, television and film star Roger Bart, Broadway perfomer Janine LaManna, sopranos Jennifer Aylmer and Alyson Cambridge, mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey, and tenors Glenn Seven Allen and Michael Slattery. Alyson Cambridge and Kate Lindsey appear courtesy of The Metropolitan Opera.

As a special treat, and a chance for gala attendees to take home their very own Sing for Hope
Street Piano, Sotheby's Executive Vice President Hugh Hildesley will auction the four pianos that were in residence at Lincoln Center, each of them hand painted by renowned artist Sophie
Matisse. Additionally, the 2010 Sing for Hope Steinway Grand, autographed by Tony Bennett will be auctioned.

Photo Credit: Peter James Zielinski