Young People's Chorus Of New York City To Present 'Raising Voices: In The Key Of Love' Gala Benefit in May

The world-renowned Young People's Chorus of New York City (YPC) will present its annual spring gala benefit concert and dinner, Raising Voices: In the Key of Love, on Monday, May 9 at 7 p.m. at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City. Nearly 500 young choristers, led by Francisco J. Núñez and Elizabeth Núñez and accompanied by a 28-piece orchestra, will electrify and inspire guests when they perform fully choreographed songs, with repertoire spanning classical to pop. Singer Wendy Moten, widely recognized for her remarkable recent run on NBC's The Voice, will perform both solo and alongside choristers, and additional artists will be announced soon. Event honorees include Lincoln Center for the Performing Art's legendary artistic leader, Jane Moss, and Patrick Kennedy, President of Gallagher's Northeast Region.

"We are thrilled to return to the stage and present our first in-person spring gala in two years," said Francisco J. Núñez, Artistic Director and Founder of YPC. "By showcasing our incredible young artists, honoring industry leaders and providing inspiration from successful and talented guest artists, we hope to create an evening that will bring awareness to YPC's mission and purpose and the lifetime impact we can make on children of all backgrounds as a result of our largest fundraiser of the year. We're planning to raise our voices, raise hope, raise spirits, and raise the bar for the future."

The funds raised at the gala will support important YPC programs including its Performance Choruses, Schools Choruses, Community Choruses and College Bound Program, all of which were created to empower youth and provide pathways to success through the arts.

YPC's award-winning Performance Choruses program is recognized worldwide for its spectacular artistry. Nearly 500 children ages 8-18 are grouped by age into one of five choruses and partake in after-school rehearsals led by YPC conductors and professional accompanists. The choruses work on a range of skills from learning artist posture, breath, and musicality to advancing their abilities in singing, sight-reading, harmonization, and music literacy, as well as performance skills. The ensembles sing in various styles and languages and present up to 50 performances each season. YPC Performance Choruses inspire invitations from a wide range of cultural institutions and festivals. In the Fall of 2021, choristers performed in several notable events, including in front of a national televised audience during the 9/11 20th Anniversary Memorial, at the renowned Global Citizen Live festival, at the Saks Fifth Avenue Holiday Light Show alongside guest speaker Michelle Obama and at the 95th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Following the success of YPC's Performance Programs, its Schools Choruses program was created in partnership with New York City public schools to offer children of all backgrounds the opportunity to study under YPC's award winning choral curriculum. Originally created by Francisco J. Núñez, the program blossomed over two decades under the direction of Elizabeth Núñez and now has 20 participating school partners, serving nearly 1,400 New York City school children. Performances take place at school and community events, as well as at major New York City venues, such as Carnegie Hall, Kaufmann Concert Hall, and the Apollo Theater. Through this program, YPC conductors hold more than 500 rehearsals every year, and choristers in each school give 2 to 10 performances per year.

With the goal to continue reaching as many children as possible, YPC's Community Choruses program was created to bring after-school choral programming directly to diverse neighborhoods in the greater New York City area. Concerts are performed throughout the year within these communities and throughout New York City. The choruses are currently based in Washington Heights and at Goddard Riverside Community Center and serve 150 youth.

Finally, YPC's College Bound Program provides funding for college scholarships as well as academic support that begins with seminars available for even YPC's youngest choristers. Led by YPC's belief that rigorous immersion and training in arts and academics is the best preparation for post-secondary success on all levels, the College Bound Program instills an expectation in choristers of every age that they will someday enroll in the college of their choice. Choristers are offered a wide range of guidance, academic services, and support and 100 percent of senior YPC choristers have graduated from their high schools. To ensure their future success, choristers are eligible for need-based college scholarships. Since 2015, YPC has provided nearly $1 million to help with tuition, room and board.

For more information about YPC and its annual spring gala please visit www.ypc.org.