From the Top Gala Fundraiser UNIQUE AND UNMISSABLE Set for Tonight at Back Bay Center

The ninth annual From the Top Gala fundraiser, UNIQUE AND UNMISSABLE, will take place tonight, May 22 at 6:30 PM at the Back Bay Events Center (180 Berkeley Street, Boston). The evening will include performances by the nation's outstanding young classical musicians with From the Top host and renowned concert pianist Christopher O'Riley. Jonathan Batiste and The Stay Human Band from New York, NY will be featured throughout the evening. Proceeds benefit From the Top's mission to support and celebrate America's next generation of classical musicians. Past From the Top galas have raised more than $300,000.

Tickets start at $500 and are available at fromthetop.org/gala or by contacting Kara Gavagan, Development Officer, Events & Stewardship, at kgavagan@fromthetop.org or 617.437.0707 x125.

The evening's featured performers include extraordinary alumni of From the Top's radio, scholarship, and arts leadership programs: Ray Ushikubo, an 11-year-old pianist from Riverside, California who has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno; Adé Williams, a 15-year-old violinist from Chicago, Illinois who was the 2012 Junior Division Laureate of the Sphinx Competition for outstanding minority string players; and Tyler Rhodes, a 19-year-old award-winning classical guitarist from Austin, Texas with a moving personal story. Serving as emcees for the evening are From the Top alumni Lauren Chipman of Los Angeles, California, a violist for the Indie band The Rentals and founding member of The Section Quartet, and Ibanda Ruhumbika of New York, New York, a tuba player with Jonathan Batiste and The Stay Human Band.

Based in Boston, From the Top is an independent non-profit organization that celebrates the power of music in the hands of extraordinary young people. As the preeminent showcase for young musicians, From the Top shines a light on diverse young people ages 8 to 18 by sharing their stories and performances, providing scholarships, and engaging them as leaders in weekly NPR broadcasts, live concerts, and outreach events across the country. From the Top's radio program is heard on more than 250 stations and airs locally, Sundays at 11:00 AM on Classical New England 99.5 FM.

2013 Gala Committee - Monica Julieta Pinzon Bueno, Eran Egozy and Yukiko Ueno, Linda and Michael Frieze?Nina You and Michael Hawley, John and Pamela Humphrey, Elizabeth Hunnewell, Swanee Hunt, Betsy and Andrew Kessler, Dicken and Sara Ko, Karen Levy, Nancy and Richard Lubin, Nancy Perkins and John Arata, Sue and Joel Sherman, Elizabeth Sikorovsky, ?Salwa and RoBert Smith, Anthony Tjan and Laura Murray-Tjan, Hadassah Wagner ?Yiyan Zhou and Roger Wu.

For more information, visit the From the Top Gala website: www.fromthetop.org/gala, or catch the show on its YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/fromthetop.

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