Photo Flash: Sing for Hope HandaHarmony in Beirut, Lebanon

"The idea that music has healing power goes back to ancient times," said Dr. Ali Taher to the crowd gathered in the lobby of American University of Beirut Medical Center. The healing power of the arts, increasingly prioritized by the arts and science worlds alike, is encapsulated in the unique partnership of American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) and the Sing for Hope HandaHarmony program, which activates the arts as a driver of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

A custom grand Sing for Hope Piano, created by SFH Artist Partner Billy the Artist, traveled thousands of miles from New York to its new permanent home in Beirut, Lebanon, at AUBMC. In addition to its ongoing role bringing arts-based healing to the medical center, this special instrument recently served as the centerpiece of a special collaboration between AUBMC, the Cancer Support Fund, and Lebanon's Al Bustan International Festival of Music & Performing Arts.

The concert, entitled Beethoven: Where Hope Grows, drew over one hundred doctors, patients, families, and visitors. Courtesy of the Al Bustan Festival, acclaimed Italian pianist Gloria Campaner played two of Beethoven's best-known works, Moonlight Sonata and Fur Elise, in addition to other beloved classics. Leaders from AUBMC, the Cancer Support Fund, and the Al Bustan Festival shared poignant remarks about the intersection of music and healing.

"I strongly believe that active music engagement allows all of the patients to reconnect with the healthy parts of themselves, even in the face of their debilitating condition," said Dr. Taher.

"We are fighting disease with music," said Hala Dahdah Abou Jaber, President of the Cancer Support Fund.

AUBMC and Cancer Support Fund leaders are adamant that the role of music in healthcare does—and should—continue after the conclusion of special events like the Al Bustan Festival performance. Sing for Hope makes this goal possible via this unique instrument, brought to life by renowned NYC-based Billy The Artist. The program is funded by Sing for Hope’s Founders’ Circle: The International Foundation for Arts and Culture (Dr. Haruhisa Handa, Chairman, Sing for Hope Global Patron), The Arnhold Foundation in loving memory of Sissy and Henry Arnhold, The Thea Petschek Iervolino Foundation, The Anna-Maria & Stephen Kellen Foundation, and Ann Ziff.

In the words of Midori Miyazaki, International Executive Director of IFAC, "There has never been a more important time for us collectively, as global citizens, to bring hope and healing to those individuals and communities who are too often left behind." Read more about Sing for Hope's international partnership with IFAC and the launch of new global initiative Sing for Hope HandaHarmony.