CONCERT FOR PEACE In Honor of President Barack Obama Held at John Jay College 12/12

The Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College presents a Concert for Peace in honor of President Barack Obama, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009. Produced by Great Music for a Great City, the Concert for Peace will be held on Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 7:30pm at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College, 899 Tenth Avenue, NYC. Admission is FREE.

The featured Virginia Opera Company will be joined by actor Eli Wallach, United States government officials, the Norwegian Ambassador, Songs of Solomon and the Mozart Academy Ensemble in a program of music and readings. The evening will culminate in a performance of Beethoven's Ode to Joy by all soloists and choruses accompanies by the Mozart Academy Ensemble.

The program featuring the Virginia Opera Company, Peter Mark, Founder and Director will include performances of arias and duets by soprano Veronica Mitina from St. Petersburg, Russia; tenor and former Marine Daniel Snyder; and versatile African-American baritone Lawrence Craig accompanied by Virginia Opera's Associate Artistic Director and pianist Joseph Walsh. At the climax of the celebration Peter Mark, Artistic Director of both the International Opera Alliance and Virginia Opera Company, will introduce the musical tribute. Broadway Composer & Pianist Jimmy Roberts (I Love You...You're Perfect... Now Change) will perform his unique repertoire including his new song, One Bright World. Recently Virginia Opera Company was represented at the Maputo International Music Festival in Mozmbique, Ms. Mitina starred in Eugene Onegin and recently opened Virginia Opera's 35th season as Mimi in La bohème. Directed by Chantel Wright, Songs of Solomon, a vocal ensemble, will offer both gospel and Baroque holiday music. The Mozart Academy Ensemble will perform Vivaldi's Concerto for Violin in D Major.

Recognizing the monumental significance of this honor for both President Obama and for the Nobel Committee, the artists are donating their performances. President Obama will receive the Nobel Peace Price in Oslo on December 10, 2009 "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples," according to The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which cited Obama's promotion of nuclear nonproliferation and a "new climate" in international relations fostered by Obama, especially in reaching out to the Muslim world. The Nobel Peace Prize represents worldwide hopes for a new era of peace, justice and freedom. Only two previous sitting U.S. presidents received this award, Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. Obama is the first to receive the prize during the first year in office.

Great Music for a Great City, a classical music series, was founded in 2002 by artistic director Caroline Stoessinger.

Since opening its doors in 1988, the Gerald W. Lynch Theater has been an invaluable cultural resource for John Jay College and the larger New York City community. Under the new direction of Executive Director Shannon R. Mayers, the Theater is dedicated to the creation and presentation of performing arts programming of all disciplines with a special focus on how the artistic imagination can shed light on the many perceptions of justice in our society.

About John Jay College of Criminal Justice: An international leader in educating for justice, John Jay College of Criminal Justice of The City University of New York offers a rich liberal arts and professional studies curriculum to upwards of 14,000 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 135 nations. In teaching, scholarship and research, the College approaches justice as an applied art and science in servIce To society and as an ongoing conversation about fundamental human desires for fairness, equality and the rule of law. For more information, visit www.jjay.cuny.edu.

For more information, visit www.jjay.cuny.edu/theater.php.

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