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“To
all who admire the guts and glory of
opera, Denyce Graves and her students
are here to amaze and amuse you at this
Opera Party.” said Barbara Tober at the
tea she hosted, kicking off the upcoming
Denyce Graves Foundation Harvest Moon
Gala on September 28th, which honors Ann
Ziff, Misty Copeland, and Yannick
Nézet-Séguin. “This gala will be a very
special evening,” continued Tober, who
will co-chair the event, “All their
honorees are exciting, deserving, and
impressive. I urge you to take tickets
and tables, and look forward to greeting
you that evening.” “Yes, our Harvest
Moon Gala will be extraordinary,”
answered Denyce, “but more importantly,
it will be an evening with a purpose to
celebrate the artists and stories that
have too often been neglected and to
ensure that those voices are heard,
studied, performed, and carried
forward.”
The reception featured performances by
DGF artists, culminating in
mezzo-soprano Mary Beth Nelson
performing the world premiere of There
Is Another Sky, composed and accompanied
by John Conahan. The work was dedicated
to Ziff in recognition of her support of
artists and the arts. “We have known
each other for probably 20 years. One of
my fondest memories of Ann is when I
came to visit her home. She took me on a
tour of her magnificent garden. And it
blew me away that she knew every plant,
every tree. You could see the passion
and what they meant to her. And so it’s
not a surprise that it’s that same
passion that she applies to the Met.”
said DGF Board Member, and gala
co-chair, Ann Gottlieb. Continued Ziff,
“This is really a bit overwhelming,
being recognized by one of the pillars
of the operatic community who probably
does more for young singers than anyone
else. What Denyce understands so
beautifully is that talent needs someone
to believe in it. She has made that
belief the heart of this Foundation, and
I am so happy to support her and these
extraordinary young artists.”
Board Member Clyde Jones attended, as
well as Matthew Aucoin, Carrie Rebora
Barratt, Janna Bullock, Angela Chen,
Cornelius H. Escaravage and Ryan Nash,
Joanna Fisher, Carol Guest, Susan
Gutfreund, Alberto Mariaca, Aimée
Sehnaoui Maroney, Maria Eugenia Maury
and William A. Haseltine, Raphael Mostel,
Graham Parker, Alexandra Penney, Judith
F. Pisar, Marc Rosen, Cory Toevs, Ann
and William Van Ness, Andrew Martin
Weber, and HRH Prince Dimitry de
Yougoslavie.
Founded by the much loved soprano Denyce
Graves, the Denyce Graves Foundation,
through their Shared Voices program,
provides young artists with training,
mentorship, and opportunities to
perform. Through their Generational
Voices program they support emerging
artists as they develop their careers.
Through their Hidden Voices program, the
Foundation brings the stories of
overlooked musicians into the historical
record. Working at the intersection of
social justice, American history, and
the arts, the Foundation has partnered
with HBCUs, conservatories, schools of
music, and cultural institutions across
the country, reaching students and
audiences through performances,
educational programs, research, and
community events.
For more information,
visit
https://www.thedenycegravesfoundation.org/
For more information or to reserve
Harvest Moon Gala tickets, visit
https://my.onecause.com/event/organizations/c7bdcaf6-0069-4bd1-b8ea-34c6ea2c39ef/events/vevt:d90abfcb-3684-4bf4-8094-690221b369aa/home/story
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