Young People’s Chorus of New York City to Honor World-Acclaimed Pianist Lang Lang at Gala Benefit Concert, Tickets On Sale Now for Virtual Event Featuring Award-winning Celebrities and Nearly 600 YPC Young Artists Filmed Across New York City
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW YORK (April 1, 2021) – The world-renowned Young People’s Chorus of New York City (YPC) has announced it will honor famed pianist Lang Lang as YPC’s Artistic Honoree during its 2021 Virtual Gala in recognition of his achievements and contribution to the arts as a pianist, educator and philanthropist. The annual event, which will be live streamed on Monday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET, is the chorus’s largest fundraiser and helps to support its year-round programs for more than 2,000 children in New York City and beyond. This will be the first year the gala will be virtual, providing access to a world-wide audience.
The 2021 gala will feature a vast range of new choral arrangements, from songs by Beyoncé to the Beatles, composers David Lang to Yuka Honda, and from YPC Artist in Residence Gordon Getty. Sweeping across five locations around New York City – from Brooklyn to Harlem to Washington Heights – it will showcase Covid compliant filming with lively vignettes including guest appearances by Grammy, Emmy and Academy Award-winning artists soon to be announced. The A-List artists involved have generously donated their time because of their belief in music education and the positive impact music has had in shaping their lives, a continued celebration of YPC’s theme this year, In the Key of Love. A companion documentary featuring “behind the scenes” footage of the making of the gala, told from the choristers’ perspective, will also be available that night.
“The pandemic further confirmed how powerful music and art can be in the hands of our young people,” said YPC Founder and Artistic Director Francisco J. Núñez, “particularly during this challenging year when they are able to express their emotions – from fear and anxiety to hope and joy – through song and dance, virtually. What they have done in isolation is a testament to their resilience and are an inspiration to our program.”
Over the past 12 months, YPC asked its choristers to turn the cameras on themselves and make music from their homes, balconies, backyards, and throughout New York City. The 2021 Virtual Gala will showcase nearly 600 artists while giving viewers an engaging and inspiring look at YPC’s groundbreaking program that is internationally renowned for its innovative diversity model and artistic excellence. Celebrated for medal-winning performances all over the world, YPC is one of the most highly acclaimed choruses in the world.
“The gala is known to bring out some big names, and there are a few more that we are keeping as a surprise,” said Núñez. “Viewers will be dazzled.”
The Gala will be live streamed here on Monday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET. General admission tickets are $50. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available now.
For more information about YPC, please visit ypc.org.
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About Young People’s Chorus of New York City
The Young People’s Chorus of New York City (YPC) is a multicultural youth chorus internationally renowned for its superb virtuosity, brilliant showmanship, and innovative model of diversity. Founded by Artistic Director Francisco J. Núñez, a MacArthur Fellow and Musical America’s 2018 Educator of the Year, YPC’s mission and values are deeply rooted in providing children of all cultural and economic backgrounds with a unique program of music education and choral performance. YPC is committed to empowering our youth and providing pathways to success through the arts so that each child, no matter what race, gender, socioeconomic background, or religion can reach their full potential. Among YPC’s many awards is America’s highest honor for youth programs, a National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, which was presented to members of YPC at the White House. YPC also earned the distinction of “Choir of the World” in July 2018 at the International Choral Kathaumixw (Powell River, British Columbia), marking the first time a North American chorus has ever won this title in the 34-year history of Kathaumixw.
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Media contacts: Pati Poblete, Laura Gigounas, Danyelle Simpkins and Juliona Miller at Glodow Nead Communications, 415-394-6500 or YPCPR@glodownead.com