Hitting the high notes for Fine Arts students
Fine Arts graduate students benefit from gala fundraiser
On April 6, the beautiful Verdi Requiem will be sung by four of the world’s finest singers in the stunning chapel of the Mother House of the Grey Nuns of Montreal.
It’s a joint benefit for the Faculty of Fine Arts and the Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal, and you are welcome to attend, provided you buy a ticket: $200 for the concert alone, $1,000 for the concert and cocktails, and $2,500 for dinner with this year’s performers.
This ambitious project was launched last May, when opera superstars Renée Fleming and Bryn Terfel sang at the Oscar Peterson Concert Hall.
Vice-President (Advancement and Alumni Relations) Kathy Assayag said the $303,000 that was raised at Hitting the High Notes I went to the Faculty of Fine Arts to support graduate student awards.
“This year’s Hitting the High Notes II will build on that success. Half the proceeds will go to support the OMM, and the remainder will go to Fine Arts to support an endowment for graduate students.”
Philanthropists Hans Black and Richard Renaud, who originated the first concert, are involved once again, and more than 40 per cent of the tickets have already been sold.
“Mr. Renaud is a wonderful supporter of Concordia,” Assayag said. “He shared his passion for Concordia with Dr. Black, who is a great supporter of opera. They decided on Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem, and knew just the right artists to perform it.”
These are soprano Sondra Radvanovsky, mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, tenor Neil Shicoff and bass-baritone James Morris. In addition to the soloists and the 71-piece OMM, there will be a 100-voice choir that includes 10 talented singers from the Faculty of Fine Arts — students, faculty and staff members.
Dean Catherine Wild said the endowment fund is key to continuing to attract top-flight graduate students to Fine Arts.
Assayag added that moreover, the benefit brings intangible benefits: “promoting Concordia University to the broader public, showcasing the Faculty of Fine Arts, and making friends.”
For an unforgettable evening on April 6, please contact Verdi@concordia.ca or phone 848-2424 ext. 4397