Deborah Voigt Hosts Sing With Haiti's Gala Benefit Concert at Grace Cathedral Today

Sing With Haiti presents a star-studded gala benefit concert to aid the rebuilding of the Holy Trinity Music School in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, which was destroyed in the earthquake of 2010. The Grammy Award-winning soprano Deborah Voigt - beloved for her performances on the opera, concert, and recital stage, as well as for her turns as host of the Metropolitan Opera's popular "Live in HD" series - will host the gala concert in San Francisco's Grace Cathedral today, October 2. This important event will include performances by Voigt as well as from "America's favorite mezzo" (Gramophone)Susan Graham, children's choirs from the Holy Trinity Music School, and other distinguished guests. A gala reception at the Fairmont San Francisco Hotelwill follow the concert.

Other artists included on the gala program are Kiera Duffy and Laquita Mitchell, tenor Nicholas Phan, pianist/composer Jake Heggie, and conductorDonato Cabrera, with Les Petits Chanteurs and La Chorale des Fillettes, the two children's choirs of the Holy Trinity Music School. Highlighting a week of celebrations, the gala concert and reception will help inaugurate Sing With Haiti, a non-profit organization founded to raise funds and resources for the ongoing work and rebuilding of the school.

As host Deborah Voigt explains:

"I was very moved when I heard the tragic and at the same time very inspiring story of the Holy Trinity Music School, and am truly honored to host and perform at this event for Sing With Haiti. The fact that music plays such an important role in the elevation of the human spirit is evidenced by the courage of the teachers and students there. Because of their belief in music, they have persevered in the face of tremendous adversity."

Sing With Haiti's executive director, Philip Wilder, adds:

"Many of Haiti's most beloved cultural institutions remain in ruins, and are struggling to survive. As a musician, I find none of these losses more heartbreaking than the destruction of the Holy Trinity Music School. We have all witnessed the power that music education has to transform communities, and enrich the lives of children around the world. My colleagues and I at Sing With Haiti are committed to continuing this trend. We are proud to assist the ongoing work of the Holy Trinity Music School, and thrilled to have artists of such stature lending their support to our inaugural event."

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