Orchestra Of St. Luke's To Honor Pablo Heras-Casado And David Bury At GIFT OF MUSIC GALA, 4/12

The Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL) will honor its Principal Conductor, Pablo Heras-Casado, and the Chairman of The Bay & Paul Foundations, David Bury, at its annual Gift of Music Gala on Wednesday, April 12, 2017 at The Plaza Hotel. The event will feature a special performance by 2016 Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard with Pablo Heras-Casado and the Orchestra of St. Luke's, and will be hosted by mezzo-soprano and OSL board member Susan Graham.

"The 2017 Gift of Music Gala honors two arts leaders who have invigorated not only Orchestra of St. Luke's, but countless organizations in important and distinct ways," said President & Executive Director James Roe. "Maestro Heras-Casado, through his masterful interpretations and sheer passion, has emboldened ensembles throughout the world in their artistry. David Bury is a revered strategic consultant whose keen guidance has helped countless cultural nonprofits fulfill their missions, achieve sustainability, and expand their vision. These two friends of Orchestra of St. Luke's have brought health and vitality to the whole orchestra field and it is an honor to celebrate them at this event."

The evening will be designed by David Monn, OSL Board member and "The Architect of Style," known for high-profile events such as the White House State Visit, the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute benefit, and "In The Void" at the Park Avenue Armory in New York. The event concludes with a time-honored tradition of waltzing.

The proceeds will benefit OSL's performances, the 40th anniversary of the Orchestra's education programs, and the services it provides to hundreds of fellow ensembles at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music.

Pablo Heras-Casado enjoys an unusually varied conducting career - encompassing the great symphonic and operatic repertoire, historically informed performance, and cutting edge contemporary scores. He has served as Principal Conductor of Orchestra of St. Luke's since 2011.

Heras-Casado has been described by the New York Times as "the thinking person's idea of a hotshot young conductor," although his character is better reflected in the quality of the long-term relationships he has developed with orchestras ranging from the San Francisco Symphony and Los Angeles Philharmonic to the Philharmonia Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra; from Staatskapelle Berlin and the Mariinsky Orchestra to Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks and Freiburg Baroque Orchestra; and as Principal Guest Conductor of Teatro Real, Madrid.

Musical America's 2014 Conductor of the Year, Pablo Heras-Casado has received numerous prizes for his recordings, including three ECHO Klassik awards, Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, two Diapason d'Or and a Latin Grammy.

David Bury is the chairman of The Bay & Paul Foundations and founder of David Bury & Associates. He came into the life of the Orchestra of St. Luke's over 30 years ago, when he hired the Orchestra to perform as part of the New England Bach Festival, which he was then producing. The OSL later retained his services and he helped generate major funding for the Orchestra. While he was helping St. Luke's, other leading New York art organizations began to enlist his services, including Chamber Music America, Meet the Composer, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Foundations and government programs such as the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mellon Foundation and the New England Foundation for the Arts also became part of his client base, along with individual artists. He worked with choreographers Bill T. Jones and Merce Cunningham, as well as with Jasper Johns and his fellow board members at the Foundation for Contemporary Arts.

ABOUT ORCHESTRA OF ST. LUKE'S

The Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL) is one of America's most versatile and distinguished orchestras. The ensemble began performing at The Church of St. Luke in the Fields in New York's Greenwich Village in 1974 and grew into a full orchestra at Caramoor Music Festival in 1979 while remaining equally committed to a diverse chamber music repertoire.

OSL collaborates with the world's greatest artists and performs approximately 80 concerts each year - including its Carnegie Hall Orchestra Series and summer residency at Caramoor. In its 42-year history, OSL has commissioned more than 50 new works; has given more than 175 world, U.S., and New York City premieres; and has appeared on more than 100 recordings, including four Grammy Award winners and seven releases on its own label, St. Luke's Collection.

OSL owns and operates The DiMenna Center for Classical Music in midtown Manhattan, where it shares a building with the Baryshnikov Arts Center. The DiMenna Center is New York City's premier venue for rehearsals, recording, and learning, having quickly gained a reputation for its superb acoustics, state-of-the-art facilities, and affordability. Since opening in 2011, The DiMenna Center has welcomed more than 100,000 visitors, including more than 400 ensembles and artists such as Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Itzhak Perlman, Emanuel Ax, Joshua Bell, Valery Gergiev, James Levine, James Taylor, and Sting. OSL hosts hundreds of neighbors, families, and school children at its home each year for free community events.

Through its Education & Community programs, OSL has introduced audiences across New York City to live classical music. OSL brings free chamber concerts to the five boroughs; offers free, interactive events at The DiMenna Center; provides chamber music coaching for adults; and engages 10,000 public school students each year through its Free School Concerts. In 2013, OSL launched Youth Orchestra of St. Luke's (YOSL), an intensive in- and after-school instrumental coaching program emphasizing musical excellence and social development, in partnership with community organizations and public schools in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood.

For more information, visit OSLmusic.org and DiMennaCenter.org

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