Ackerman Institute & Opera Unite for 'Sweet Appreciation IV'

The worlds of opera and family therapy will come together in a unique event on Sunday, October 14 when two internationally famous maestros - Maestro Marco Munari of La Scala and Maestro Joshua Greene of the Metropolitan Opera - join forces with world-renowned soprano Frances Ginsberg at "Sweet Appreciation IV," a benefit concert for the Ackerman Institute for the Family's Rusty Magee Clinic for Families and Health.

This evening at Holy Apostles Church (296 Ninth Avenue at 28th Street) will begin with wine and hors d'ouevres at 6:15PM, followed by the concert at 7PM.  An after-show party with Mary Testa, Nancy Giles, Magee Hickey and others will be held at Porters Restaurant (215 Seventh Avenue, between 22nd & 23rd Streets).

"Frances Ginsberg's emotionally generous and sensitive singing has touched the hearts of audiences worldwide since her New York City Opera debut in 1986, when Beverly Sills named her Debut Artist of the Year.  Ms. Ginsberg lives in Milan, and is coming to New York this fall specifically for the Rusty Magee benefit concert.  She will perform favorites from the opera repertoire, Broadway musicals and the works of Rusty Magee," explain press notes.

The concert will be the first time ever that Maestros Munari and Greene have appeared on stage together and also will mark Maestro Munari's American debut.

Tickets to "Sweet Appreciation IV" are available for $125 per person for the concert; $250 per person for the show and after-show party; and $500 for the show, after-show party and premium seating.  

The Rusty Magee Clinic for Families and Health provides crucial services to couples and families facing chronic or life-shortening medical illness. In addition to offering therapy services, the Clinic trains allied health professionals around the tri-state area.  The Rusty Magee Clinic for Families and Health is the only clinic of its kind in the tri-state area, and is recognized by health care professionals as the place to refer patients and families for needed emotional support, relationship solutions and the recovery of resilience in the face of serious illness and loss.  The Clinic is headed by Dr. Evan Imber-Black, internationally recognized authority on family therapy.

The Rusty Magee Clinic honors the memory of Rusty Magee, composer, lyricist, and comedian for film and television.  The Clinic works to help others mirror the courage, good humor, and generosity of spirit Rusty Magee demonstrated during his long battle with cancer.  During the last six months of his life, no matter how ill he felt, Rusty Magee came to the Ackerman Institute for the Family every week with his wife, Alison Frasier, also a performer, and their young son to give and receive the gift of relationship. The Rusty Magee Clinic for Families and Health is a true testament to the belief that while death may end a life, it never ends a relationship.

The Ackerman Institute for the Family is one of the premier institutions for family therapy in the United States, offering a wide variety of programs that address every issue and concern of all kinds of families at all stages of family life. Ackerman also is one of the best-known and most highly regarded training facilities for family therapists.  Each year, the Institute provides educational programs and workshops for family therapists and mental health professionals on site and in hospitals and clinics around New York City and in a variety of locations internationally.  Ackerman faculty members author influential articles and books, and present papers across the country and around the world.  The innovative, cutting-edge research they undertake focuses on both the development of new treatment models and new training techniques.

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