Photos: Josh Groban's Benefit Concert Raises $1.5M for Arts

Last night, Tony®, EMMY® and five-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist Josh Groban hosted his annual Find Your Light Benefit Concert for Arts Education at the famous Appel Room at Jazz Lincoln Center. Stars of music and theater joined together for an unforgettable evening of cocktails, dinner, auctions and stunning performances. The event raised a benefit record of $1.5 million to help provide arts education to students around the country.

Host Josh Groban kicked off the celebrations with a powerful opening number of his song “Be Alright” alongside the Find Your Light Children’s Choir - a group of students from programs that the Foundation supports. The special evening featured inspirational speeches from Jordan Fisher, Renée Fleming, Ivy Ross and Susan Magsamen, Tiler Peck and more, who all passionately spoke on the importance of arts education in the classroom. 

The night also featured unforgettable live performances. Broadway star Jordan Fisher delivered a stunning performance of “Wait For It” from Hamilton, Groban and Emmy-nominated singer-songwriter Ben Folds sang “The Luckiest,” students from the Teachers & Writers Collaborative shared an inspiring spoken word poem, Tony award winner Maleah Joi Moon performed "Hallelujah/Like Water" from the musical Hell’s Kitchen, eight-time Grammy Winning film composer Terence Blanchard and jazz pianist and composer Emmet Cohen performed “Don’t Mean A Thing” and Find Your Light grantees and MOVE NYC dancers Carlos Carreras & Josiah Golan Roman performed a beautiful dance piece while Groban, Blanchard and Cohen performed “Pure Imagination.” The evening continued with a duet of “Rainbow Connection” with Groban and Find Your Light grantee Carmelo Rios and Norah Jones’ performances of “Come Away with Me” and duet of “I Can’t Make You Love Me” with Groban.

Renée Fleming and Groban presented the Arts for Healing Award to Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross, the celebrated authors of the book Your Brain On Art while the Find Your Light Award was presented to Sesame Street for its decades-long commitment to teach kids how to sing, read, write and play.

To close the incredible night, Elmo and Ernie from Sesame Street joined Groban on stage for performances of “Sing After Me” and “I'd Like To Visit The Moon.” Groban then delivered a heartfelt performance of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” alongside the Find Your Light Children’s Choir. 

The Find Your Light Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that every student has the opportunity to experience a quality arts education. It does this through direct support of exceptional arts programs combined with education, advocacy, and outreach. The Foundation focuses support where the need is greatest to inform and inspire others in recognizing arts education as a critical component of a young person’s development. For more information on the Find Your Light Foundation and its work, visit www.fylf.org.