SWAN SONGS SERENADE to Mark 21 Years of Musical Last Wishes in Austin
The annual gala will feature a performance by Ugandan-born singer-songwriter Jon Muq at The Junior League of Austin Community Impact Center.
Swan Songs, an Austin-founded nonprofit dedicated to recognizing the power of music at the end of life, will host the 2026 Swan Songs Serenade on Sunday, November 1 at The Junior League of Austin Community Impact Center. With this year's concert requests projected to reach 600 – an estimated 60% increase since 2024 – the 16th annual gala will once again celebrate a community of supporters and donors who make it possible for Swan Songs to directly compensate musicians to perform favorite styles of music for recipients in their private homes or care facilities, with no cost to the requestors or families.
Attending and Sponsoring the 2026 Swan Songs Serenade
After five years at Four Seasons Hotel Austin, the 2026 Swan Songs Serenade will be hosted at The Junior League of Austin's new Community Impact Center, located at 5330 Bluffstone Lane, on Sunday, November 1 from 6-10 PM:
6 PM – cocktail reception and silent auction
7 PM – seated dinner by Rosemary's Catering
8 PM – live auction
9 PM – silent auction concludes and performance by Ugandan-born, Austin-local Jon Muq.
Shannon Meroney will serve as the Serenade event chair with Judy Maggio, former editorial director of news and public affairs at Austin PBS affiliate KLRU-TV, as event emcee, and TiWanna “TK” Kenney with Astounding Auctions as auctioneer.
“As this event and our organization evolves, we follow where it leads,” said Swan Songs Founder and CEO Christine Albert. “This year, The Junior League of Austin event space called to us as the next step on our journey. We love that by holding the 2026 Swan Songs Serenade in their new Community Impact Center, we are helping to support their important programs.”
“Jon Muq was chosen as our artist because of his amazing songs and voice, but also because his story underscores what a powerful vehicle music is - to make dreams come true or simply bring peace at the end of a life,” said Christine Albert.
“I lost my dad after caring for him during his six year battle with Alzheimer's,” said Event Chair Shannon Meroney. “Our experience with Swan Songs was the single best moment of that entire journey. Swan Songs delivers joy to people who are going through the worst times of their lives. I can't overstate the importance of their mission or the beauty and grace they show while delivering it.”
For Serenade sponsorships, contact laurie.annear@swansongs.org. Learn more here. $250 individual tickets, based on availability, will be offered at a future date. For additional information or to donate items for the silent and live auctions, please contact info@swansongs.org.
Swan Songs was born from a series of powerful experiences in the early 1990s, when Austin musician Christine Albert (Swan Songs Founder & CEO) was invited to sing for individuals nearing the end of life. Inspired by these intimate moments, Christine and psychotherapist Gaea Logan began organizing bedside concerts through an early initiative called MusicAid. Support from collaborators like Craig Hella Johnson and the New Texas Festival (now Conspirare) helped to grow their venture. In 2005, Christine, Gaea and a dedicated group of founding board members formally established Swan Songs as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, honoring the memory of John Swann, whose love of music helped inspire the organization's name and mission.
The organization is committed to utilizing professional musicians whose expertise and experience are central to the success of the program. They recognize the importance of compensating these artists; with no financial obligation on the part of the recipient, their family, or the healthcare facility.
In 2024, Swan Songs first affiliate was established in Oregon - Swan Songs Portland - expanding the mission's reach and impact. Ms. Albert is in discussions with several other groups to bring Swan Songs to additional communities.
Swan Songs has worked with dozens of regional hospices and care facilities and compensated over 800 musicians through the years. They work diligently to match the style of music requested with the appropriate musician(s). The variety of requests over the years reflects how deep an individual's connection with music can be – based on a lifetime of memories, culture, heritage and geography. Whatever connects the recipient to those memories, their family, their joy – that is what Swan Songs brings. For more information on Swan Songs, visit www.swansongs.org.
|
Rock of Ages TexARTS (7/10-8/09) |
|
8th Fresh Squeezed Ounce of Opera dadaLab (7/17-7/25) |
|
Disney's Newsies McCullough Theatre (7/31-8/09) |
|
& Juliet Bass Concert Hall at the University of Texas in Austin (7/14-7/19) |
|
42nd Street Georgetown Palace Theatre (7/24-8/30) |
|
Timeless: American Music Then and Now Penfold Theatre Company (7/03-7/03) |
|
Kung Fu Cowgirl: The Musical 9/3-13 Zilker Hillside Theater (9/03-9/13) |
|
Guns N’ Roses Globe Life Field (9/09-9/09) |
|
Austin City Limits Music Festival: Weekend One – 3 Day Pass Zilker Park (10/02-10/11) |
|
Swan Lake by International Ballet Stars in Austin, TX Bass Concert Hall (4/03-4/03) |