Misty Copeland, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Ann Ziff to Be Honored at Denyce Graves Foundation Gala
The black-tie gala will feature performances by Susan Graham, Erin Morley, and Joshua Bell, with emcee Deborah Roberts.
The Denyce Graves Foundation will honor Misty Copeland, Metropolitan Opera Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Metropolitan Opera Board Chairman Ann Ziff at its annual Harvest Moon Gala on September 28 in New York City.
Emmy Award-winning journalist and 20/20 co-anchor Deborah Roberts will emcee the black-tie event, which will be held at Guastavino's and benefit the Foundation's work supporting emerging singers and bringing greater attention to artists overlooked in American history.
“Our Harvest Moon Gala will be extraordinary, but more importantly, it will be an evening with a purpose to celebrate the artists and stories that have too often been neglected and to ensure that those voices are heard, studied, performed, and carried forward,” said DGF founder Denyce Graves.
The evening will feature performances by mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, soprano Erin Morley, countertenor John Holiday, tenor Brandon Jovanovich, violinist Joshua Bell and additional artists.
Young artists participating in the Foundation's programs will also be featured during the event. DGF's initiatives include Shared Voices, which provides mentorship, training and performance opportunities for students; Generational Voices, supporting emerging artists as they develop their careers; and Hidden Voices, which works to bring overlooked musicians and their stories into the historical record.
“I first heard Denyce's students at my farm in Millbrook,” said Barbara Tober, who is co-chairing the gala with Ann Gottlieb. “It was a revelation to see how she was training these young people from all over the world to really not only sing, but to appreciate the magnificence of opera.”
Following cocktails and dinner, the evening will include live and silent auctions benefiting the Foundation's programs.
Founded by opera star Denyce Graves-Montgomery, the Denyce Graves Foundation works at the intersection of music, American history and social justice. Its programs support developing artists while preserving and sharing the stories of musicians whose contributions have historically received less recognition.
The Foundation has collaborated with organizations including the Smithsonian Institution, Metropolitan Opera, Library of Congress and Lincoln Center, as well as Historically Black Colleges and Universities, conservatories and schools of music.
The 2026 Harvest Moon Gala will take place September 28 at Guastavino's in New York City. Additional information and tickets are available through the Denyce Graves Foundation.
