Orlando Sings Presents First Annual Mardi Gras Gala

Orlando Sings is Central Florida's newest professional arts organization. Led by Artistic and Executive Director Dr. Andrew Minear, Orlando Sings serves as an umbrella organization for a family of singing groups including two professional ensembles: the Orlando Sings Symphonic Chorus and the Solaria Singers.

The organization will host its First Annual Mardi Gras Gala to be held on the evening of February 4th at the historic Winter Park Farmers Market. The event will be a celebration of Orlando Sings's inaugural season which started with a bang at their November 18th concert and was attended by over four hundred people who enthusiastically welcomed this new organization into the Orlando arts community.

At the Mardi Gras Gala, Orlando Sings will unveil two exciting programs scheduled to launch in fall of 2022. The Orlando Sings Senior Singers will be led by choral conductor and board certified music therapist Katie Counts. This program will provide musical experiences for senior residents in our community who will benefit from the positive impact group singing can have on the elderly population.

"Lifelong musicianship has many positive effects on brain health in older adults, especially in the areas of auditory processing, physical health, and memory retention. Likewise, lifelong community provides many of the same benefits, from improved physical and emotional health to boosted cognitive function. Through the Seniors Singers program, we will provide opportunities for lifelong musicianship and community by cultivating high quality choral music and performance through our shared experiences. As a Board Certified Music Therapist, I have personally encountered the many benefits of music that help us move towards a higher quality of life, and I am excited to share the Senior Singers program with the Orlando community."

- Katie Counts, Program Director, Orlando Sings Senior Singers

The other program which will be unveiled at this event is our Orlando Sings Street Choir which is being modeled after other choirs around the United States that serve individuals who are experiencing homelessness. Through community engagement and public performances, we hope to improve the way society views this particular population within our community while also providing them with basic essential needs such as resources, meals, warm clothes and community. We hope to offer a consistent, structured, safe, creative and engaging environment.

"Choral music is an invaluable lifeline for every human being. As a vital part of our mission to elevate the choral art form and enrich the cultural fabric of Florida through extraordinary shared experiences, we could not be more excited to introduce the Orlando Sings Street Choir in the Fall of 2022. This important choral ensemble will be made up of singers affected by homelessness, and we eagerly await the opportunity to join the hearts and minds of this beautiful community with those of our audiences through music."

• Evan Powers, Program Director, Orlando Sings Street Choir

The Gala will be a fun-filled evening of festive Mardi-Gras music provided by Orlando's own Brown Bag Brass Band. The evening will also include dancing, Cajun-inspired cuisine, and a silent auction.

We invite the community to join us for this celebratory evening and help us reach our $30,000 fundraising goal to help kickstart these programs.

"With great music, delicious food and drinks, a fantastic indoor/ outdoor setting, and a dynamic group of attendees, the Orlando Sings Mardi Gras Gala will be an absolute blast. I can't wait to celebrate our inaugural season with everyone, and I hope this becomes a 'can't miss' event on everyone's annual calendar. Of course, it is not just about having a fabulous night out, but also supports our community's newest performing arts nonprofit, Orlando Sings, including the Orlando Sings Symphonic Chorus, the Solaria Singers, and two new and inspiring programs launching in 2022, the Orlando Sings Street Choir and the Orlando Sings Senior Singers, which promise to make a tremendous positive impact in our Central Florida community. I look forward to seeing our friends and supporters as we let the good times roll on February 4th!"

• Andrew Minear, Artistic and Executive Director, Orlando Sings

First Annual Mardi Gras Gala Fundraiser Details

• Orlando Sings Invites You to Attend The First Annual Mardi Gras Gala Fundraiser

• Friday, February 4th, 2021 7pm-10pm

• Winter Park Farmers Market | 200 W. New England Ave. Winter Park, FL 32779

• Tickets are $79 each and can be purchased online at https://orlandosings.org

ABOUT ORLANDO SINGS

The Orlando Sings mission is to elevate the choral art form and enrich the cultural fabric of Florida through extraordinary shared experiences for audiences and singers. Orlando Sings seeks to create lively gathering spaces for people seeking a dynamic music community. We cultivate cultural exchange and believe that engaging in music can change people's lives for the better.

Led by Artistic and Executive Director Dr. Andrew Minear, Orlando Sings presents a full season of professional concerts for year-round and seasonal residents, as well as students, tourists, and international visitors. We perform music inspired by the many cultures of our community, classical masterpieces, and thought-provoking works by the most brilliant composers of today. We collaborate with composers, artists, orchestras, and other arts organizations. We perform with national and International Artists as well as established and rising talent from the state of Florida.

The Orlando Sings community is welcoming, engaging, and inspiring. We serve, support, and create special opportunities for: choral singing enthusiasts, professional vocalists, instrumentalists, composers, and other artists, patrons of the arts, persons experiencing homelessness, immigrants and refugees, retirees, and the next generation of performers and creatives.

Orlando Sings performs some of the most well-known and widely celebrated works in the canon, and they are also committed to presenting and commissioning new works, especially by diverse and underrepresented composers. Every Orlando Sings concert season will include works by composers from historically excluded groups in choral music including women and BIPOC. The organization strives to create spaces where everyone can be fully themselves and to build an inclusive culture that values and celebrates the diverse voices and life experiences of our community.

Upcoming concerts include Haydn's "The Creation" on March 8th at First United Methodist Church of Orlando (FUMCO) featuring musicians from the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, "A Century of Music by Black Composers" performed by our city's NEW professional choir, The Solaria Singers, Durufle's "Requiem" and Clearfield's "Tse Go La" on June 9th at FUMCO, in honor of those who lost their lives in the Pulse shooting, and Eric Whitacre's "Sacred Veil" on June 11th in the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts' new acoustically perfect Steinmetz Hall.

The Orlando Sings Symphonic Chorus specializes in the performance of large-scale choral works. They sing music inspired by the many cultures of the greater Orlando community, classical masterpieces, thought-provoking new works and world premieres. Composed of choral musicians from diverse backgrounds and professions, this group of dedicated artists will be collaborating with chamber and symphony orchestras each season beginning with their collaboration with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra for their inaugural concert on November 18th.

The Orlando Sings Solaria Singers is a professional chamber choir made up of the finest vocalists in Central Florida. Solaria performs fresh interpretations of the greatest choral works of history as well as the most adventurous, compelling, and meaningful music composed for vocal ensembles in the 21st century.

Orlando Sings, Inc. is a federally recognized 501c3 tax-exempt nonprofit organization.

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