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Josh to be honored at the 2012 National Arts Awards in NYC!!
NEW YORK — The Americans for the Arts has announced the recipients of its 2012 National Arts Awards.
The nonprofit organization works to advance arts and arts education across the country.
Paul G. Allen was recognized with the Philanthropy in the Arts Award. The founder and chairman of Vulcan Inc. has given more than $1.5 billion in his lifetime.
American artist James Rosenquist received the Lifetime Achievement Award; Tony Award-winning actor Brian Stokes Mitchell, Outstanding Contributions to the Arts Award; singer and songwriter Josh Groban, Young Artist Award; and National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts co-founder Lin Arison, Arts Education Award.
The awards will be presented in New York City on Oct. 15 by dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov and sculptor Richard Serra.
The award was designed by Jeff Koons.
JOSH HELPED RAISE $$$ AT WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL LAST WEEK!!
JOSH GROBAN RAISES OVER HALF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR LOS ANGELES COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS AND FIND YOUR LIGHT FOUNDATION THROUGH BENEFIT CONCERT AT WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
Josh Groban raised over half a million dollars for his alma mater, the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA), and his own Find Your Light Foundation by performing before a sold-out crowd last week at The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles.
The very special event on June 28th, billed as “An Evening With Josh Groban,” featured the multi-platinum singer, songwriter, and actor performing with the band who traveled with him during his recentStraight To You World Tour. Throughout the course of the concert, Groban was joined by several of LACHSA’s students on some of his best-known songs, which included “February Song” (featuring two dance students), “Lullaby,” “Weeping,” and “You Raise Me Up,” (featuring vocal students, both soloists and a choir) and “Machine” (featuring three music students on horns). Groban also called out several of his teachers from the stage to thank them for the support he received at LACHSA and tell stories about his time spent at the school. He also explained why he created the Find Your Light Foundation, and that with a combination of his personal experience and belief that the arts in children’s and young adult’s lives help shape and change them for the better.
“I am thrilled that we were able to raise over half a million dollars to support LACHSA and Find Your Light,” Groban says. “It feels great to be able to give back to the school that gave me the foundation to explore my craft and support me while I was finding my feet as a performer. I want to thank everyone at LACHSA and those who attended the concert for enabling me to offer that same support to the students and future artists. It was truly a great night.”
Recognized as one of the premier public arts high school in the U.S., LACHSA is Los Angeles County’s only public, conservatory-style arts program for talented youth in dance, music, theatre, visual arts, and film. It serves 600 culturally and socioeconomically diverse teens from more than 80 school districts in the county. Fund-raising events such as this benefit concert enable LACHSA to offer conservatory-style arts training to students free of charge. Each year, the Arts High Foundation works to bridge the gap between available state funding and the actual cost of the arts programs by cultivating and soliciting gifts from individuals, foundations, and corporations.
Groban established the Find Your Light Foundation in 2011 as a way to enrich the lives of young people through arts, education, and cultural awareness. Groban’s personal experience and his belief that early exposure to the arts helps shape young people’s lives, combined with the sobering reality that such programs are on the chopping block at many educational institutions, has made him more attuned than ever to the need to focus his efforts on helping students find their light.
Robert Mondavi Winery Announces Josh Groban to Perform at the Annual Summer Concert Series on July 21st
In the spirit of Robert Mondavi’s belief that wine, food and the arts are an essential part of American life, the 2012 Robert Mondavi Winery Summer Concert Series is thrilled to announce that multi-platinum singer, songwriter, and actor Josh Groban will perform a concert benefitting the The Napa Valley School’s Music and Art Programs and his own Find Your Light Foundation on July 21st. This special concert will mark the finale of the annual concert series.
“Robert Mondavi Winery is the perfect place to experience the musical genius of Josh Groban. You can be a part of a world-class musical performance, watch the moon rise over the vineyard, and enjoy wonderful wines,” says Carl Jaeger, Estate Director at Robert Mondavi Winery. “Making music and making wine are both artistic expressions and this performance marks the beginning of a collaboration between Josh and the winery.”
Josh will be in the studio for most of 2012 working on his next album but his passion for food and wine drew him to this opportunity to visit the Napa Valley. His show will be performed in an intimate, stripped down configuration and will mark his only Northern California performance this year.
The intimate concert, benefitting local Napa school’s arts and music programs, pairs nicely with Josh Groban’s own Find Your Light Foundation. Established in 2011, his foundation enriches the lives of young people through arts, education, and cultural awareness. Groban believes that early exposure in the arts helps shape young people’s lives, combined with the sobering reality that public school arts programs are being dismantled in many communities has made Josh more attuned than ever to helping young people find their light.
The Robert Mondavi Winery Festival started as a small venture in the arts, with tickets costing only $3 and drawing a modest crowd of 400 attendees. Since its inception, the festival has hosted more than 100 performers and now draws thousands every year. From the first performance by the Napa Valley Symphony, a guitar soloist, and the Xoregos Dance Company, the festival has grown to showcase world-renowned jazz, R&B and pop artists. The Festival is a highlight of the summer season in the Napa Valley, bringing together wine, food, music and the arts for beautiful evenings in the vineyards. Throughout the festival’s 43-year history, more than $2 million in proceeds has been raised for the Napa Valley Symphony, Napa Valley Opera House and the Napa Valley Unified School District.
The performance will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will be held at the Robert Mondavi Winery on Highway 29 in Oakville, Napa Valley. Ticket prices vary by performance. For additional information and to purchase tickets, including General Admission, Reserved and Dinner seats, visit www.robertmondaviwinery.com or call 1-888-RMONDAVI (766-6328).
