‘A Mid-Autumn Night of Music’ To Benefit Russian Children’s Welfare Society

Yamaha Artist Frank Levy

NEW YORK CITY — Renowned pianist and Russian Children's Welfare Society (RCWS) 2010 ING NYC Marathon runner Frank Levy will entertain guests at “A Mid-Autumn Night of Music” on Wednesday, November 3rd at Yamaha's Midtown Manhattan Piano Salon, located at 689 Fifth Avenue at 54th Street. The program will feature the works of Bach-Marcello, Schubert, Rachmaninoff, Ravel and Chopin. Four Russian Divas, representing “Piques Dames” will perform romances by Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Russian folk music. Concert proceeds will benefit RCWS's “Give Beauty Back to the Children” initiative that delivers innovative medical treatment to children with severe facial deformities at the Moscow Center for Maxillofacial Surgery. Purchase tickets at http://4wrd.it/RCWSTKTS.

Swiss-American pianist Frank Lévy is an internationally acclaimed classical artist, having dazzled audiences and critics at Avery Fisher Hall in New York, Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, Gusman Hall in Miami, Royce Hall in LA, and the Stadthaussaal in Winterthur. His performance broadcasts include WQXR in New York, the BBC in London, the RSR in Switzerland and the CBC in Canada. In 2009, Mr. Levy joined Yamaha's roster of classical music artists, and today remains an exemplar of musical virtuosity and altruism. “Life's injustice to the young remains a constant struggle and agony for me,” said Mr. Levy. “They have been cheated out of their childhood and I dream that the beauty of music will move people to do something about it. I am proud and grateful to RCWS for selecting me to be a part of their great cause. Help RCWS brighten the lives of these children by coming to the concert or donating online."

Mr. Levy and his student, pianist Alina Kiryayeva, will perform a four-hand piece by Dvorak, Slavonic Dance op. 72 no 2 in E minor and a solo piece by Liszt, La Campanella. A native of Ukraine, Ms. Kiryayeva performed her first solo recital at the age of 8 and her solo debut with an orchestra at the age of 11. She has claimed top prizes at various international piano competitions and was honored by the Ukrainian President, Leonid Kravchuk, with the State Award for Achievements in Arts.

In addition, “A Mid-Autumn Night of Music” guests will be treated to a special performance by vocal ensemble Piques Dames (Olga Shyp, Roza Tulyaganova, Elena Mindlina and Karina Azatyan) – a group of passionate, classically trained musicians who share the excitement of heart-warming vocal music with their audiences. Piques Dames' repertoire includes a variety of rare folk music as well as operatic, Slavic and European classics. The ensemble is a winner of several chamber music competitions and has performed at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Trinity Church's "Concerts at One" Series, Lang Hall at Hunter College and many other venues.

Founded in 1926, the Russian Children's Welfare Society (RCWS) is a 501 c 3 non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of disadvantaged children in Russia by supporting organizations that effectively enhance their health, education, and social welfare. Among RCWS projects are educational scholarships for orphans, medical treatment for children with severe facial deformities, art rehabilitation programs for children with special needs, a New Year's party in Moscow for over 2,000 disadvantaged children and many other vital programs. All proceeds from the concert will benefit the RCWS program "Give Beauty Back to the Children" which provides medical treatment to children with facial deformities. RCWS is proud to have been selected as one of the ING NYC Marathon's 2010 Community Charities. This is the first year RCWS will be participating in the ING NYC Marathon, which takes place on November 7th, 2010. Frank Levy will be among five members of RCWS running team.

Since its establishment in 1987 in New York City, Yamaha Artist Services, Inc. (YASI) has gained widespread recognition for its professional service and devotion to the global performing arts community. YASI is dedicated to meeting the needs of artists, artists' managers, performing arts organizations and educational institutions worldwide. Yamaha's distinguished roster of classical pianists includes Olga Kern, Denis Matsuev, Alexander Kobrin, Oxana Yablonskaya, Alexander Braginsky, Nikita Fitenko, Vladimir Viardo and others. Its state-of-the-art Manhattan facility as become a destination for artists the world over and embodies Yamaha's strong commitment to the global performing arts community. Learn more at http://4wrd.it/YASISITE.