- Proceeds from the Summer Soirée support the DSO’s music education programs that transform children’s lives
Detroit, (May 19, 2021) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) will present a Summer Soirée, a new fundraising event, on Sunday, June 27, with both virtual and in-person ticket options. The event will culminate in a DSO concert at 4 p.m. at Orchestra Hall featuring Tony Award winner Renée Elise Goldsberry from Broadway’s Hamilton and conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez. Proceeds from the event will support the DSO’s efforts to transform the lives of children across our region through the music education programs of the Wu Family Academy for Learning and Engagement, which the orchestra has continued to provide throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
For the Summer Soirée, the DSO will partner with local organizations to bring free, live simulcasts of this concert to community venues in Detroit. Partnership and location details are to be announced.
Honorary Patrons of the DSO’s Summer Soirée are Judy & Stanley Frankel and Ann & Jim Nicholson. Honorary Chairs for the event are Pamela Applebaum & Gaal Karp, Penny & Harold Blumenstein, Karen & Matt Cullen, Mark Davidoff & Margie Dunn, Bonnie Larson, Cathy & Wright Lassiter, Faye & Al Nelson, and Bernadine & David Wu.
“The Detroit Symphony Orchestra is honored to provide this unique experience, and we thank our community for its support as we provide life-changing musical events and education opportunities for our students, even during the pandemic,” said DSO Board Chairman Mark Davidoff. “Funds raised through this event bolster our efforts to provide music education in Detroit and throughout the region, and we are grateful for the leadership of our Honorary Patrons and Honorary Chairs."
The DSO’s Summer Soirée includes the option for a gourmet dinner, wine, and dessert provided by Forte Belanger. Those attending the limited-capacity event in person at the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center must follow protocols that keep us all safe, including social distancing and wearing a mask at all required times.
Please note that this event is not part of the DSO Digital Concert series. Those with access to this season’s DSO Digital Concerts will need to purchase tickets separately if they wish to attend or view the Summer Soirée.
Sponsorship and Ticket Information
A variety of Summer Soirée ticket and sponsorship packages are available, and include such amenities as event recognition, tickets to the virtual or in-person experience, a gourmet dinner and wine by Forte Belanger delivered to your home, and more. Individual tickets for the DSO’s Summer Soirée benefit begin at $100 (includes virtual concert only). Limited in-person tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, visit dso.org/summersoiree.
About Renée Elise Goldsberry
Renée Elise Goldsberry is a multi-hyphenate actress and singer who has delivered award winning performances both on Broadway and the screen. Best known for her role as Angelica Schuyler in the musical phenomenon Hamilton, which received rave reviews across the board and has become a cultural touchstone for the ages. Goldsberry’s performance earned her a Tony Award, Grammy Award, Drama Desk Award, and Lucille Lortel Award.
Coming up, Goldsberry can be seen starring in Tina Fey’s new series for Peacock, Girls5eva. She previously starred in the A24’s critical darling, Waves, opposite Sterling K. Brown and in the hit Netflix series Altered Carbon. Goldsberry could also be seen on NBC's musical sensation, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, in addition to lending her voice to bring characters to life on the Netflix Animated series Fast & Furious Spy Racers and Centaurworld. Other highlights from her film and television career include her work on Documentary Now’s cult favorite “Original Cast Album: Co-Op”, The Good Wife, The House with a Clock in its Walls, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, The Following, The Get Down, All About You, Evil, and her creation of the beloved character Evangeline Williamson on ABC'S One Life to Live, for which she received two Daytime Emmy nominations and two NAACP Image Award nominations.
Goldsberry’s appearances on stage include her Outer Critics Circle Award nominated performance opposite Frances McDormand in the play Good People, and the original Broadway version of The Color Purple. She made her Broadway debut as Nala in The Lion King, and her performance as Mimi in Broadway's closing cast of RENT was immortalized in film. Off-broadway, Goldsberry’s performance as Sylvia in The Public Theater's production of Two Gentlemen of Veronafor their Shakespeare in the Park series garnered her across the board rave reviews.
About Enrico Lopez-Yañez
Enrico Lopez-Yañez is the Principal Pops Conductor of the Nashville Symphony where he leads the Symphony’s Pops Series and Family Series. Lopez-Yañez is quickly establishing himself as one of the nation’s leading conductors of popular music and becoming known for his unique style of audience engagement. An active arranger, Lopez-Yañez has been commissioned to write for the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and the Houston Symphony, and has had his works performed by orchestras including the Detroit Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, and Omaha Symphony.
Since working with the Nashville Symphony, Lopez-Yañez has conducted concerts with a broad spectrum of artists including Patti LaBelle, Kenny Loggins, Richard Marx, Toby Keith, Trisha Yearwood, Jennifer Nettles, Kellie Pickler, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Megan Hilty, Hanson, and more. Additionally, he leads many of the films in concert on the symphony’s Movie Series. Lopez-Yañez also conducts the annual Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th fireworks show which was first televised on CMT in 2019 reaching millions of viewers across the nation.
As Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Symphonica Productions, LLC, Lopez-Yañez curates and leads programs designed to cultivate new audiences. An enthusiastic proponent of innovating the education concert experience, his exciting concerts “breathe new, exuberant life into classical programming for kids and families” (Nashville Parent Magazine). Symphonica’s productions have been described as “incredibly special – and something that needs to become the new norm in educational programing” (Lima Symphony). Recently, their dedication to educating the next generation of music lovers has expanded to a free online web series entitled “The Symphonica”, a space adventure starring Lopez-Yañez teaching audiences the fundamentals of music.
Lopez-Yañez previously held the position of Assistant Conductor with the Nashville Symphony and Omaha Symphony. He holds a Masters in Music from the University of Maryland and received a Masters in Music and his Baccalaureate from UCLA, where he graduated summa cum laude.
About the Wu Family Academy of Learning & Engagement
The vision of the DSO’s Wu Family Academy for Learning and Engagement is to change lives by expanding the understanding of the arts, empowering students to have confidence in their creative decisions, and sparking a passion for music that will last a lifetime. The DSO aims to inspire life-long music making—whether as a hobby or a career. Through live and digital partnerships, hands-on music education, and training in classrooms, communities, and virtual settings, the Wu Family Academy cultivates relationships that impact lives today, and as a result, our communities tomorrow.
About the DSO
The most accessible orchestra on the planet, the acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra is known for trailblazing performances, collaborations with the world’s foremost musical artists, and a deep connection to its city. As a community-supported orchestra, generous giving by individuals and institutions at all levels drives the continued success and growth of the organization. In January 2020, Italian conductor Jader Bignamini was named the DSO’s next music director to commence with the 2020-2021 season. Conductor Leonard Slatkin, who concluded a decade-long tenure at the helm in 2018, now serves as the DSO’s Music Director Laureate. Celebrated conductor, arranger, and trumpeter Jeff Tyzik is the orchestra’s Principal Pops Conductor, while the outstanding trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard holds the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair. Making its home at historic Orchestra Hall within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, the DSO offers a performance schedule that features Classical, PNC Pops, Paradise Jazz, and Young People’s Family Concert series. One of the world’s most acoustically perfect concert halls, Orchestra Hall celebrated its centennial in 2019-2020. In addition, the DSO presents the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series in eight metro area venues, as well as a robust schedule of eclectic multi-genre performances in its mid-size venue The Cube, constructed and curated with support from Peter D. & Julie F. Cummings. A dedication to broadcast innovation began in 1922, when the DSO became the first orchestra in the world to present a radio broadcast and continues today with the free Live from Orchestra Hall webcast series, which also reaches tens of thousands of children with the Classroom Edition expansion. With growing attendance and unwavering philanthropic support from the people of Detroit, the DSO actively pursues a mission to embrace and inspire individuals, families, and communities through unsurpassed musical experiences.