Sing for Hope HandaHarmony Youth Chorus Marks Sixth Year Performing at the United Nations

Funded by the International Foundation for Arts and Culture, the Sing for Hope HandaHarmony Youth Chorus will perform a concert at the United Nations Headquarters on July 17th, 2024, during the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

NEW YORK, July 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Sing for Hope HandaHarmony Youth Chorus, a vibrant ensemble known for its innovative approach to music and social impact, will raise its voices for global progress during a special concert at the United Nations during the High-Level Political Forum on July 17th.

The 2024 United Nations High-Level Political Forum opened on July 15 with a special performance by two Sing for Hope Artist Partners, Tenor Jonathan Tetelman and Pianist Bryan Wagorn, two of the opera world’s brightest stars. They performed with the unique HandaHarmony Sing for Hope Piano, part of the permanent collection of the United Nations created in 2022 by SFH Artist Partners Chris Soria and Danielle McDonald to bring attention to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and their mission of tackling poverty, improving living standards, and protecting the environment.

This marks the sixth year the Sing for Hope HandaHarmony Chorus has performed for the UN, using music and dance as powerful tools to celebrate the UN’s 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. The program aims to inspire action towards a more just and sustainable future for all.

The young singers, aged 8-18, will showcase their talent and dedication through a powerful set of songs addressing critical global issues. The program features “Mission Paani” by the renowned composer A.R. Rahman, a poignant piece highlighting the water crisis in India. The chorus will also perform “Peace Abhi,” a specially commissioned song by 16-year-old composer Ignacio Rosado, which serves as a powerful call for global peace for children.

Leading the Sing for Hope HandaHarmony Youth Chorus are Sharyn Pirtle, Director of Education; Bridget Hogan, Conductor; Chris Piro, Pianist; and David Fernandez, Choreographer.

“The Sing for Hope HandaHarmony Youth Chorus returning to the UN for the sixth year is incredibly inspiring,” says Monica Yunus, Co-Founder of Sing for Hope. “Their dedication to social change through music and the arts is a powerful testament to the potential of young people to create a better world.”

“Our Sing for Hope Global Goals Curriculum empowers young students to become advocates for a more sustainable future,” adds Camille Zamora, Sing for Hope Co-Founder. “Their performance at the UN is a culmination of that learning and a call to action for global leaders.”

“I believe that music and the arts have the power to transform human hearts and minds, to draw us inward and upward to make the world around us a better place. Sing for Hope brings this transformational power to the disenfranchised of society,” says Dr. Haruhisa Handa, Sing for Hope’s Global Patron and IFAC Founder and Chairman. “I am happy to support Sing for Hope as it continues to leverage the arts to illuminate and create a better, brighter, more sustainable future.”

For more information, visit www.SingforHope.org.

About Sing for Hope 
Sing for Hope harnesses the power of the arts to create a better world. Our creative programs bring hope, healing, and connection to millions of people in hospitals, schools, care facilities, refugee camps, transit hubs, and community spaces worldwide. A non-profit organization founded in New York City in response to the events of 9/11, Sing for Hope partners with hundreds of community-based organizations, mobilizes thousands of artists in creative service, and produces artist-created Sing for Hope Pianos across the U.S. and around the world. The official Cultural Partner of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, Sing for Hope champions art for all because we believe the arts have an unmatched capacity to uplift, unite, and heal.

Sing for Hope’s work is made possible by the Sing for Hope Founders’ Circle: The International Foundation for Arts and Culture (Dr. Haruhisa Handa, Chairman, Sing for Hope Global Patron), The Arnhold Foundation in loving memory of Sissy and Henry Arnhold, The Thea Petschek Iervolino Foundation, The Anna-Maria & Stephen Kellen Foundation, Jacqueline Novogratz and Chris Anderson, The Seedlings Foundation, and Ann Ziff; New York State Council on the Arts, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Fosun International, and the generosity of donors like you. Learn more at singforhope.org.

Contact: Jennifer Register, Sing for Hope Chief of Staff
[email protected], 212-966-5955

SOURCE Sing for Hope