FORT LAUDERDALE — A benefit concert for Friends of Music Education For Haiti Inc. will feature renowned concert pianist Gwendolyn Mok, who will perform the music of Johannes Brahms. Dubbed “Elegantly Brahms with Gwendolyn Mok,” the concert will be 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Abdo New River Room at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.
The evening includes a meet-and-greet reception with refreshments.
Mok has appeared in many of the world’s leading concert halls including the Barbican, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and The Hong Kong Performing Arts Center. She is also frequently invited to play and record with major international
orchestras, most notably the London Symphony, the Philharmonia, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Beijing Philharmonic Orchestra and Residentie Orkestre of The Hague. She is a recording artist for Nonesuch/Elektra, Musical Heritage Society, Cala Records and EMI.
Friends of Music Education for Haiti was founded by Juilliard-trained violinist Romel Joseph in order to provide quality music education, instrumental training and academic education for the children and the youth of Haiti following the tragic earthquake on Jan. 12, 2010.
The concert will help raise funds for the organization’s current projects, which include acquiring musical instruments for the music department of the New
Victorian School in Port-au-Prince and the continuing construction of its much-needed rehearsal space for 150 students. The school was demolished in the earthquake when Joseph, the school’s executive director, was inside at the time.
“The people of Haiti need not only food, housing, clean water and medicine,” said Joseph, in describing the mission of Friends of Music Education for Haiti. “Their social and cultural needs must also be met. Music education can play a positive role in improving the lives of the Haitian people by infusing high self-esteem, discipline, leadership, teamwork, creative thinking, hard work and joy.”
The benefit is part of the Broward Center’s Arts Access Program, which assists community-based
organizations in presenting arts and cultural performances at the Broward Center.
Individual tickets are $60 at the Broward Center’s AutoNation Box Office at 954-462-0222 or on-line at browardcenter.org
The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located at 201 S.W. Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale.
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