#MBGALA2017 - A TOAST TO FEARLESS WOMEN

THURSDAY MAY 25, 2017 7PM - 9:30PM

Honoring JD STIER & THE FLUTE CENTER OF NEW YORK

Special Guest Performance by JULIEN BEAUDIMENT (Principal flutist of the Lyon National Opera) & NICOLE ESPOSITO (Soloist, Professor at the University of Iowa School of Music)

Please join us to celebrate strong and beautiful women of the Democratic Republic of the Congo!

The gala will take place at the beautiful The Farm SoHo in the heart of SoHo in New York City.

The evening will include open bar, hors d’oeuvres & truffles by RONI-SUE'S CHOCOLATES, Open Bar sponsored by WOODFORD RESERVE, keynote speech by a human rights activist, director, producer, speaker and 2017 Music Beyond Honoree JD STIER, and a very special musical performance by 2 world-renowned flutists, JULIEN BEAUDIMENT & NICOLE ESPOSITO, silent auction and more!

Proceeds from this evening will further fund Music Beyond's current programs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

JD STIER, 2017 Music Beyond Award Honoree / Keynote Speaker

JD Stier, the Stand With Congo Campaign Director, and "When Elephants Fight" Producer, is working towards transparency in Congo's mineral trade, and supporting Congolese civil society and the growing non violent youth movement through global actions, protests, and events. You can see When Elephants Fight on Netflix and join the Campaign online.

JD is a tireless advocate for how the arts and community can bring about transformational world change. 

PHIL UNGER - CEO of The Flute Center of New York, 2017 Music Beyond Award Corporate Honoree

The Flute Center of New York is New York City's premier flute sales and repair shop.

The Owner of The Flute Center of New York, Phil Unger opened his first business in 1980 across the street from Fair Park in historic downtown Dallas. Later, Phil relocated his business to the heart of Manhattan across from Lincoln Center, which he considers the musical heart of the universe. He now spends his days overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Flute Center of New York.

JULIEN BEAUDIMENT, Special Musical Guest

Former principal flutist of the prestigious Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel, Julien Beaudiment currently holds the principal flute position at the Orchestre de l'Opera National de Lyon conducted by Kazushi Ono and professor at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Lyon. He has also held the same position with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in Great Britain. He is the only french musician to have held this position in a British Orchestra and one of the too few to do the same in an American Orchestra. 

Julien gives an important place in his life as an Ambassador of the "Kidney Foundation" and as a Board Director of "Music Beyond", an American NGO based in New York to train and support musicians in developing countries.

NICOLE ESPOSITO, Special Musical Guest

A charismatic and versatile flutist, Nicole Esposito is the flute professor at The University of Iowa. She has achieved a career as a soloist, teacher, chamber and orchestral musician on an international level having been featured across the United States, Europe, Central and South America. Esposito has performed at flute festivals and events around the world including ten National Flute Association Conventions, the Oklahoma Flute Fair, Florida Flute Fair, Madison Flute Festival, West Virginia Flute Fling, Iowa Flute Festival, Atlanta Flute Festival, the LA Flute Guild Festival, San Francisco International Flute Festival, The Texas Summer Flute Symposium, FLUTISSIMO!, NSU Flute Workshop, Festival Virtuosi, Brazil, the International Flute Festival sponsored by the Brazilian Flute Association, the Santa Maria International Winter Festival, the International Flute Festival of Costa Rica, the Spanish National Flute Convention, Bogotá Flute Festival, the International Flute Congress of Argentina, Chilean Flute Encounter, the European Piccolo Festival in Slovenia, the Adams Flute Festival in Holland, the Canadian Flute Convention and the British Flute Society Convention. 

Event Sponsors

For Sponsorship opportunities and silent auction donations, please click HERE

Cannot attend? Consider making a small donation.

Music Beyond is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers individuals through music and out reach in developing countries, currently in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
By cultivating the roles of local musicians as performers, mentors and nurturers, Music Beyond fosters an enduring and positive impact within communities.