press

For Immediate Release

NEW YORK CITY — In a community effort to provide direct aid to thousands of Iraqi citizens injured in the continuing war, a benefit concert—Voices Together— will feature performances by more than eight musicians at Peter Norton Symphony Space on January 28.

The concert, to begin at 8 p.m., will provide direct support to The Global Medical Relief Fund, an extraordinary group that has brought hope and help to children injured in the war, and Life USA, a grass roots organization that offers humanitarian services to a wide range of Iraqi citizens.

Performers so far include Christine Lavin, Modern Man, Karlus Trapp, Sam Leopold, Roger Barlett, and David Ippolito, who is also artistic director of the event. The concert is being presented by Sid Bernstein, the legendary promoter who first brought the Beatles to Carnegie Hall and Shea Stadium in the mid 1960s.

“The concert is going to be a night of purpose, goodness, smiles, togetherness, laughter, some tears....but most of all—wonderful music,” said Ippolito, who is also known for over a decade of performances as “That Guitar Man” in Central Park. “Unlike many charities and major benefits, every nickel of the proceeds from every ticket bought is going directly to the people who are helping out the ordinary civilians caught in the nightmare in Iraq.”

The Voices Together project was formed by a small group of ordinary people to get as much direct help as possible to the wounded civilians—the ordinary people whose lives are being torn apart every day by the war in Iraq. All production costs for the concert have been underwritten by private contributions, allowing all money raised from the benefit to go directly to the beneficiaries.

In organizing the event, it became apparent that too many Americans see the turmoil in Iraq as too complex, too political, or too remote. Images of the war are often sanitized or censored. For many, the extent of the injury and death involving American troops is hard enough to comprehend, let alone the injuries to Iraqi civilians.

However, the concert organizers felt that out-of-sight should not be out-of-mind. The huge number of civilian losses in this war—no matter how they occur—should be seen as a threat to lasting peace in the world and the responsibility of all decent people.

The concert, said Ippolito, will offer real and specific means for Americans to provide help to injured civilians in need in Iraq, especially children. “This concert will provide a way for ordinary Americans to do extraordinary things, to know they are helping those who are most in need, and in doing so show a compassionate face of America.”

Tickets are priced at $50, $75, and $100 and can be ordered by phone at (212) 864- 5400 or through the online box office at www.symphonyspace.org.

For additional information, visit http://www.voicestogether.org or contact David Ippolito here.

You can download this press release here.

You can download the Voices Together brochure here.

You can download the Voices Together poster here.