Warner Music Group (WMG) and singer, songwriter and actor Josh Groban were recognized this week for their contributions to the Harmony Program, a non-profit organization that provides music education to underserved communities in New York.
WMG has been a partner of the Harmony Program since 2015, “helping children gain critical life skills and make meaningful peer connections,” the company said in a statement on Thursday (April 3).
“The Harmony Program’s work isn’t just about expanding access to music education, it’s about harnessing the power of music to encourage collaboration and cultivate community,” said WMG President of Global Catalog Kevin Gore, who accepted the honor at a gala event on Wednesday. Gore is a Harmony Program Board Member.
“It’s more important than ever for all of us to ensure that artistic expression continues to flourish freely and that organizations like the Harmony Program continue to thrive, so that they can foster the next generation of leaders, dreamers, and music makers. It’s an honor to be recognized by such an essential and impactful organization in our community.”
“The work of the Harmony Program is vitally important because it’s changing the mindset of these young people,” Groban, a Warner Records artist, said on stage.
“Arts education, in an ever-divided and cynical world, is what tells us about the beauty of our similarities, but more importantly about the beauty of our differences. This honor is so special and it means the world to me.”
“It’s more important than ever for all of us to ensure that artistic expression continues to flourish freely and that organizations like the Harmony Program continue to thrive,”
Kevin Gore, Warner Music Group
“Warner Music Group has been an invaluable partner to the Harmony Program and its students for over a decade,” Harmony Program Founder and Executive Director Anne Fitzgibbon said.
“Beyond financial support, they have provided our students with career mentorship, industry internships, and unforgettable, collaborative performances with world-class artists like Joyce DiDonato, Chris Thile, and Josh Groban. They exemplify the power of corporate philanthropy to inspire young people, and by extension, their broader communities.”
Along with Gore, the Planning Committee for the gala event included WMG CEO Robert Kyncl, CBS News journalist Adriana Diaz, who also hosted the event, SoundCloud CEO Eliah Seton, opera performer Heather Buck, investor Evan Gogel, financial lawyer and policy manager of the League of Women Voters Kirsten Kern, venture capitalist Dennis Lee, neurosurgeon Dr. Kalmon Post of Mount Sinai Hospital, and digital ad business leader Rick Song.
Additional sponsors included Kirsten and Peter Kern, Georgia and Don Gogel, Jenny and Roy Niederhoffer, Eliah Seton and James McKeever, SoundCloud, and Evan Gogel and Abra Metz-Dworkin.
The Harmony Program provides children with with free instruments, intensive music instruction, orchestral training and “access to a variety of cultural experiences in an effort to promote self-confidence, creativity, social development and academic success.”
Its gala event is held annually, and previous honorees have included Christian McBride, Melissa Walker, Ben Jackson Walker, Arnaud Sussmann, Melissa Munoz, and Saffron Chung.Music Business Worldwide
