"MUSIC FOR FOOD" Presents concert to benefit The Sunday Love Project

Philadelphia, PA (September 11, 2023) — As part of its Concerts at the College series, on Monday, October 16, 2023 at 7 pm, The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, will host the captivating violinist Tessa Lark and pianist Amy Yang performing on behalf of the musician-led initiative, Music for Food, in a concert to benefit the life-changing work of The Sunday Love Project, whose founder and executive director, Margaux Murphy, recently received the prestigious Philadelphia Award (often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Philadelphia”), highlighting her passion for helping others and making a lasting, profound impact on the community. 100% of the concert proceeds benefit The Sunday Love Project.

The October 16th musical evening, brings together the brilliant artistry of Grammy-nominated violinist Tessa Lark and pianist Amy Yang, a distinguished member of the Curtis Institute of Music faculty, praised as a “jaw-dropping pianist who steals the show, with effortless finesse.” The program includes DvoÅ™ák’s American-inspired Sonatina in G; Bartók’s popular Romanian Folk Dances plus two works by women – Clara Schumann’s poignantly lyrical Three Romances for Violin and Piano, and the dynamic Wiener Laune by our own Tessa Lark!

Tickets: collegeofphysicians.org/events/music-food-benefit-concert

Tickets (concert and reception) are $30 ($10 student) plus additional optional donation. All proceeds benefit the transformative work of The Sunday Love Project.

The concert begins at 7 pm. An informal reception with the musicians follows the concert.

About Tessa Lark, violin

Violinist Tessa Lark is one of the most captivating artistic voices of our time, consistently praised by critics and audiences for her astounding range of sounds, technical agility, and musical elegance. In 2020 she was nominated for a GRAMMY in the Best Classical Instrumental Solo category and received one of Lincoln Center’s prestigious Emerging Artist Awards: the special Hunt Family Award. Other recent honors include a 2018 Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship and a 2016 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Silver Medalist in the 9th Quadrennial International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, and winner of the 2012 Naumburg International Violin Competition. She solos regularly with many of the major orchestras around the world, from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra to Seattle Symphony, and has appeared in recital in such prestigious venues and series as Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and Carnegie Hall’s Distinctive Debuts series in Weill Hall (2017). www.tessalark.com

About Amy Yang, piano

Praised by the Washington Post as a “jaw-dropping pianist who steals the show…with effortless finesse,” Amy Yang aspires to affirm connections between the arts and our inner humanity through her committed expressions of music and leadership on and off stage. She joined forces with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra under Osmo Vänskä playing Schumann’s Piano Concerto at Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center in 2023. Additionally, she gave the world premiere of Richard Danielpour’s “Four Portraits” for solo piano at the Curtis Institute of Music, where she is a faculty member and the Associate Dean of Piano Studies and Artistic Initiatives. She has soloed with the Houston Symphony, presented recitals for Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and premiered/commissioned music by Caroline Shaw, Avner Dorman, Michael Hersch, Ezra Laderman, Edward Babcock, Alistair Coleman, and Hua Yang. Ms. Yang has appeared at Wigmore Hall and Carnegie Recital Hall; at the Marlboro, Ravinia, Aldeburgh, Bravo! Vail, and Ojai music festivals. www.amyjyang.com

About THE SUNDAY LOVE PROJECT

The mission of The Sunday Love Project is to share food among those experiencing food insecurity in their local community, while simultaneously building community. After seven years of primarily serving those experiencing homelessness (serving 2,000 meals weekly), it has now opened Greater Goods, a grocery store in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood offering free groceries to 2,600 families monthly - those who otherwise may go hungry. The Sunday Love Project’s founder and Executive Director, Margaux Murphy, had the honor of being awarded the prestigious 2021 Philadelphia Award (often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Philadelphia”), highlighting her passion for helping others and making a lasting, profound impact on the community. Ms. Murphy sees the humanity and inherent dignity in every person, knowing that everyone wants to be seen. For more information, go to sundaylove.org.

About MUSIC FOR FOOD

Music for Food is a national, musician-led initiative for local hunger relief. Its concerts raise resources and awareness in the fight against hunger, empowering musicians to use their artistry to further social justice. Music for Food believes both music and food are essential to human life and growth. Music has the power to call forth the best in humanity, inspiring awareness and action when artists and audiences work together to transform the ineffable into tangible and needed food resources. In 2010, inspired by Carol Rodland’s Rochester-based “If Music be the Food...” food drive concerts, violist Kim Kashkashian launched Music for Food with a group of Boston-based musicians and guest artists. It has grown to include 22 chapters with additional collaborative concerts across the nation, and a growing international presence featuring performances by over 350 distinguished artists. To date, Music for Food has supported over 2 million meals for nearly 100 hunger-relief organizations through donations made at concerts. For more information about Music for Food, nationally, go to www.musicforfood.net.

About The College of Physicians of Philadelphia

The College of Physicians of Philadelphia was founded in 1787 by a group of physicians including Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of our nation’s Declaration of Independence. The College is a not-for-profit educational and cultural institution, with the mission of advancing the cause of health while upholding the ideals and heritage of medicine.