For decades the Academy of Music Anniversary Concert and Ball has been among Philadelphia’s most highly anticipated charity events of the year in support of one of the region’s most important cultural landmarks.
On Saturday, January 26, 2019, supporters of the Academy of Music will come together for a concert featuring Academy Award-winning actor Dame Helen Mirren and The Philadelphia Orchestra led by Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Mirren, a multi-faceted performer of stage and screen, whose father played viola with the London Philharmonic, will help to celebrate the legacy of the Academy of Music, the Orchestra’s original home. Immediately following the concert, guests will enjoy an evening of spirited music, dinner, and dancing.
“The Academy of Music is a beacon of historic Philadelphia, and The Philadelphia Orchestra’s annual visit is a treasured moment,” said Philadelphia Orchestra Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. “I am thrilled to be returning next month with Helen Mirren, one of the greatest actors of our time and an artist I very much admire, for an evening of words and music to remember.”
Reflecting the Academy’s rich history as the crown jewel of Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts, the theme for the 162nd Anniversary Concert and Ball is Cornerstone of Culture. The annual fundraiser benefits the Academy of Music Restoration Fund and The Philadelphia Orchestra.
“The Anniversary Concert and Ball is a special evening; however, the important work of the Restoration Fund goes on all year long,” said Caroline B. Rogers, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Academy of Music. “This iconic event is a critical source of the funds we need to invest in ensuring that the character and integrity of one of the city’s truly venerable buildings will last for generations to come.”
“The Academy of Music is a treasured landmark that is vital to the arts in Philadelphia,” said Matías Tarnopolsky, president and CEO of The Philadelphia Orchestra. “We extend our deepest gratitude to the supporters of the 2019 Anniversary Concert and Ball, co-chairs Sarah Marshall and Jack Ginter, and the Academy’s devoted Board of Trustees, without whom the important restoration work of this spectacular building would not be possible.”
The white-tie celebration will begin at 5:00 PM with the Chairman’s Pre-Concert Reception at the Academy of Music. The evening will continue with the concert in the Academy auditorium at 7:00 PM, for which the musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra have graciously donated their services.
The post-concert celebrations will begin with the traditional promenade up the Avenue of the Arts from the Academy to the Bellevue Hotel. Dinner and Ball attendees will fill the reception rooms, from the stylish State Drawing Room to the sophisticated Grand Ballroom to the rooftop grandeur of XIX. Six of the region’s most prominent dance orchestras and bands will perform music ranging from the classic American songbook to popular dance hits.
Concert and Ball tickets are available at www.TheAcademyBall.org or by calling the Academy of Music Restoration Fund Office at 215.893.1978. Concert-only tickets, priced at $75.00, can be purchased at www.TheAcademyBall.org or by calling 215.893.1999.
