January 12, 2013. 7:00 p.m.
The National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) will honor director and choreographer Debbie Allen, violinist Joshua Bell and actor and alumnus Adrian Grenier at An Affair of the Arts Performance and Gala on Saturday, January 12, 2013, held in Downtown Miami at the Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts and the Historic Alfred I. DuPont Building. The evening will bring together prominent artists, community leaders, philanthropists and celebrities to applaud the participants in the 2013 edition of YoungArts’ signature program, YoungArts Week, which provides 150 of the nation’s most outstanding young talents in the visual, literary and performing arts with life-changing experiences, including master classes, workshops, inter-disciplinary activities, performances and exhibitions.
“An Affair of the Arts celebrates the accomplishments of our amazing alumni such as Adrian Grenier, and honors individuals including Debbie Allen and Joshua Bell who are making meaningful contributions to the arts,” stated Paul T. Lehr, Executive Director of the National YoungArts Foundation. “The work of these great arts leaders shows our next generation, here for YoungArts Week, that they, too, can become a part of the continuing artistic tradition in American society.”
Heading this year’s event are Honorary Gala Chairs Plácido Domingo and Mikhail Baryshnikov, with Marile and Jorge Luis Lopez. Once again, SunTrust is the event’s presenting sponsor with additional support provided by MIAMI Magazine.
Debbie Allen continues to be one of the most respected, relevant, and versatile talents in the entertainment industry and is an internationally recognized director, choreographer and author. As a Culture Connect Ambassador, Ms. Allen represented the United States in visits to Brazil, China, Italy, and India expanding the opportunities in arts education for young people all over the world. She is a member of the prestigious President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, a board member of the American Film Institute, and an Executive Committee member of UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television. Debbie Allen has received three Emmy Awards honoring her choreography, and two Emmys and one Golden Globe for her role as “Lydia Grant” in the hit series, “Fame.” She then forayed from acting to directing-first with the series “Fame,” followed by “Family Ties” and “Bronx Zoo,” before taking the reins at NBC’s “A Different World” as director and producer in 1988. Ms. Allen has choreographed for artists such as Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, and Janet Jackson, and also holds the distinction of having choreographed the Academy Awards ten times. To date, Ms. Allen directed the second highest rated original movie in Lifetime Channel history, Life is Not A Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story.
Often referred to as the “poet of the violin,” Joshua Bell is one of the world’s most celebrated violinists, who brings a new generation of audiences to classical concert halls, and new music to classical audiences. Among numerous awards and honors, he is an Avery Fisher Prize recipient and Musical America’s 2012 Instrumentalist of the Year. Recently appointed Music Director of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, he is the first person to hold this title since Sir Neville Marriner formed the orchestra in 1958. An exclusive Sony Classical artist, Mr. Bell has recorded more than 40 CDs garnering Mercury, Grammy, Gramophone and Echo Klassik awards. Recent releases include French Impressions with pianist Jeremy Denk, the eclectic At Home with Friends, the Defiance soundtrack, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, and Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with the Berlin Philharmonic. His discography encompasses critically acclaimed performances of most of the major violin repertoire, in addition to John Corigliano’s Oscar-winning soundtrack, The Red Violin.
Adrian Grenier is a 1994 YoungArts alumnus in theater. Graduating from New York’s high school for the arts, LaGuardia Arts, Mr. Grenier began acting in 1997 making his film debut in the independent film, “The Adventures of Sebastian Cole.” From there, he went on to work with esteemed directors such as Steven Spielberg and Woody Allen until landing the role of Vincent Chase in the HBO series “Entourage.” As a director Mr. Grenier has led the creation of ”Shot in the Dark,” his first feature film chronicling his journey to reconnect with his estranged father; ”Alter-Eco” a sustainable lifestyle television series; ”Don’t Quit Your Daydream,” the story of two life-long musicians who are in a band together called The Good Listeners; and soon to be released ”How to Make Money Selling Drugs,” a tongue-in-cheek look at what is considered to be one of the worst domestic policy failures in recent American history. In 2010 Mr. Grenier’ s production company, Reckless Productions, completed “Teenage Paparazzo” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and is currently touring universities and town halls throughout North America. Mr. Grenier recently launched the Teenage Paparazzo Empowerment Tour, hoping to reach more than 80 high schools in the US. In addition to acting, Mr. Grenier is a member of The Honey Brothers, a Brooklyn-based band, and in 2012, he started Wreckroom Records a gathering place for bands, friends and fellow musicians to write, record and play music.
An Affair of the Arts Performance and Gala will kick off with an interdisciplinary performance by YoungArts alumni from around the nation in the Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts. Following the performance and awards ceremony, guests will walk across the street to the Historic Alfred I. DuPont Hotel that will be transformed into a classic supper club where music by YoungArts alumni will set the stage for a relaxing dinner and conversation. Dinner will be followed by dancing in the street, to the music of DJ Irie.
Affairs for the Arts honorees have included Robert Redford (Arison Award), Doug Aitken (Alumni Award), and Robert L. Lynch (YoungArts Leadership Award) in 2012 and Bill T. Jones (Arison Award), Kerry Washington (Alumni Award), and Michael M. Kaiser (YoungArts Leadership Award) in 2011.
YoungArts Foundation’s An Affair of the Arts
Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center
174 East Flagler Street
Miami, FL 33131
305.377.1140
www.youngarts.org
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