Anonymous Donor Pledges $10,000 Match for Catskills High Peaks Music Festival
Carey Institute raising funds to sustain cultural opportunities in rural Hilltowns
Rensselaerville, N.Y.— The Carey Institute for Global Good announced today that it received a pledge from an anonymous donor to match up to $10,000 in donations raised for the High Peaks Music Festival. The challenge takes place between now and Sunday, August 13. All donations received, including Pay What You Wish contributions to reserve seats for festival events, are eligible for the matching challenge.
“We are extremely grateful for this very generous commitment,” said Gareth Crawford, President & CEO of the Carey Institute. “This is a strong demonstration of how one local citizen can enrich the lives of a whole community.”
In its third year at the Carey Institute, the Catskills High Peaks Music Festival gathers 50 of the most promising emerging classical musicians from around the world for a ten-day residency to hone their skills under the instruction of internationally renowned cellist Yehuda Hanani. Hanani brings together an all-star cast of classical music masters including pianists Michael Chertock and Mikael Darmaine, violinists Peter Zazofsky, Irina Muresanu and Adrienne Post, violist Michael Strauss and cellist Paul Dwyer.
This year, young classical musicians are coming from countries around the world including Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, France, Belguim, Norway, Brazil and the United States. These musicians have a strong desire to give back to the community that hosts them and do so by providing nightly performances for the public free of charge.
To inspire the next generation of aspiring musicians, the festival participants are also paired with younger students from musically underserved schools in the Capital District for one-on-one lessons in violin, cello and piano. This “Buddy Day” includes storytelling sessions, musically themed outdoor games and a co-performance with the local students and musicians.
In a time when investment in education is falling and rural isolation is becoming more pronounced, the Catskills High Peaks Music Festival is an important bridge that strengthens our communities.
“Our founder Bill Carey loved the Hilltowns, and made it a personal mission to invest in the enhancement of the community and creation of opportunities for its young people. The High Peaks Festival brings world class musicians to our back yard in a way that no other program does,” said Carol Ash, chair of the Carey Institute’s board of trustees. “We hope all Hilltowners will take advantage of this opportunity, bring their families, and make a contribution—however small or large—to help sustain this unique experience for the future.”
Tax-deductible contributions can be made by mailing a check to the Carey Institute for Global Good, Attn: High Peaks, 63 Huyck Road, Rensselaerville, NY 12147. Additionally, Pay What You Wish performance reservations and credit or debit donations may be made online.
The Carey Institute for Global Good is a not-for-profit organization founded in 2012 by Wm. Polk Carey and is dedicated to making the world better by contributing to a strong, educated and just society. Through its programs, the Institute strives to bring together innovative and dynamic people from around the world to address the most pressing issues of the day.
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