It was 19 years ago this week on January 23rd, 2006, that our global humanitarian concerts began at Carnegie Hall with Beethoven's Ninth for South Asia and the seed that was to become Music for Life International was planted. That night our future Artistic Director and conductor George Mathew and a group of dedicated friends brought together several hundred distinguished musicians and other participants onstage and off, from some thirty major and minor international ensembles, music academies, and institutions including the New York Philharmonic, the MET Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the United Nations, Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières / MSF, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's, Manhattan School of Music, The Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music, the governments of seven countries, global media and philanthropic organizations. Inspired by Leonard Bernstein's maxim that "music can do real work in the world," and by his visionary 1987 MUSIC FOR LIFE humanitarian concert at Carnegie Hall to benefit survivors and victims of AIDS/HIV, Mr. Mathew and a group of dedicated supporters and friends created Music for Life International, a non-profit organization dedicated to the mission of creating public diplomacy and global social impact through music for the most vulnerable of our fellow human beings. In the almost two decades since that evening, MFLI has created projects from humanitarian concerts to music education efforts and grant making, to human rights and public diplomacy which have touched 15 countries around the world. For more information see www.music4lifeinternational.org (fb)

Remembering Leonard Bernstein on his 106th birthday with so much gratitude and affection. (fb)