ABOUT MUSIC FOR LIFE

Music for Life NYC is a non-profit organization dedicated to humanitarian relief and cultural outreach through the musical arts. Music for Life NYC believes in the strength of philanthropic organizations joining forces and, therefore, collaborates with other established charities to effectively raise awareness and charitable contributions for their respective missions through music.

New York Women’s Ensemble is the musical arm of Music for Life NYC and is comprised of a community of extraordinary female virtuoso soloists and orchestral members who want to utilize their musical talents for philanthropic causes.

The initial programs to execute Music for Life NYC's mission are via charitable benefit concerts.

A percentage of the net profits from these performances will be donated to a specific charity or charities that have clearly demonstrated a devotion to helping under-served individuals and communities.

Music for Life NYC is embracing Children of the Night for its first benefit collaboration. Since 1979, Children of the Night has been rescuing hundreds of children each year from the ravages of child prostitution. Music for Life NYC is proud to support Children of the Night's honorable mission. Please visit www.childrenofthenight.org for more information about Children of the Night's life-saving work.

Our debut fund raising concert will be held on November 29, 2011, at Carnegie Hall's Stern/Perelman auditorium. The performance will be an all Mozart program and will feature GRAMMY ® Award winning soprano, Ana Maria Martinez, and GRAMMY ® Award winning pianist, Sonia Rubinsky. Tickets.

Music for Life NYC gratefully recognizes the generous support from The Tom James Gallery (www.TomJamesGallery.com) in donating 30% of its proceeds from the sale of all artwork purchased and earmarked for Music for Life NYC to Music for Life NYC.

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Carnegie Hall photo: Jeff Goldberg / Esto

MUSICAL DIRECTOR & FOUNDER

Virginia Luque: World-renowned guitar virtuoso Virginia Luque has turned her talents toward humanitarian relief as founder of Music for Life NYC and Director of The New York Women's Ensemble, a non- profit organization dedicated to humanitarian relief and cultural outreach through the musical arts. A native of Algeciras (Cadiz), Spain, Ms. Luque began studying privately at the age of 11 with musical legend, guitarist Andres Segovia. Since then, she has performed in major concert halls around the world, thrilling audiences with her unparalleled performances of exquisite musicianship and beauty.

Ms. Luque recently recorded Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez with the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios. As a conductor, Ms. Luque has recorded both the Mozart Concerto in C major K.467 with GRAMMY® award winning pianist Sonia Rubinsky, and the Mozart Symphony in G minor K.550 with the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra. Ms. Luque's other pursuits have garnered her a First Prize in the International Competition of Poetry based in Puerto Rico. She also received her Professional Chef Degree from The French Culinary Institute of New York. Ms. Luque received a Master of Music degree in Spain and, at Segovia's suggestion, came to America where she also received a Master of Music Degree from The Juilliard School.

Ana Maria Martinez, soprano

GRAMMY® Award Winner Ana María Martínez's dramatic range distinguishes her as one of today's most sophisticated lyric sopranos. Her career spans the world's opera houses, concert halls, recording studios and movie theatres, and she continues to engage her audiences both with her signature roles and with new and exciting debuts on stage. Released to critical acclaim is her recorded solo effort, simply titled Ana María Martínez - Soprano Songs and Arias, recorded with the Prague Philharmonia conducted by Steven Mercurio on Naxos. Ms. Martinez began the 2009 - 2010 season on tour with Placido Domingo for concerts in Cartagena and Lima, Peru. She then returned to the stages of Lyric Opera of Chicago following her 2008 debut as Nedda in I Pagliacci, this time as Marguerite in Faust, which marked her debut in the role.

Sonia Rubinsky, pianist

Sonia Rubinsky exemplifies the great tradition of virtuoso pianists: a profound and serious musical commitment combined with an exciting and refined technical gift. Her ongoing drive to learn new repertoire has resulted in an active body of works that includes numerous concertos and countless solo works encompassing all periods. Ms. Rubinsky is the winner of the 2009 Latin GRAMMY® Award for Best Recording of the Year for the 8th Villa-Lobos CD from the series: Complete Piano Works by Heitor VillaLobos (8CDs), Naxos. She has also recorded Mozart, Scarlatti, Debussy and Messiaen. Ms. Rubinsky is the 2006 and 2009 recipient of the Carlos Gomes Award. She holds a Doctor of Arts Degree from The Juilliard School, and is Artist-in-Residence at the Aldwell Center in Jerusalem, Israel.