Seton Hall University's School of Diplomacy and International Relations and College of Communication and the Arts are pleased to announce that Newark, New Jersey has been selected to premiere the second of three major classical music concerts dedicated to peace on Friday, October 27, 2017, at 8 p.m. at NJPAC's Prudential Hall.

For information about the Prayer for Peace Concert and to purchase tickets, visit www.shu.edu/P4P2017. 

"Prayer for Peace: The Power of One Voice" reunites members of the Seton Hall University Chorus and the greater Seton Hall University community with the MidAtlantic Opera Orchestra under the baton of noted conductor and Assistant Professor Jason Tramm. "The Power of One Voice" is the second of the Prayer for Peace classical concert cycles which debuted at Carnegie Hall in 2015. Inspired by Leonard Bernstein's artistic mandate, "This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before," the concert seeks to celebrate peace messengers worldwide. In keeping with this spirit, the concert will honor lifetime messenger of peace, Luna Kaufman, and raise funds for refugees.

"Prayer for Peace: The Power of One Voice" will feature the music of Peteris Vask's Dona Nobis Pacem, for choir and strings, and Moshe Knoll’s Psalm 133. Central to the concert will be a unique performance of A Survivor from Warsaw by Arnold Schönberg paired with Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Opus 125. Guest soloists will include soprano Allison Charney of NYC classical concert series "PREformances with Allison Charney," baritone Mark Delavan of the Metropolitan Opera, acclaimed violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins from Broadway's Fiddler on the Roof, and narration by veteran actor Jordan Charney, star of stage, screen and television.

"Through this musical experience, and the generosity of many supporters and concert-goers, we hope to shine a light on the important role of music in diplomacy," explains Andrea Bartoli, dean of the School of Diplomacy and International Relations. The School of Diplomacy, along with the College of Communication and the Arts, are co-sponsors of Prayer for Peace. "Our goal," Bartoli adds, "is to reflect on the contribution that the arts have made to peace in conflict situations, and to raise funding for scholarships that will enable young men and women affected by conflict to attend Seton Hall." Proceeds from the concert will fund a scholarship to aid refugee students to pursue a degree from Seton Hall.

Honoring a Messenger of Peace

Luna Kaufman is a Holocaust survivor, educator, activist, author and lecturer. A trustee and chairperson emerita of the Sister Rose Thering Fund for Jewish-Christian Studies, Kaufman is the recipient of an honorary doctorate from the University in 2009 as well as the Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit, given to her by the president of Poland in 2011.

"The power of one voice to make a change is a powerful force in art and international affairs," says Deirdre Yates, dean of the College of Communication and the Arts. "The musical works will highlight the need for all of us to actively pursue peace and mutual understanding."