By Contributor,Natasha Gural,Patrick McMullan

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SEPTEMBER 9: Laura Ward, Inayah Raheem, Hannah Jones, Denyce Graves, Lauren Torey and Symone Harcum attend Kick-Off Celebration for the Upcoming Denyce Graves Foundation Harvest Moon Gala at New York on September 9, 2025. (Photo by Patrick McMullan/PMC/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Laura Ward;Inayah Raheem;Hannah Jones;Denyce Graves;Lauren Torey;Symone Harcum
Patrick McMullan/PMC/PMC

Powerful, elegant, expressive, pure tone soprano Symone Harcum brought the audience to tears when she sang Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges’ L’amant anonyme (The Anonymous Lover) at an intimate cocktail party last week hosted by the Denyce Graves Foundation Harvest Moon Gala’s honorary chairs Barbara Tober and Suzi Cordish, and gala chair Ann Gottlieb.

“Chevalier was a Black composer, a contemporary of Mozart. And I’ve had the pleasure of performing the opera twice, now with Minnesota and Philadelphia operas, and (I will perform it) again next year,” Harcum said ahead of her deeply emotional performance at The Cosmopolitan Club in New York.

Saint-Georges (1745-1799) was a violinist, conductor, composer, soldier, fencer, athlete, and dancer, born in the French colony of Guadeloupe to a white plantation owner father and a mother who was one of the Creole people his father enslaved. L’amant anonyme, a comic opera in two acts that tells the story of a young widow named Léontine who receives anonymous love letters unaware they are from her close friend Valcour, is the only full opera by Saint-Georges to survive.

Inayah Raheem, Hannah Jones, Lauren Torey, all singers in the Denyce Graves Foundation ((DGF) program, also performed to celebrate the Oct. 6 gala at Gustavino’s honoring world-renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, Indian-American businesswoman, philanthropist, and Grammy-winning musical artist Chandrika Tandon, distinguished American soprano, music scholar, and professor Dr. Louise Toppin, and internationally renowned American director of opera and theater Francesca Zambello. Bocelli will perform at the gala.

“I love performing but teaching changed my life. When I started this Foundation, it was a dream I didn’t know that I had,” said Graves. “Now we’ve the great joy of introducing these young people to you. I’m incredibly proud of the way that they support each other. I know that there’s a rumor how, on stage, we’re out to kill. Let me tell you, there’s love and a lot of support.”

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SEPTEMBER 9: Ann Gottlieb, Denyce Graves, Barbara Tober and Suzi Cordish attend Kick-Off Celebration for the Upcoming Denyce Graves Foundation Harvest Moon Gala at New York on September 9, 2025. (Photo by Patrick McMullan/PMC/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Ann Gottlieb;Denyce Graves;Barbara Tober;Suzi Cordish
Patrick McMullan/PMC/PMC

Reimagining a continuum of the art spanning more than four centuries, DGF honors overlooked musical voices and empowers the next generation of world-class artists. Black singers have historically been excluded from the opera industry through varying degrees of racism, ranging from outright bans and systemic discrimination to restricted opportunities.

As a nonprofit organization embracing the intersection of social justice, U.S. history, and the arts, DGF strives to evolve the public’s understanding of the multifaceted, multicultural history of classical music by introducing and amplifying the stories of hidden musical figures. This mission is built on collaboration and alliance with respected chroniclers, presenters, and educators in history and culture, including The Smithsonian Institution, The Metropolitan Opera, Library of Congress, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Lincoln Center, as well as with some of America’s elite Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), conservatories, and schools of music.

As witnessed at the gala kickoff, DGF celebrates trailblazing musicians, music educators, and composers of color and is committed to genuine representation in American vocal arts by providing the opportunities, access, and exposure that all singers need to take ownership of their talent and navigate their own rewarding careers.

“I am a proud graduate of HBCU Norfolk State University. I met Denise when I went to Peabody Conservatory, and I’ve been singing ever since and working with the Foundation since its beginning, and the work is so important to me,” said Harcum, who Graves says she has mentored since Harcum was “a little girl.”

Addressing the audience, including: Robert Ainsley, Yanna Avis, Eldric Bashful, Edgar Batista, Janna Bullock, Kym Canter, Machine Dazzle, Priti Gandhi, April Gow, Susan Gutfreund, Nejma Khanum Beard and daughter Sara Beard, Andrew Martin-Weber, Betsy McCaughey and Paul Batista, Bernadette Murray, Ann Nitze, Bill Palant, Jamie Saakvitne, Alexa Smith, Anthony Tommasini, as well as Foundation board member Clyde Jones, Tober described the accomplished soprano Graves as “so beautiful! Her voice and the voice of all of the young people in her Foundation’s program, they are the future, and they are announcing one by one, incredible talent.”

“Ten years ago, I was lucky to discover this organization,” added Cordish. “What they are doing is so important. The October 6th Gala is the first time the Denyce Graves Foundation had an event in New York City. It will be thrilling. Please join us.”

SEPTEMBER 9: Denyce Graves attends Kick-Off Celebration for the Upcoming Denyce Graves Foundation Harvest Moon Gala at New York on September 9, 2025. (Photo by Patrick McMullan/PMC/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Denyce Graves
Patrick McMullan/PMC/PMC

The gala will help to support Graves’ ambitious initiatives, including:

Hidden Voices commissioning new works of art, such as exhibits, song cycles, documentaries, books, and lectures that honor and illuminate artists whose contributions have been historically excluded, preserving cultural memory and expanding the global narrative.

USA Opera for Peace Academy, an elite, fully-funded program in Washington, DC, and New York City that nurtures the next generation of global Citizen Artists to serve as cultural ambassadors and leaders.

It was also help to fund community concerts, tuition and scholarship support, immersive training weekends, masterclasses and workshops, comprehensive artist development, career preparation tools, and financial literacy and wellness education.

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