VoiceGivers Choir In the News
There's No One Quite Like Them: Singers Use Their Time and Talent To Make A Difference
Journalist Anne Linaberger attended the VoiceGivers February 29 performance benefiting Holy Family Institute. Read her coverage in this article and be sure to watch the accompanying video!
Artistic Director Joseph Stuligross on WQED’s Voice of the Arts
https://www.wqed.org/fm/podcasts/voice-arts/joseph-stuligross-voicegivers
Anna Singer spoke with Joseph Stuligross about the second VoiceGivers concert taking place on leap day at the Holy Family Institute in Emsworth. The concert focuses on the theme of children who have been separated from their parents.
North Boros Beat Podcast Interviews VoiceGivers Managing Director Deb Sadowski
This episode features Deb Sadowski, co-founder of the VoiceGivers Choir, who discusses their concert at Holy Family Institute chapel Saturday, February 29. Proceeds will benefit Holy Family’s work with vulnerable children.
Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council | ARTSBURGH.ORG
VoiceGivers Concert: Help and Hope for Vulnerable Children
https://www.artsburgh.org/event/voicegivers-concert-help-and-hope-for-vulnerable-children/
On Sat., Feb. 29, 2020 at 7 p.m., Holy Family Institute will host a live choir concert in its chapel, produced and performed by VoiceGivers Choir, an organization founded in 2019 that aims to raise awareness of social issues in the Pittsburgh region through music.
Artistic Director Joe Stuligross chose music that reflects upon the needs and experiences of children who have been separated from their families. “We present music that evokes the horrific trauma of separation while highlighting the important work of Holy Family in finding reconciliation.” The choir employs singers who also perform with other prominent local singing groups including Pittsburgh Opera, Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, Bach Choir of Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh Camerata.
The program will include music specifically written by and about children who have been separated from their families, including “Dancing in Buses,” describing a harrowing journey by unaccompanied minors traveling from El Salvador to the United States, and “Away and in Danger,” describing the fears and realities of childhood separation and the importance of community support in bringing reconciliation. The composers of these two pieces, Melissa Dunphy and Shawn Kirchner, are donating their scores for these performances.
“We are proud to host VoiceGivers as it puts on its first-ever season,” says Holy Family Institute’s CEO, Sister Linda Yankoski. “Holy Family Institute’s mission is to restore hope and transform lives in our community and we believe that the arts have an important place in that healing process.”
This event is free. Suggested donation: $20 at the door. All donations to benefit the social service programs of Holy Family Institute.
Parking for guests attending the 5:30 mass: Please park on the Holy Family Institute campus or on adjacent streets
Parking for guests attending the 7:00 performance: Park between 6:30 and 6:45pm at Sacred Heart Church, 154 Orchard Avenue, lower parking lot only (directly adjacent to Ohio River Blvd.). Vans will shuttle guests between the parking lot and Holy Family Chapel. Neighborhood street parking is also available. Please cross Ohio River Blvd at the light at Allegheny Ave.
Information: 412/353-9363 or voicegiverschoir@gmail.com
Sewickley Herald Article | Feb. 10, 2020
VoiceGivers Choir performance
https://sewickley.triblive.com/choir-concert-networking-meeting-and-more-in-and-around-sewickley/
Holy Family Institute will host a live choir concert in its Emsworth chapel at 7 p.m. Feb. 29. The concert will be produced and performed by VoiceGivers Choir, an organization founded in 2019 that aims to raise awareness of social issues in the Pittsburgh region through music.
Artistic Director Joe Stuligross chose music that reflects upon the needs and experiences of children who have been separated from their families. “We present music that evokes the horrific trauma of separation while highlighting the important work of Holy Family in finding reconciliation,” Stuligross said.
“Holy Family Institute’s mission is to restore hope and transform lives in our community and we believe that the arts have an important place in that healing process,” Holy Family Institute’s CEO Sister Linda Yankoski said in a release.
A full Catholic mass will precede the concert at 5:30 p.m. in the chapel, free for any members of the community who would like to attend.
More information at https://VoiceGiversChoir.org/events
Joe Stuligross is co-founder of VoiceGivers, a group that combines music and charitable giving. The first concert is at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church on Oct. 13, 2019.
triblive article | october 2, 2019 | Tawnya Panizzi
“VoiceGivers performing inaugural concert at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church”
Mix a professional singer and a nonprofit executive and there can only really be one result – giving back to the community through the joy of music.
VoiceGivers, a chamber choir formed specifically to raise awareness of local social and economic issues, will premiere at 4 p.m. Oct. 13 at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church. Proceeds of the first concert will benefit the Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition, a Fox Chapel-based group that nurtures families dealing with life-limiting illnesses. The concert is free but donations are accepted.
Behind the notes are Joe Stuligross, director of the University Singers at Duquesne University, and Deb Sadowski, Executive in Residence for The Forbes Funds. “The goal of VoiceGivers is to inspire people to understand a highlighted need through music and to be energized to find a way to help make a difference,” Sadowski said.
Launched this fall, the innovative performances will benefit local charities. The yearlong theme will focus on “Help and Hope for Vulnerable Children.” Each concert will include a full choral program as well as vignettes spotlighting the mission and programs of groups like Holy Family Institute and Wilkinsburg Community Ministry. “One neat thing is that this is an entirely new kind of fundraising concept. The musical programs are integrated with the mission of each non-profit,” Sadowski said.
Stuligross said the excitement of the music will follow an emotional arc interspersed with talk about the issues and work that each nonprofit does to address them. “We help tell the story of a particular social problem through music,” he said. The approach is aimed at engaging audiences more deeply with the mission, he said. And, it makes his job, as well as the performances, exciting and relevant, he said. A veteran performer, Stuligross has sung with The Mendelssohn Choir and Pittsburgh Camerata, and currently directs the Waverly Presbyterian Church Choir. He said VoiceGivers was spurred by a desire to use his abilities, and Sadowski’s, to make beautiful music and help make the world a better place.
Sadowski devised the idea of integrating powerful music into a presentation in hopes of connecting and inspiring people. “The VoiceGivers name describes both the giving nature of any artistic enterprise as well as the way that we encourage audiences to come to performances in a spirit of giving and community,” Stuligross said.
It appears their efforts are successful even before the first concert. The group was notified this week that it won the Awesome Pittsburgh September grant of $1,000. Awesome Pittsburgh gives money to people with good ideas. Money is meant to help flesh out the ideas and make Pittsburgh stand out as a better place to live, work and play.
For more information, see VoiceGiversChoir.org.
PRESS RELEASE | September 25, 2019
The Awesome Foundation Grants Award to VoiceGivers Choir
Online Announcement: https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/projects/127796-voicegivers-choir
The Awesome Foundation is a global community that supports awesome projects through micro-grants, given out monthly by local chapters. Awesome Pittsburgh (https://awesomepgh.com/) chose VoiceGivers Choir as its September 2019 awardee.
VoiceGivers Choir co-founders Joe Stuligross and Deb Sadowski will be joining Awesome Pittsburgh at their October meeting to acknowledge the recognition and describe the innovative (and now officially awesome!) VoiceGivers project. The meeting will be held at Kingfly Spirits in the Strip District from 6 to 8pm.
CONTACT VOICEGIVERS
EMAIL: VoiceGiversChoir@gmail.com
PHONE: 412-353-9363
WEB: VoiceGiversChoir.org
CONTACT AWESOME PITTSBURGH
EMAIL: AwesomePgh@gmail.com
WEB: AwesomePgh.com
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PRESS RELEASE | September 7, 2019
Innovative Pittsburgh Choir Shows How Music Makes the Difference
VoiceGivers is an exciting new chamber choir formed to raise awareness of significant social and economic issues affecting our community.
Launching in fall 2019, this professional group’s performances are benefits for area nonprofit organizations. Each concert will include both a full choral program and vignettes spotlighting the featured issue and the nonprofit organization’s mission and programs. Proceeds from the performances are donated to the nonprofit.
The goal of VoiceGivers is to inspire those who attend performances to understand the highlighted need through music and to be energized to find a way to help make a difference.
The first season’s theme is “Help and Hope for Vulnerable Children.” Performances will benefit the Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition (fall - see below), Holy Family Institute (winter), and Wilkinsburg Community Ministry (spring).
VoiceGivers is co-founded by Joe Stuligross (Artistic Director) and Deb Sadowski (Managing Director). Joe has sung in many Pittsburgh ensembles including The Mendelssohn Choir, Bach Choir, and Pittsburgh Camerata; he currently directs the University Singers at Duquesne University and the Waverly Presbyterian Church Choir. Deb serves the nonprofit community as Executive In Residence for The Forbes Funds and is a volunteer and board member for many area nonprofit organizations.
INAUGURAL VOICEGIVERS CHAMBER CHOIR PERFORMANCE - BENEFIT FOR PEDIATRIC PALLIATIVE CARE COALITION
DATE: Sunday, October 13, 2019
TIME: 4:00 pm
NONPROFIT: Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition (ppcc-pa.org)
LOCATION: Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church, 384 Fox Chapel Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15238 (fcpc.us)
INFO: VoiceGiversChoir.org/events
DONATE: Support PPCC by donating at ppcc-pa.org/donate/ or at the benefit concert
CONTACT VOICEGIVERS
EMAIL: VoiceGiversChoir@gmail.com
PHONE: 412-353-9363
WEB: VoiceGiversChoir.org
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