Denyce Graves Foundation’s Harvest Moon Gala Honoring Misty Copeland, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, & Ann Ziff

The Denyce Graves Foundation hosted its annual Harvest Moon Gala, honoring Misty Copeland, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and Ann Ziff. Chaired by Barbara Tober and Ann Gottlieb, the black-tie evening at Guastavino’s was emceed by Emmy Award-winning “20/20” co-anchor Deborah Roberts and featured a surprise performance by Paul Simon.

DGF founder, mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, said, “At DGF, our work is about opening doors, discovering extraordinary artists, nurturing their gifts, and preserving the stories that belong to all of us, and making sure that the richness of the American musical experience is fully seen and remembered because voice does more than make music. A voice carries history. It carries possibility. And when we make room for more voices, we change the sound of the future.”

The Foundation supports emerging singers, bringing stories of underrepresented musicians into the historical record. Misty Copeland received the inaugural Mary Cardwell Dawson Humanitarian Award, named for the pioneering Black opera impresario who founded the National Negro Opera Company. “I kept thinking about what discovering someone who could have helped you feel less alone along the way, would feel like,” said Copeland, “For me, that person was Raven Wilkinson, the first Black woman to dance with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Denyce finding Mary, me finding Raven brought us to a similar place, wanting the next generation to know these women sooner than we did and to understand that they are part of history, too.”

Award-winning Broadway director Kenny Leon presented Copeland with her award, saying, “Misty didn’t walk through the door and simply celebrate being first. She turned around and held that door open and began asking, ‘Who else needs to come through?’” ABT principal Calvin Royal III added, “She didn’t simply help more people see themselves in ballet. She helped ballet see us more fully, our artistry, our individuality, our humanity. Misty understood that visibility carries responsibility. Her achievements became advocacy. She used her extraordinary reach to make the path wider.”

Yannick Nézet-Séguin, recipient of the Game Changer Award, said, “Music for me is about expressing love. It’s about expressing what we have in common, not what we have that appears to be different. I have the honor of conducting, bringing whatever I can so that everybody feels heard, welcome, and understood. This award goes to these institutions and musicians believing together, that the voices of Margaret Bonds, Marian Anderson, and Florence Price can resonate alongside the composers of today. I feel like I’m only at the beginning of what I want to change in that game.”

Ann Ziff, recipient of the Living Legend Award, said, “I’ve been very lucky in my life to be fortunate enough to be able to help people who are not as fortunate as I have been and to help organizations that I love and cherish, none more than my beloved Metropolitan Opera. It means so much to me to be honored by Denyce Graves and her foundation. She, who is a pillar of the operatic community and has helped so many singers, supported them, and furthered their careers. It means the world to be honored by this organization. I accept this honor with great pride, not to celebrate my accomplishments, but to promise that I will continue to strive and support the organizations and causes that I love.”

Peter Gelb, general manager of The Metropolitan Opera, paid tribute to Ziff, saying, “There is no one I know with a more nurturing and loving attitude towards singers than Ann. From her warm and intimate cast parties on her magnificent terrace on Fifth Avenue to her thoughtful production-themed wrapped chocolate bars, Ann is the soothing matriarch of The Met. In the sometimes rough-and-tumble world of grand opera, some might say that Ann is the antidote to me. I wouldn’t disagree.”

“Art is not something to be set aside at a time like this,” said author Marianne Williamson, “When the old way says we need more bombs, let us say no, we need more ballet. When the old ways say we need more brute force, let us say no, we need more music. When the old ways say we need to keep doing it the way we have, let us say no, we will do things that are eternally true.”

The evening’s musical program included performances from Susan Graham, John Holiday, and Joshua Bell, alongside young artists in Foundation’s programs. The evening concluded with Leonard Bernstein’s Make Our Garden Grow with Brandon Jovanovich and members of DGF joining the performers on stage for the finale. Guests received gift bags containing commemorative gifts, including two custom nail polishes, titled “Rose in Cavalier” and “Rhapsody in Lilac” created in honor of Nézet-Séguin, as well as a perfume for Misty, and a succulent for Ann.

The Denyce Graves Foundation is a nonprofit organization at the intersection of social justice, American history, and the arts. Founded by opera singer Denyce Graves-Montgomery, DGF brings the stories of overlooked musical figures to light, supports emerging artists, preserves and reimagines overlooked histories, and creates opportunities for the next generation of artists. Through partnerships with cultural institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, conservatories, and schools of music, DGF works to expand who is heard, whose stories are remembered, and whose voices shape the cultural landscape. For more information, visit thedenycegravesfoundation.org