Pictured (L-R): Claudia Amboss and honoree Kathleen Suss. 

By Marilou Yacoub, Program Coordinator, Concordia Conservatory

Feb. 9, 2022: Concordia Conservatory’s annual gala benefit concert on Saturday night, February 5 celebrated Executive Director Kathleen Suss for her 25 years of leadership. “SILVER” was held as a broadcast live concert with a studio audience from Sommer Center for the Performing Arts. Mayors Mary Marvin of Bronxville, and Omayra Andino of Tuckahoe, Trustee Cara Kronen of Tuckahoe, Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, and Senator Shelley Mayer were in attendance and presented their congratulations to Suss during the live broadcast concert and Eastchester Town Supervisor Anthony Colovita sent a proclamation for the event.

Broadway great Norm Lewis made a return visit to the Hoch Series and performed songs from his starring roles from Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserable as well as a tribute to Stephen Sondheim’s passing this year. Audiences were also treated to the world premiere of “Bedrock, Gently Tilting,” a new chamber work by Matt Van Brink commissioned to honor Kathleen on this 25th anniversary as well as performances of Ravel and Schubert and Martinu by Emerson Quartet violist and Hoch Chamber Music Series Artistic Director Lawrence Dutton and Emerson String Quartet violinist Philip Setzer, with violinist Emily Kalish, cellist Chungsun Kim, pianist Jon Klibonoff, guitarist Rami Vamos, flautist Clare Hoffman, and bassoonist Keith Kreindler. The event will be hosted by George Lekovic and Katie Suss and benefit chairs Claudia Amboss and Zlata Gleason.

Kathleen’s stewardship and commitment to community building have elevated the Conservatory into a preeminent center for music education and the arts in Westchester and Fairfield Counties. Top-notch pedagogy, several beloved concert series, art and music therapy, summer camps, community outreach programs and more have touched countless people of all ages over the last 25 years. In addition to overseeing the Conservatory’s steady growth in prestige, enrollment and programming, Kathleen’s major recent accomplishments include establishing a second campus in Stamford, CT and in 2021, successfully transitioning the Conservatory to independence upon the closure of Concordia College New York.  

“SILVER” event raised $250,000 towards to support scholarships and outreach, music and art therapy programs, concert series, the community holiday musical, and the Conservatory’s endowment, general fund and Stamford campus.

The 2022 Conservatory Benefit Committee included Claudia Amboss, Anne Angevine, Margie Ball, Kate Bonnem, Julia Bornmann, Anne Louise Bostock, Nooshin Brinster, Claire Carley, Beth Caruso, Romy Coquillette, Anne Cox, Julie Daher, Marcy Damasco, Liz Dutton, Brigid Galerik, Lauren Ghaffari, Dina Grant, Zlata Gleason, Hillary Grogan, Stella Guarnari, Molly Hendrick, Kim Jodka, Karen Knapp, Mary Landy, Melinda Magnani, Sandra Marr, Mary Marvin, Maureen McAllister, Cathy Michaelson, Simoni Morato, Sara Murphy, Gretchen Pingel, Ellen Politi, Sally Quale, Renee Redmond, Karin Reetz, Michele Rohr, Diane Romo, Mary Rosser, Sandra Schubert, Erika Schultz, Laurie Slaughter, Sharon Shearon, Judy Unis, and Tania Weiss.

The Benefit Junior Committee of Conservatory high school students included Natalie Beit, Elizabeth Burnell, Simon Grogan, Aaliyah Hartenstein, Aidan Hartenstein, Leah Jones, Ingrid Krawiec-White, Aidan McIntosh, Tara McIntosh, Bernadette McNamara, James Murphy, Danilo Nieto, Jeffrey Rohr, Rihanna Samson, Ethan Sanna, Keala Schubert, Katarina Seuffert, Emily Swenson, Luke Szczepanski, Ashton Turner, Ben Wien, Liberty Wilson, and Peyton Zaletsky. 

Here is a gallery of photos from this wonderful event!

Photos courtesy Concordia Conservatory