The September Concert

The September Concert is a charity which organises free public concerts on the anniversaries of 9/11. It was founded by Haruko Smith, following the events of that day in 2001.^[1]

The September Concert
Genre	Varied
Dates	September of each year
Location(s)	New York and many other cities
Years active	2002 - ongoing
Founded by	Haruko Smith

History

 

National Dance Institute at Rockefeller Plaza, 9/11/2010

Following the events of September 11th 2001, Haruko Smith had the idea to fill the skies of NYC with music, inspired by the words of Aldous Huxley:

After silence, that which can express the inexpressible, is music

The September Concert started out as a local grassroots charity and has grown to have a worldwide presence involving 10,000 volunteers and 15,000 musicians.^[2]

 

September Concert in Rome, 9/11/2010

The September Concert Foundation was incorporated in April 2002 as a 501(c)(3) public charity, inspired a small army of volunteers, and on September 11th 2002 the first September Concert was born. To date this organization has functioned solely through the efforts of volunteers.

In addition to the board of directors that included artists Jacques d'Amboise and Robert Rauschenberg, The September Concert Foundation's advisory board was set up in 2002 with entertainers such as Quincy Jones, Ravi Shankar and Christy Turlington Burns. Business leaders such as Tom Freston also joined in to help the foundation.

In 2010, 200 concerts were held all over the world on or near September 11. In New York City 58 concerts were held,^[3][4][5] joined by another 30 U.S. cities ^[6] and 45 international cities including Edinburgh^[7][8] London, Rome,^[9] Tamale (Ghana), Cap-Haïtien and Tokyo.

Mission and principles

 

September Concert in Haiti, 9/10/2010

The mission of the September Concert Foundation is to bring communities together, to reaffirm the hope for peace, and to celebrate our universal humanity.

The foundation accomplishes this by inviting musicians of every age and genre to bring their gift of music anywhere space is available on the days surrounding the anniversary of September 11. Concerts are held in parks, gardens, schools, libraries, churches, restaurants, cafes, galleries, office buildings, stores, senior centers, community centers.

There are three principles behind the September Concert:

• Freedom for anyone to organise a concert with any genre and venue;
• Equality between the different musicians and styles of music; and
• Accessibility: all of the concerts are free

Media coverage

More news coverage of The September Concert^[10][11][12]

Video of September 2009 concerts around the world^[13]

Organisers

 

At the New York Public Library, 9/11/2010

Board of directors

Haruko Smith, Founder and chair, Taro Patrick Smith, Ph.D., Jacques d'Amboise, Robert Benezra, Ph.D., Milagros del Corral, Ph.D., John Daly Goodwin, Darryl Pottorf, Rebecca Seawright, Sundaram Tagore, Randy Wayne White

In memoriam

Robert Rauschenberg

Advisory board

Marisa Berenson, Christy Turlington Burns, John Campi, Tom Freston, Quincy Jones, Dorothy Lichtenstein, Milton Moskowitz, David Ng, Todd Oldham, Nancy Ploeger, Howard J. Rubenstein, Susan Rudin, William C. Rudin, Ravi Shankar, Steven Spinola, Scott M. Stringer, Dennis Swanson

International Committee

Camilla G. Hellman, Rosario Velasco Lino, Ludovica Rossi Purini, Mayo Shono, Koji Yoshikawa.

Notes

1. Bellamy, C. (September 2009). "'Peace' concert to remember 9/11". The Herald Sun. Durham, North Carolina: Rick Bean. ISSN 1055-4467. OCLC 22992790. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
2. "Mission Statement" (PDF). The September Concert Foundation. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
3. Schweitzer, Vivien (September 13, 2010). "Upbeat Works to Honor a Solemn Day". The New York Times. p. C4. ISSN 0362-4331. OCLC 1645522. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
4. "NDI Dancers perform in the 2008 September Concert". National Dance Institute. National Dance Institute inspiring children through the arts. September 2008. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
5. "9th annual September concert expands to 3-day celebration of peace through music" (Press release). eTurboNews. August 15, 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
6. Atagi, Colin (September 13, 2010). . The Desert Sun. Palm Springs, California: Mark Winkler. OCLC 26432381. Archived from the original on May 9, 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2011. Alt URL
7. "The Gospel Truth Choir: The Gospel Truth Choir Announce Participation in the Edinburgh September Concert - Joining Fellow Choristers to Remember the Events of 9/11" (Press release). MyNewsdesk. July 26, 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
8. "InChorus Sells-Out Edinburgh's Festival Theatre". InChorus. September 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
9. English Yellow Pages (September 2010). "September Concert 2010 (Lorin Maazel directing)". InsiderAbroad. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
10. Smith, Haruko (August 31, 2010). . Valerie's New York (Interview). Interviewed by Valerie Smaldone. New York: WOR. Archived from the original (Flash) on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
11. "The September Concert Foundation Visits NYSE and Rings The Opening Bell on the Occasion of 9/11". New York Stock Exchange. New York. September 10, 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
12. "news segment (QuickTime video)". FOX 5 News at 6. New York. September 2007. Fox Broadcasting Company. WNYW. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
13. "video of concerts (QuickTime video)". September 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2011. {{cite episode}}: Missing or empty |series= (help)

External links

• Official website
• WOR interview with Haruko Smith on the radio show Valerie's New York - 8/31/10 MP3 audio file (9.6 MB)
• The September Concert page of Compagnia per la Music in Italy
• The September Concert page from Japan (in Japanese)