Josh Groban, Lin-Manuel Miranda & More at FIND YOUR LIGHT Benefit Concert

On Tuesday October 29, Tony®, EMMY® and five-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist Josh Groban hosted his annual Find Your Light Benefit Concert for Arts Education at the famous Appel Room at Jazz Lincoln Center. Stars of music and theater joined together for an unforgettable evening of cocktails, dinner, auctions and stunning performances. The event raised 1.4 million dollars to help provide arts education to children around the country.

Following introductory remarks from Find Your Light Foundation’s Executive Director Jeffrey Dollinger and Deputy Director Jake Goldbas, host Josh Groban kicked off the celebrations with a powerful opening number of his song “Granted.” 

The special evening featured inspirational speeches from Lin Manuel Miranda, Misty Copeland, Chasten Buttigieg, and more, who all passionately spoke on the importance of arts education in the classroom, as well as unforgettable live performances. 

Pianist Natalie Tenenbaum played a classical rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” pop superstar Joanna “JoJo” Levesque sang “Through The Fire,” India Carney and Everett Bradley delivered a spoken word take of “A Million Dreams,” Sara Bareilles performed “Brave,” Gabriella “GG” Nguyen enlisted broadway bound kids for an exciting performance of “Waving Through A Window” and Angel Blue showcased her vocal range with “O mio babbino caro.” With Matthew Whitaker on keys, Josh returned to the stage for a rousing rendition of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.” Also, Josh Groban and Sara Bareilles took to the stage for a powerful duet of “Both Sides Now.”

This year, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy was honored with the Arts for Healing Award and the Find Your Light Award was presented to acclaimed musician Renée Fleming for her lifetime of advocacy and philanthropy for arts education through Music and the Mind.

With everyone’s spirits as high as ever, Renée and Josh came together for a harmonious duet of “Hallelujah.” They invited the star-studded performers back on stage for a celebratory closing number of “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”

The Find Your Light Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that each child has the opportunity to experience a quality arts education. It does this through direct support of exceptional arts programs combined with education, advocacy, and outreach. The Foundation focuses support where the need is greatest to inform and inspire others in recognizing arts education as a critical component of a young person’s development.

Photo credit: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images