Take a Stand: A Concert for Mental Health

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One in five American adults—nearly 50 million people—experience some form of mental illness every day. These issues are often exacerbated in winter, with 5% of Americans reporting significant seasonal changes in mood and behavior. Professional musicians, however, suffer from mental health problems at a disproportionately higher rate than the general population: Three quarters struggle with depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.

Despite these troubling statistics, there are also ample studies that demonstrate music’s positive effect on mental health. “Take a Stand: A Concert for Mental Health” is intended to serve as a collective, supportive event for performers and audience members alike, as well as to raise greater awareness about the mental health crisis, provide resources, and work to remove the stigma associated with openly discussing these issues.

The program opens with Never to Return by Métis composer Karen Sunabacka. This composition for string orchestra was inspired by the composer’s great-great-grandmother, who suffered from mental illness as a result of difficult conditions on the remote Canadian prairies. Two well-known staples of the repertoire follow: Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber and Symphony No. 5 in E Minor by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Both composers notably struggled with mental health issues during their lifetimes; these seminal works capture the anguish and intensity of their lived experiences, yet also demonstrate their humanity as they searched for hope and light in dark places.

PROTESTRA Founder and Music Director Michelle Rofrano returns to the podium to conduct Tchaikovsky. PROTESTRA is thrilled to welcome Associate Conductor Danielle Jagelski, who will conduct Sunabacka and Barber in her PROTESTRA conducting debut.

PROTESTRA’s concerts raise awareness about real-world issues through classical music performance while also contributing to positive change in a tangible way. To that effect, PROTESTRA will donate a portion of ticket proceeds from this concert to two organizations that increase access to mental health services for under-resourced and vulnerable populations:

• Open Path Psychotherapy Collective is a nonprofit nationwide network of mental health professionals dedicated to providing in-office and online mental health care—at a steeply reduced rate—to clients in need. Open Path envisions a just, compassionate world where all people can easily access the care they need to thrive. In partnership with mental health clinicians in private practice throughout the fifty states and Canada, Open Path provides middle and lower-income level clients with access to affordable mental health care.

• IHI Therapy Center (Institute for Human Identity) is an NYC-based nonprofit psychotherapy and training center dedicated to fostering personal growth free of traditional gender, sexual orientation, and cultural biases. IHI’s vision is a world where everyone—regardless of their gender identity, sexuality, race, age, disability, or immigration status—can find safety and support through affordable mental health care that is respectful of their needs and experiences.

The concert will take place in person at the Manhattan School of Music’s Neidorff-Karpati Hall (130 Claremont Avenue, New York, NY 10027). Tickets are “pay-what-you-can,” with a suggested donation of $25 (minimum donation: $1). PROTESTRA strives to make classical music accessible to everyone, and those who are able to donate are encouraged to do so. If the cost of a ticket presents a financial burden, please email PROTESTRA at team@protestra.org to request free access.

About PROTESTRA:

PROTESTRA (protest + orchestra) is a musician-run orchestra and 501(c)(3) organization that bridges the divide between advocacy and classical music. PROTESTRA’s grassroots orchestral benefit concerts inspire activism by contextualizing classical music performance through multimedia education, and turn voluntary audience donations into targeted support for mission- and policy-driven nonprofits related to the concerts’ themes. PROTESTRA’s new vision for classical music prioritizes diversity, equity, inclusion, representation, and accessibility in its hiring and programming practices. PROTESTRA maintains a robust social media presence, creating and sharing original content and resources with 9,000+ followers across multiple platforms.

To learn more about PROTESTRA, visit www.protestra.org.

To access a clickable list of mental health resources, visit the event page on our website: protestra.org/concert-for-mental-health