Soaring in concert will feature (from left to right): saxophonist Anthony Qin, violinist Cassie May, pianist Paul Ji, cellist Lucas Chen and singer Shayla He. Photo courtesy of GiveGab.
A Palo Alto teenager with a passion for music and social justice is organizing and hosting a benefit concert for the Tahirih Justice Center to be held this Saturday in Mountain View.
Palo Alto high school sophomore Aaron Bao, 15, has already surpassed his goal of raising $20,000 in ticket sales for Soaring in concertan event scheduled for August 20 from 3-5 p.m. at the Community School of Music and Arts at the Finn Center, located at 230 San Antonio Circle in Mountain View.
The concert will feature award-winning musicians, including pianist Paul Ji, grand champion of France 2 TV’s “Prodiges”; cellist Lucas Chen, winner of the first prize at the US Open Music Competition; saxophonist Anthony Qin, first winner of the American Protege International Concerto Competition; and other musicians. Tahirih Justice Center is a national non-profit organization that helps immigrant survivors fleeing gender-based violence.
Fifteen-year-old Palo Alto resident Aaron Bao helped organize a benefit concert scheduled for August 20 in Mountain View. Photo courtesy of Aaron Bao.
“Our goal was to raise $20,000, but Aaron has already exceeded that number, and the truth is, we can really use the financial support right now,” said executive director Morgan Weibel of the Tahirih office in the region. San Francisco Bay. “Dozens of families surviving gender-based violence will be supported by these funds.”
Bao, a musician himself, said he first heard about Tahirih from a friend and was immediately struck by the organization’s mission.
