Lincoln Center's 'Memorial For All' Honors Lives Lost Each Week

NEW YORK, NY — A weekly broadcast hosted by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts aims to use the power of music to honor the lives lost by the coronavirus pandemic, who cannot be celebrated through typical in-person memorials.

The virtual "Memorial For Us All," held each Sunday, invites those who have lost a loved one during the pandemic to submit their name to be honored in a broadcast hosted by top-name artists like Yo-Yo Ma and Brian Stokes Mitchell. The first memorial premiered May 3 with jazz musician Wynton Marsalis.

"In the midst of this unprecedented pandemic, while many rituals we hold dear are no longer possible, Memorial For Us All offers unity, comfort, and healing through music, an art form intertwined with so many of our most beloved rituals around the world," organizers wrote.

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Since the first memorial aired, more than 300 people from New York City and beyond have sent in names of loved ones to be honored on the next broadcast, according to Lincoln Center.

The Memorial For Us All was launched with several faith organizations, the Mayor's Office, Lincoln Center and its jazz program.

This Sunday's broadcast, at 6 p.m. May 10, will be led by cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the May 17 broadcast, also at 6 p.m., will be hosted by Broadway singer Brian Stokes Mitchell.

Tributes are available on Lincoln Center’s Instagram, Facebook and YouTube pages, and on-demand at Lincoln Center’s website. Anyone who has lost a loved one during this pandemic can submit their name here.

The memorial concerts are the latest virtual offerings from Lincoln Center since its performance venue, like all those in New York City, closed because of the coronavirus pandemic in March.

The venue has been hosting a library of "Lincoln Center At Home" online classes and virtual performances that can be accessed on its website.

The virtual library includes "pop-up classrooms" every day, homemade performances from artists and an archive of performance footage from across Lincoln Center, officials said.

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