Mendelssohn At Sheet Metal Workers Hall September 24 To Benefit MS Research

A classical music concert at the Sheet Metal Workers Union Hall on September 24 may sound like an out-of-the-box idea but that kind of thinking may uncover the root and thus cure to Multiple Sclerosis! Dr. Jeffrey Greenstein, founder of the Multiple Sclerosis Research Institute (MSRI), is transforming the Columbus Boulevard hall into a 500-seat theatre with the sounds of Mendelssohn, Franck, Ysaye, Bolcom and Kreisler. The benefit concert will raise funds to expand Dr. Greenstein’s promising research from his lab on Delaware Avenue.

Titled Vivace II, this marks the second time MSRI has hosted a classical concert using the musical term for lively and fast beats per minute after its sold-out Vivace! concert in 2014. This year’s event brings together global talent with a strong Philadelphia connection for a rare appearance of three distinguished artists who represent the best of their generation!

MSRI has partnered with Astral Artists to feature Cellist Timotheos Petrin, Violinist Danbi Um and Pianist Hugh Sung performing for the first time together. The musical program begins with Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No. 1 in d minor (1st movement) and concludes with Kreisler’s Viennese Rhapsodic Fantasietta.

A reception and silent auction at 6:00 pm precede the 7:30 pm concert set for the Penn’s Landing Caterers at the Sheet Metal Worker’s Union Hall. Admission for the pre-show festivities, concert and on-site free parking is $100. Tickets for this musical benefit can be purchased online at brownpapertickets.com or by calling 267-687-7027.

“Philadelphia continues to be a hub for classical music’s emerging talent,” reveals Vera Wilson, Astral Artists Founder and President, who oversees a roster of distinguished artists including Um and Petrin. “The three exceptionally talented musicians appearing on September 24 will delight and engage attendees, making classical music accessible and relevant while raising funds for a most worthy cause.”

Hugh Sung has worked extensively with the Philadelphia Orchestra, among others, and served on the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music for 19 years. Danbi Um was admitted to The Curtis Institute at the age of ten (!) where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree. Timotheos Petrin was a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra and today studies at the Curtis Institute.

Hope For Those With MS: Find. Stop. Cure.

Multiple Sclerosis affects over 400,000 individuals in the U.S. and as many as 2.5 million people worldwide. Research to find the cause and stop the progression of the disease is being spearheaded in Philadelphia by Dr. Jeffrey Greenstein, M.D., a board certified neurologist. Through annual fundraising efforts, his non-profit Institute continues to perform the highest quality laboratory based research and provide outstanding patient education.

“Curing MS is my life’s work,” explains Dr. Greenstein who worked at the National Institute of Health before becoming chairman and Professor of Neurology at Temple University School of Medicine. At the same time he served as the Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at Temple University Hospital then transitioned to Graduate Hospital and opened his private practice, the Multiple Sclerosis Institute, in order to focus all his efforts exclusively on MS.

“MS not only changes the lives of those affected by it,” he adds, “but touches the lives of their families and friends. My mission in funding MSRI is the find the cause, stop the progression and cure the disease so that those with MS, as well as future generations, can enjoy a life free from its symptoms.”

Past benefits for MSRI have raised funds to underwrite the cost of a research assistant to staff their state of the art laboratory. This fall’s 9/24 Vivace! II benefit concert will ensure that Dr. Greenstein and his team continue to explore the mysteries of T cells, a class of immune cells that seem to hold promise in suppressing dangerous immune responses. Such exploration could lead to new and unique treatments and therapies for MS and other immune diseases.

In addition to concert ticket sales, donors may support MSRI through the sponsorship of the silent auction and the evening’s Program Book. Donations range from $125 for a small ad to $5000 as a Platinum Sponsor enjoying 4 tickets, a full-page ad and signage at the concert.

MSRI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit (Federal Tax ID #20-1354368). For more information about the concert or the Institute, call 267-687-7027 or email info@MSResearchInstitute.org.