MONICA YUNUS, CO-FOUNDING DIRECTOR

Soprano Monica Yunus has performed extensively in concert, recital, and on the operatic stage, in addition to her work with Sing for Hope.  Engagements include performances at The Metropolitan Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, Glimmerglass Opera, the Al Bustan International Festival of Music and Arts in Beirut, Lebanon, as well as recitals in her native Bangladesh.  She is a contributor to Sing for Hope’s Art U! curriculum.  For her contributions to the field of arts activism, Ms. Yunus received a 2009 21st Century Leaders Award and has performed at The United Nations and the Fortune Most Powerful Women’s Summit.  A graduate of The Juilliard School, Ms. Yunus is the daughter of Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank, the revolutionary microfinance institution.

CAMILLE ZAMORA, CO-FOUNDING DIRECTOR

Soprano Camille Zamora has performed principal roles with companies including Los Angeles Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, and Houston Grand Opera, and has appeared as a soloist with ensembles including the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Carnegie Hall.  Ms. Zamora is the founder of one of the country’s largest annual AIDS benefits, which in the decade since its inception has raised over four million dollars for men and women living with HIV/AIDS, and which provides the model for Sing for Hope’s Community Arts benefit concerts.  She is a co-author of Sing for Hope’s Art U! curriculum.  For her contributions to the field of arts activism, Ms. Zamora is honored to have performed at The United Nations and the Fortune Most Powerful Women’s Summit.  Ms. Zamora received her Master’s Degree and Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School.

BOBBY KEAN, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Bobby Kean has a substantial and varied background in the arts. Following his performance debut in 2006, Mr. Kean became a Costume and Wig Designer, as well as Stage Manager, for the Tony Award-winning Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Transitioning into arts management, Mr. Kean expanded the development department of the world-renowned theater company, Playwrights Horizons, where he oversaw the annual fundraising auction. He holds a degree in Musical Theater Performance and Costume Design from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

STEPHANIE MARTINEZ, ART U! COORDINATOR

Stephanie Martinez is an actress and singer originally from Miami, Florida. As Sing for Hope’s Art U! Coordinator, Ms. Martinez is responsible for administrating Sing for Hope’s educational programs while continuing her work as a Teaching Artist in the classroom.  Ms. Martinez has eight years of experience in arts education working with various non-profits in New York, South Africa and Florida.  She is a member of Jaradoa Theatre and holds a B.M. in Vocal Performance from the University of Miami.

RACHEL BENICHAK, HEALING ARTS COORDINATOR

Rachel Benichak comes to Sing for Hope in the position of Healing Arts Coordinator with an extensive background as an actor, ballet dancer and writer. Having had varied experiences, from performing in the children’s television program The Wisdom Tree, to being an acting apprentice with the New Perspectives Theatre Company, to working within youth services on Long Island, Ms. Benichak knows the value of exposure to the arts. Rachel holds a BFA in theatre from Adelphi University and is happy to be a part of the Sing for Hope team.

MAISHA AZADI, TEACHING ARTIST

Maisha Azadi is a seasoned professional in the performing arts and entertainment industry. She is an alumna of Morgan State University and Metropolitan College of New York, holding a B.A. in Communications, concentration in Television Production/Theatre and an M.B.A. with a specialization in Media Management. As a Teaching Artist and as an actor/writer, Ms. Azadi has been contracted by various organizations including Ogilvy, HBO, The NAACP, Jamaica Center for the Arts and Learning, New York Film Academy, ENACT, and Hospital Audiences, Inc. She is the Creator and Founder of Urban Actors Academy, which just recently produced an eight-episode web-series focusing on inner-city teen issues. She is also a member of SAG, AEA and NAMIC.

VANESSA MARTIR, TEACHING ARTIST

Vanessa Martir made the bold decision of quitting the safety net of full-time work to live her dream of writing, educating and performing. She has penned two novels, and numerous short stories and poems. Most recently, Ms. Martir co-wrote Do Something!: A Handbook for Young Activists, an interactive guide to social responsibility and community action for 9-12 year olds. She has worked as a teaching artist for numerous organizations, including the Association for Hispanic Arts (AHA) and KIPP for College. Ms. Martir is also a public speaker who regularly speaks at conferences and on panels at universities across the country, including Cornell University, Columbia University (her alma mater) and NYU. She is currently working on the first of a pentagonía of memoirs, a one woman show and an anthology. Ms. Martir, also known as La Loba in the NYC literary scene, hosts and emcees a monthly themed poetry series dubbed La Loba Poetry.

JADELE MCPHERSON, TEACHING ARTIST

Jadele McPherson (MA UChicago) is a performance artist and cultural activist. An interest in cultural and performative intersections among Afrodescendientes inspires her work in performance, politics and scholarship. She has recently performed at La Mama Experimental Theatre (Emergenyc), Brooklyn School of Music, and El Fogón Center for the Arts and has also collaborated with renowned Afro-Latin@ artists such as Susana Baca (2006), Felix “Pupy” Insua (2004), and Roman Diaz (2008). Infusing Afro-Cuban genres into interdisciplinary arts projects, as a teaching artist she is committed to Afro-Latin@ arts education, cross-cultural community building, and traditional arts as a healing response to trauma in marginalized communities.

ALICE MIZRACHI, TEACHING ARTIST

Alice Mizrachi is an artist, curator, social entrepreneur, educator, and community organizer. Born and raised in Queens, New York, she has long been an active part of the art community near and outside her hometown. Since her graduation from Parsons School of Design in 1999, she has exhibited her works in galleries worldwide, including Powerhouse in NYC, Colette in Paris, Lab 101 in L.A., and Intermedia Arts in Minneapolis, and has been featured in a variety of niche publications such as Giant Magazine, Juxtapoz, and Square Rootz. She continues to paint murals all over the world as part of her artistic ventures and collaborative partnerships. While educating today’s youth in central Harlem as a Teaching Artist, she is also keeping busy as a co-founder of the YOUNITY Arts Collective.

JUAN CARLOS SALINAS, TEACHING ARTIST

Juan Carlos Salinas has developed and implemented curricula based on artistic disciplines, social activism and leadership skill-building for more than twenty-five New York City schools and cultural institutions. He is a contributing writer of New York City’s Blueprint for Theater Education and is a contributor to Sing for Hope’s Art U! curriculum. He has worked as Education Director of City Lights Youth Theater, Associate Director of Education at Yale Repertory Theater, and Education Coordinator of Ars Nova. Mr. Salinas holds an MFA in Arts Management with an emphasis in Teaching Artistry from Yale University.