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= UN Chamber Music Society =

Introduction
The UN Chamber Music Society of the United Nations Staff Recreation Council (UNCMS) is a group of accomplished musicians and admirers of classical chamber music within the international community – which promotes the values of the United Nations through the universal language of music. The group embraces the passion and intimacy of chamber music, which has the creative power to move audiences and help promote the universal ideals, principles and values enshrined in the United Nations Charter – such as the ideals of peace, respect for human rights, respect for cultures, the dignity and worth of the human person, and the equal rights of men and women. The ensemble has performed on multiple occasions for humanitarian purposes at the United Nations Headquarters. The UNCMS' virtual concerts are broadcasted on the global UN channels - on UN WebTV and UN YouTube.

History
Founded in 2016 by Brenda Vongova, the UN Chamber Music Society is dedicated to promoting the United Nations' goals and values at large - through the universal language of music.

Founder
Brenda Vongova is the President & Artistic Director of the UN Chamber Music Society (UNCMS), which she founded in 2016 at the United Nations Headquarters. As a United Nations international civil servant for over a decade, she has passionately championed UN values of peace and human rights through music. Vongova's dedication to promoting these ideals led her to establish the UNCMS, dedicated to using the universal language of music to promote the values of the United Nations. Her background includes extensive service within the United Nations, including roles in the offices of former Secretary-General BAN Ki-moon and current Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Vongova's expertise in diplomacy and international relations, combined with her musical talents and commitment to community service, have made her a significant figure in bridging the worlds of music and global diplomacy.

Collaborations
In October 2018, the ensemble made its Carnegie Hall debut. The UN Chamber Music Society has collaborated and performed with acclaimed musicians from the classical music and pop music worlds – including musicians of the New York Philharmonic, musicians of Daniel Barenboim’s Divan Orchestra, Julian Marley, Sara Marley, Ms. Lauryn Hill, and Christopher Tin.

Musicians
''World Premiere performance of the chamber music arrangement of the opening theme of "Calling All Dawns", composed by 2x Grammy Winning Composer Christopher Tin - on occasion of the commemoration of World Refugee Day. ''

(UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS, 19 JUNE 2017)

Photo Credit: UNHCR Photo / Scott Nelson

Brenda Vongova (Piano)

President & Artistic Director of the UNCMS

Brenda Vongova has been a United Nations international civil servant for over a decade. During this time, she has championed the UN values of peace, respect for human rights, and has been a vocal advocate for the universal ideals, principles and values enshrined in the UN Charter – through music. In 2016 at the United Nations Headquarters, she founded the UN Chamber Music Society – dedicated to promoting the values of the United Nations through the universal language of music. She has been awarded the Gluck Community Service Fellowships, and has devoted several years to teaching classical piano to the blind, the visually impaired, the disabled and children from underprivileged communities.

Brenda Vongova currently serves in the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. Antonio Guterres. Prior to this post, she served in the Office of the former United Nations Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. BAN Ki-moon. Her expertise in handling political briefing materials was honed during her previous service in the Office of the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Mr. Jeffrey Feltman, who oversaw the UN’s diplomatic efforts to prevent and mitigate conflicts worldwide. Between 2008 and 2010, she served in the cabinets of several Presidents of the United Nations General Assemblies. While pursuing academic studies at Harvard, while also working at the Harvard Business School as a wellness specialist, and writing for both the HL Record of the Harvard Law School and the Harvard Business School’s HARBUS newspapers - Ms. Vongova was invited to join the cabinet of the sixty-second Presidents of the United Nations General Assembly. From there, she continued on to serve in the cabinets of the sixty-third and sixty-fourth Presidents of the United Nations General Assembly – serving in three cabinets of the Presidents of the United Nations General Assembly between 2008 and 2010. In 2016, she was awarded a Masters degree in Diplomacy and International Relations.

Born in Canada, Brenda Vongova studied classical piano with Russian School teachers and at the Royal Conservatory of Music. She has performed at prestigious venues worldwide, such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Harvard University’s Sanders Theatre, and the United Nations. She holds a Masters degree in Diplomacy and International Relations, which she received in 2016. She is currently studying piano under the tutelage of Juilliard Professor Jerome Lowenthal. She has collaborated and performed with acclaimed musicians from the classical music and pop music worlds – including musicians of the New York Philharmonic, musicians of Daniel Barenboim’s Divan Orchestra, Julian Marley, Sara Marley, Ms. Lauryn Hill, 2x Grammy Award winner Christopher Tin, and Anastasia Nermirovich-Danchenko from the Moscow Art Theatre. In 2021, Brenda Vongova was invited to join the Recording Academy, the world’s leading music society which is dedicated to artistic excellence in music – and well-known for its celebration of the Grammy Awards.

Hana Mundiya

Rohan Mundiya

Ariel Horowitz

Florrie Marshall

Drake Driscoll

Thapelo Masita

Derek Louie

Sarah Favinger

David Yardley

Notable Comments
"Music is a powerful way to express commitment to causes dear to our hearts, and I commend the United Nations Chamber Music Society for its continuous dedication to using music as a tool to support the values of the United Nations."

~ H.E. MR. ANTÓNIO GUTERRES,

SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

'''“Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to address this incredible group. I’m so honored to be with you and I’m grateful for the work you do to promote peace around the world. Thank you for the humanitarian efforts you are making today in Ukraine. On behalf of our 24,000 members, and the entire music community we exist to serve, the Recording Academy thanks you for your efforts to bring peace and humanitarian assistance to the many parts of the world where it is so desperately needed. We need that same kind of commitment today from the world’s leading powers and international bodies like the United Nations, the birthplace of the UN Chamber Music Society.”'''

~ HARVEY MASON JR., CEO OF THE RECORDING ACADEMY

IN HIS MESSAGE AT THE UN CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY CONCERT FOR PEACE FOR UKRAINE (31 MARCH 2022)

“We commend the UN Chamber Music Society, which helps to promote the universal values of the United Nations, for its belief in the power of the arts to heal, and for dedicating this concert to music therapy.”

~MAESTRO JAAP VAN ZWEDEN AND AALTJE VAN ZWEDEN

MUSIC DIRECTOR OF THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC

IN HIS MESSAGE FOR THE UN CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY “MUSIC THERAPY CONCERT”

'''“Today’s concert by the musicians of the UN Chamber Music Society of the United Nations Staff Recreation Council reflects two of my greatest aspirations. The first is associated with the UN, an organization I greatly admire for its decades of acting on the belief that what all of humanity has in common is far more powerful and far more important than any differences of culture, ethnicity, religion, or nationality … I commend the UN Chamber Music Society for dedicating this evening to the Czech Republic and The New World Initiative, and for helping to promote the universal values of the United Nations. Through the universal language of music, the Society echoes our own firm belief in the power of the arts to bring people and nations together.”'''

~MAESTRO ALAN GILBERT, FORMER MUSIC DIRECTOR OF THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC

IN HIS MESSAGE FOR THE “NEW WORLD CONCERT” HOSTED BY THE AMBASSADOR

OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC TO THE UNITED NATIONS, THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF THE

CZECH REPUBLIC IN NEW YORK, AND CZECH CENTER NEW YORK

– AS PART OF THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC’S NEW WORLD INITIATIVE.

(New York, 4 May 2017)

'''“The art of music has been an essential part of the human experience for millennia, bringing joy, solace, and intellectual stimulus to societies around the world. Today, as we deal with a pandemic which has touched everyone of us, we can experience this concert as a manifestation of the best of humanity – an experience which makes seemingly abstract sounds come together in sophisticated structures to stimulate the mind and feed the soul…I wish to congratulate Brenda Vongova, Artistic Director of the United Nations Chamber Music Society, and this evening’s performing artists, for providing us with a joyful experience, communicating the very best values of our global community.”'''

~ DR. JOSEPH W. POLISI, PRESIDENT EMERITUS OF JUILLIARD

IN HIS MESSAGE AT THE UN CHAMBER MUSIC SOCITY CONCERT IN CELEBRATION OF WORLD HUMANITARIAN DAY 2020

“On behalf of Juilliard, I want to thank the United Nations Chamber Music Society for its dedication to promoting the UN goals through the universal language of music, and for this opportunity to welcome the global audiences to this performance to celebrate World Humanitarian Day.”

~ DR. ADAM MEYER, PROVOST OF JUILLIARD

IN HIS MESSAGE AT THE UN CHAMBER MUSIC SOCITY CONCERT IN CELEBRATION OF WORLD HUMANITARIAN DAY 2020

“I commend the UN Chamber Music Society for its dedication to promoting the United Nations goals at large - through the universal language of music, and for inspiring the world by educating its global audience through classical music.”

~LANG LANG, PIANIST AND UN MESSENGER OF PEACE

'''“Initiatives such as this concert by the UN Chamber Music Society are critical. I commend the Society for contributing their talents. They are using music – the language of peace – to advance the cause of refugee protection, raise awareness and promote the universal values of the United Nations.”'''

~ H.E. MR. ANTÓNIO GUTERRES, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

IN HIS MESSAGE ON THE OCCASION OF THE BENEFIT CONCERT FOR REFUGEES

BY THE UN CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY

(New York, 29 January 2017)

"The creation of the UN Chamber Music Society of the United Nations Staff Recreation Council symbolizes our belief in the power of the arts to bring people and nations together.  I commend the ensemble for using the universal language of music to promote the goals of the United Nations and our shared values of mutual understanding and equal rights for all.”

~ H.E. MR. BAN KI-MOON, 8th SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

IN HIS MESSAGE FOR THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE UN CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF THE UNITED NATIONS STAFF RECREATION COUNCIL AT A CONCERT DEDICATED TO REFUGEES

(New York, 26 April 2016)

'''“The UN Chamber Music Society strengthens our vital performing arts sector through its concerts featuring talented United Nations personnel and members of our thriving diplomatic community. This gifted ensemble also gives back by championing the UN’s mission to promote peace and security, advance freedom and equality, and address the world’s most pressing crises.”'''

~ BILL DE BLASIO, MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY

IN HIS MESSAGE FOR THE UN CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY VIRTUAL CONCERT IN CELEBRATION OF WORLD DAY FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE

(20 FEBRUARY 2021)

The Executive Council of the UN Chamber Music Society of the United Nations Staff Recreation Council
President & Artistic Director:

 Ms. Brenda Vongova

Honorary Artistic Adviser:

 Mr. Christopher Tin, 2x Grammy Award winning composer

Vice-President:

 Mr. Firas Kayal

Public Relations Adviser:

 Mr. Mohammed Shaker

Treasurer:

 Ms. Ruxandra Ferascu

Secretary:

 Ms. Yulya Vanetik

UNCMS Advisory Board
Professor Edward Bilous ,

Founding Director of Juilliard's Center for Innvoation in the Arts

Ms. Eileen Moon, Associate Principal Cello, New York Philharmonic

Professor Natasha Brofsky ,

The Juilliard School

Concert Videos:
Virtual Concerts may be viewed at the United Nations

UN Global YouTube:  "UN Chamber Music Society Playlist "

and the United Nations WebTV.

Recordings:
Spotify

Press in Vogue Arabia
https://en.vogue.me/culture/kadim-al-sahir-releases-hold-your-fire-song-support-gaza/

Press in Pass Blue:
https://www.passblue.com/2018/11/10/a-un-ensemble-whose-music-radiates-peace/

Contact:
United Nations Headquarters, UN Chamber Music Society, c/o Ms. Brenda Vongova (S-3802), New York, NY, 10017