The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University

Peabody crowned the celebration of its 150th Anniversary with a Gala evening on Saturday, April 26th, attended by more than 500 patrons, friends, alumni, faculty and students. The evening raised $150,000 for the George Peabody 150th Anniversary Scholarship Fund to provide student financial aid.

The main Gala program in Miriam A. Friedberg Hall featured a 150th Anniversary commemoration video sponsored and produced by Constellation (Energy) Media Group and performances by the Peabody Children's Chorus, the Preparatory Violin Choir, a solo performance by Conservatory alumnus, faculty member and renowned guitarist Manuel Barrueco, and Peabody faculty member and internationally recognized flautist Marina Piccinini performing with the Peabody Symphony Orchestra.

Guests then enjoyed music and dancing from waltzes to salsa, and chamber music performances to jazz to opera, with themed desserts, drinks and champagne toasts in Peabody's four main concert halls.

The Cohen Davison Family Theatre hosted chamber music from around the world, with students playing pieces by composers from Brazil, France, Germany, Hungary and Italy. In Griswold Hall guests enjoyed demonstrations of pavanes by students from the Preparatory Dance department, accompanied by the Peabody Rennaisance Ensemble. They then joined in with the dancers as the Alumni Chamber Orchestra played a seies of Strauss waltzes.

Goodwin Hall had students from the voice and opera departments performing selections from the works of Brahms, Verdi, and PDQ Bach, among others. They were joined by soprano Phyllis Bryn-Julson for selections from Oklahoma! and also presented a new one act opera by Peabody students. And East Hall was the lively hub of the evening with the Peabody Lab Band providing jazz standards and the Peabody Latin Band setting the stage for guests to salsa the night away.