Calendar Event

5 Chefs, 5 Courses, 7 Songs

Harry Stephens, owner of Bella Luna and the VIEW Cucina restaurants, and the Cincinnati Music & Wellness Coalition are presenting an evening of music performed by local musicians and dinner prepared by five celebrity chefs in a benefit event to purchase five Clavinovas (digital pianos) for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital’s Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

The event will be 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. March 19 at View Cucina restaurant, 2200 Victory Parkway in Walnut Hills. The cost ($100 per person) includes dinner, performances and a chance to play a Clavinova. Seating is limited to 100 guests.

RSVP to GiGi DiPuccio at 513-636-0873 or gina.dipuccio@cchmc.org

The five acclaimed chefs are Michelle Brown – Executive Chef at Jags Restaurant; David Taylor – Executive Chef at La Poste in Clifton; Amy Tobin – Chef, Author and owner of Taramy Enterprises; Dawn Beckler – Chef de Cuisine at VIEW Cucina Restaurant; Alfio Gulisano – Executive Chef of the Stephens Restaurant Group at Bella Luna.

Performers will include Paul Alexander – Cincinnati Bengals offensive line coach and CCM piano student; Joy Chadwell, a Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Behavioral Specialist who has her first recording contract; Dr. Alvin H. Crawford of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, one of America’s leading orthopedic surgeons and a classical clarinetist; CCM faculty member Albert Muhlbock; Mischa Santora, violinist and music director of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra; Dr. Vincent Schmithorst – A neuro-scientist, Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Radiology at Children’s Hospital, and a semifinalist in the Sixth International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs held in May in Fort Worth; and yours truly.

Senior care executive Arlene De Silva established the Cincinnati Music & Wellness Coalition in 2008. The goal is to offer evidence-based recreational music making and wellness programs to improve quality of life of people of all ages, regardless of their challenges, backgrounds, ethnicity, ability, or prior experience.

She has worked with CCM Prep to introduce “Clavinova Connection” to older adults and caregivers in Southwest Ohio. Through fundraisers, they have purchased the keyboards for several retirement and community centers in the area.

“The success we created in Soutwest Ohio expanded to Kentucky last year and I’m currently in discussions with organizations in Indiana as well,” she says.

Visit www.musicandwellness.net or www.yamahainstitute.org or www.remo.com to learn more.