A Musical Celebration with a Purpose Brings Grammy-Winning Musicians to Leonia

Everyone is invited to an unforgettable evening of music and philanthropy at “A Musical Celebration with a Purpose”, a benefit concert on

  • Saturday, May 9, 2026
  • Admission $50.00  ($60 at the door)

    • You can order your advance admission tickets by clicking on the Buy Tickets button below.


  • Doors open at 7:00 PM for Complimentary Wine and Cheese Reception
  • Performance Begins at 8:00 PM – Open Seating
  • Location: Presbyterian Church in Leonia - 181 Fort Lee Rd, Leonia, NJ

Presented by the Rotary Club of The Palisades in conjunction with Holy Name Medical Center, this benefit concert features Grammy-Award winning musicians performing in three exciting sets: the elegance of classical music, vibrant music of the Pan-Caribbean diaspora, and the soulful sounds of Haitian music.

Proceeds will support Hôpital Sacré Coeur in Milot, Haiti by providing life-saving neonatal intensive care equipment for premature infants, helping the most vulnerable newborns survive and thrive.

“Music has the power to bring people together. This concert celebrates that power while supporting a life-saving cause.”

Concert program

Presented by the Rotary Club of The Palisades in conjunction with Holy Name Health Promise, this special evening brings together Grammy Award–winning musicians in a celebration of music’s power to inspire and unite. The program unfolds in three evocative segments:

  • Honoring the elegance of classical tradition
  • The vibrant spirit of the Pan-Caribbean diaspora
  • The deeply expressive soul of Haitian music
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Proceeds from this concert will support Hôpital Sacré Coeur in Milot, Haiti, providing life-saving neonatal intensive care equipment for premature infants. Through this shared endeavor, we help give the most vulnerable newborns the chance not only to survive, but to flourish.

Javier Diaz, our musical director, is a New York–based percussionist, educator, and composer who performs regularly with the American Symphony Orchestra, chamber ensembles, and Afro-Cuban/Latin jazz groups.

He has appeared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, and New York Pops, and has served as principal percussionist on numerous Broadway productions including Ain’t Too Proud, On Your Feet!, Tarzan, and Once on This Island.

His recording credits include West Side Story, In the Heights, and projects with David Sanborn, as well as film, television, and commercial work.

A specialist in Afro-Cuban percussion, he has performed with artists such as Diana Ross and Chaka Khan. An active educator, he teaches at The Juilliard School and Rutgers University and is the author of The Afro-Cuban Handbook.

 

Toyin Spellman-Diaz is a trailblazing oboist and founding member of the GRAMMY-winning Imani Winds.

A graduate of Oberlin Conservatory and the Manhattan School of Music, she has performed with the New York Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony Orchestra, becoming the first Black woman oboist to appear with both ensembles.

With Imani Winds, she has toured extensively across 15 countries and nearly all 50 states, performing in major venues nationwide and recording multiple GRAMMY-nominated albums, including the 2024 GRAMMY-winning Passion for Bach and Coltrane.

 

GRAMMY Award-winning pianist and composer Alex Brown is a genre-defying artist praised by The New York Times for his “crystalline touch and worldly approach.”

A longtime member of Paquito D’Rivera’s ensemble, he has contributed to multiple GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY-winning and nominated projects, including the 2023 Best Classical Compendium winner Passion for Bach and Coltrane.

He has performed with artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Christian McBride, Miguel Zenón, and Chris Thile, and has appeared at major venues and festivals such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Newport Jazz Festival.

 

Chad Smith is a sought-after Broadway, recording, and concert saxophonist who has performed across the country from New York to Los Angeles.

His Broadway credits include Wicked, Legally Blonde, Follies, A Christmas Story: The Musical, and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

He has appeared with leading ensembles including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, New York Pops, and New Jersey Symphony, and has shared the stage with artists such as Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Lady Gaga, Audra McDonald, and Ray Charles.

 

Dr. Felipe Brito is Assistant Professor of Trombone and Director of Jazz and Commercial Music at Southeast Missouri State University and Development Director of Amistad Caribbean Arts Camp.

An active performer across the U.S. and Brazil, he works as an orchestral, jazz, commercial, and solo artist.

His 2024 debut album, Don’t Put Off Until Tomorrow (Outside in Music), blends modern jazz with Afro-Brazilian styles and has been featured by NPR and All About Jazz.

He performs with the New Jersey and Paducah Symphonies and has appeared on Broadway, collaborating with Adrian Younge and artists including Branford Marsalis and Joe Lovano.

 

Gregg August is a bassist and composer working across classical, jazz, and Latin jazz.

He performs with ensembles including the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, and Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and previously served as Principal Bass of La Orquesta Ciutat de Barcelona and the Brooklyn Philharmonic.

In jazz, he plays with the JD Allen Trio and was a longtime member of Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra.

His GRAMMY-nominated album Dialogues on Race (2020) explores race through music and poetry.

An award-winning composer, his work has been performed by major ensembles, and he has collaborated with artists such as Chick Corea and Branford Marsalis.

He teaches at NYU, Manhattan School of Music, and Williams College.