FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Suzette Espinosa Adrienne Arsht Center 786.468.2221 sespinosa@arshtcenter.org

Justin Moss Florida Grand Opera 305.854.1643 x 1600 jmoss@fgo.org

Nicolle Ugarriza Miami City Ballet 305.929.7000 x 1602 nicolle@miamicityballet.org

Craig Hall New World Symphony 305-428-6740 craig.hall@nws.edu

MIAMI’S LEADING PERFORMING ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ARE JOINING FORCES FOR AN OVERNIGHT CELEBRATION AT SEA

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet and New World Symphony to host 2009 gala aboard the

Seabourn Odyssey cruise ship.

MIAMI, FL July 29, 2009 – Miami’s most influential arts patrons and philanthropists will gather this November for an overnight celebration titled Arts Odyssey: A Collaboration. Underwritten by The Yachts of Seabourn and with the support of the Carnival Corporation, this exclusive event will benefit the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County and its three resident companies: Florida Grand Opera; Miami City Ballet; and New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy.

Arts Odyssey: A Collaboration will take place overnight November 13-14, 2009 aboard Seabourn Odyssey, the newest member of The Yachts of Seabourn fleet. The cruise will depart at 5:00 pm on Friday from Port Everglades, voyage into international waters, and return by 9:00 am Saturday morning. The event’s 400 attendees – a veritable who’s who of South Florida’s top arts enthusiasts, philanthropists, and business leaders – will enjoy dinner and dancing, as well as a celebrity guest performance.

“The stars will align for South Florida’s arts community this November 13,” said Adrienne Arsht, event co-chair and chairman of the Adrienne Arsht Center Foundation Board. “Arts Odyssey: A Collaboration will afford individual patrons and corporate sponsors a once-in-a-lifetime chance to support four organizations critical to the fabric of our community. We are delighted that The Yachts of Seabourn and the Carnival Corporation have offered their support, and we are excited about the fundraising potential this unique event offers.”

Co-chairing Arts Odyssey: A Collaboration alongside Ms. Arsht are representatives of the Adrienne Arsht Center’s resident companies: Arlene and Laurans Mendelson (Florida Grand Opera), Bobi and Jim Eroncig (Miami City

Ballet), and Sandy and Stephen Muss (New World Symphony). Proceeds from the event will be divided equally among the four organizations.

“This collaboration between the Adrienne Arsht Center and its resident companies is a national model of how the performing arts community can maximize its fundraising potential through cultivated teamwork,” said M. John Richard, president and CEO of the Adrienne Arsht Center. “We are an ensemble of four Miami arts institutions serving as ambassadors for our city. The spotlight will be prominently focused on our respective missions and the important uses of the funds being raised by the Gala event.”

“We are proud to host this wonderful event aboard Seabourn Odyssey,” said Pamela Conover, President and CEO of The Yachts of Seabourn, “We can promise supporters of the Adrienne Arsht Center, New World Symphony, Miami City Ballet, and Florida Grand Opera an evening of fine food, sparkling entertainment and personalized pampering in award-winning Seabourn style.”

In addition to luxury accommodations, first-class cuisine, celebrity entertainment and a full-slate of activities onboard, the Arts Odyssey continues on land throughout the 2009-2010 season. Most packages include selections from various “menus” that offer exclusive artistic experiences with each of the collaborating organizations, such as an in-home concert by the New World Symphony; an invitation to a private black-tie dinner following an opening night performance by Florida Grand Opera; an invitation from Adrienne Arsht Center President/CEO John Richard for six guests to enjoy an Adrienne Arsht Center Presents performance with him in the President’s Box; and six premier box tickets for an opening night performance by Miami City Ballet, including a backstage tour and champagne toast.

Funds raised will support artistic programming, education and community outreach, apprenticeship and fellowship programs, and the continued enrichment of South Florida’s leading performing arts institutions – four areas of priority for Miami-based Carnival Corporation, which has been an ardent sponsor of the region’s arts community for decades.

For more information about this momentous event, corporate and individual sponsorship opportunities, or to reserve a suite onboard Seabourn Odyssey during Arts Odyssey: A Collaboration, please contact the Adrienne Arsht Center at 786-468-2254 or via email at odysseygala@arshtcenter.org

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS

THE ADRIENNE ARSHT CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

The Adrienne Arsht Center for Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is Miami-Dade County’s largest ever public/private-sector partnership, greatly enhancing the artistic and educational opportunities in South Florida. The Center is a Miami venue not only for its resident companies (Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, and New World Symphony), but also for many smaller South Florida arts organizations that perform in its theaters on a regular basis, as well as for the finest popular and classical performances from around the world. With state-of-the-art performance facilities in Miami for the first time, the Adrienne Arsht Center offers South Florida audiences the best and most diverse theater, music, and dance—with a dedication to entertain, challenge, and educate all segments of the community. For more information, visit www.arshtcenter.org.

FLORIDA GRAND OPERA

Florida Grand Opera marks its 69th season as the State’s oldest performing arts organization and one of the oldest opera companies in the United States. This year Robert M. Heuer observes his 25th anniversary as General Director, celebrating the Company’s extensive repertoire and rich history of presenting world-class productions and world-renowned operatic talent. Last season, performances at the Arsht Center’s Ziff Ballet Opera House and Fort Lauderdale’s Broward Center for the Performing Arts were attended by 85,000 people. This season the Opera presents 4 opera productions in 32 performances, 24 in Miami and 8 in Broward. Education programs reach 50,000 young people annually; its Young Artists Program is a nationally-acclaimed training program for talented young singers. The Opera employs 250 full-time and seasonal personnel; its operating budget is over $11 million. The Doral Center in Miami is headquarters, the Josephine S. Leiser Opera Center the venue for activities in Fort Lauderdale. For more information, please visit www.fgo.org.

MIAMI CITY BALLET

In 1985, a leading Miami arts advocate, Toby Lerner Ansin, invited Edward Villella to consult with her and several associates about founding a classical ballet company in South Florida. A year later, Miami City Ballet’s first performance began with choreography by George Balanchine. Indeed, Balanchine – for whom Villella had danced for 18 years at New York City Ballet – became the foundation of both the Company’s repertory and style. MCB holds the largest Balanchine repertory after NYCB and has also triumphed performing

masterpieces by Jerome Robbins, Marius Petipa, Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, and many others. With its international dancers, and those developed through the Company’s school, MCB has won a tremendous national and international reputation – and in under 25 years! It annually performs at major venues in Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, and Naples, Florida, and will tour to Vail and Chicago in 2009. For more information, please visit www.miamicityballet.org.

NEW WORLD SYMPHONY, AMERICA’S ORCHESTRAL ACADEMY

The New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy (NWS), is dedicated to the artistic, professional and personal development of outstanding young musicians. Its fellowship program provides top graduates of music programs in the United States the opportunity to enhance their musical education with the finest professional training. Through this program, the New World Symphony presents over 70 performances during its season to South Florida music aficionados and novices alike, including 20 free performances and a robust community education initiative in the Miami-Dade Public Schools. Internationally-acclaimed artists frequently collaborate with NWS in bringing its mission to life, including Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Renée Fleming, John Adams and Itzhak Perlman. Dedicated to this community landscape, NWS will open its new campus, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Frank Gehry, in 2011. This music laboratory is the focal point of the Miami Beach City Center Redevelopment Project and will act as a cultural hub for all to enjoy. For more information, please visit www.nws.edu.

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