On Thursday July 24, 2014, the FSH Society will hold a very special benefit concert at Yoshi’s Jazz Club in San Francisco with opera’s legendary singer, Frederica von Stade, who will perform an intimate and personal suite of songs with the acclaimed pianist Steven Blier. Net proceeds for “Songs in the Key of Steven Blier,” will go to support the work of the FSH Society, raising critical funds for scientific research on facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD).
Blier, who is known to Bay Area music lovers through his long association with the San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program, is himself profoundly affected by FSHD. The muscle-wasting disease, while it has confined him to a motorized wheelchair, has spared his ability to play the piano masterfully. “I don’t think there’s anyone who sings or plays an instrument or loves music that doesn’t adore Steve Blier,” says von Stade. “This is a business where there is great and startling talent but he stands taller than anyone.”
When Blier invited von Stade to perform in this concert, she agreed without missing a beat. “We’re so grateful to everyone who comes to support Steven,” she said. “He triumphs over his illness every day of his life to the point that one forgets the challenges he faces and has faced for so many years. He is a walking miracle of talent and courage.”
The evening will begin with a wine reception and silent auction, followed by a light dinner of Yoshi’s Michelin-rated Japanese cuisine, live auction, musical performance and dessert. The funds raised will be used to support the work of some of the world’s foremost researchers.
The FSH Society, rated by Charity Navigator as one of America’s “Ten Charities worth Watching,” has spearheaded key breakthroughs in FSHD, the most common form of muscular dystrophy, which affects more than 500,000 people worldwide. These patients and their families are counting on us to lead the way to treatments and a cure.
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