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Forte

Forte heads Catholic Charities fundraiser

Tue, Jun 14th 2016 07:00 am

Catholic Charities presents "Forte Tenors in Concert" at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 30, inside Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo.

Forte was a finalist on season eight of "America's Got Talent." Band members include Josh Page, Sean Panikkar and Hana Ryu.

Catholic Charities' Appeal, which officially began Jan. 6, helps fund its 70 myriad programs and services across 61 sites in Western New York, along with a number of ministries through the Bishop's Fund for the Faith.

Since its founding in 1923, Catholic Charities has helped individuals and families in need. That need is varied and widespread - from emergency assistance to counseling, and from specialized services for the elderly to help with job training and education.

Diocesan Director Sr. Mary McCarrick, OSF, said, "This is the first time in the history of the appeal that Catholic Charities has ever done something like this to generate awareness and raise funds for the appeal. We're excited to involve the general public on a larger scale and are very much looking forward to this special evening with Forte tenors."

The event is presented and funded by LPCiminelli. As such, 100 percent of the show proceeds will benefit Catholic Charities' programs and services.

Tickets are now on sale and range from $45.50-$75.50. Purchase tickets via the Kleinhans Music Hall website, https://kleinhansbuffalo.org/.

In the two years since their magical journey to the "AGT" finals, Forte has gained widespread acclaim from insiders in the popular music industry, including MTV News, as well as established opera companies The Metropolitan Opera and Los Angeles Opera, firmly entrenching the group's position as the first (truly) widely accepted crossover act.

Though the trio met just days before the first "AGT" audition, Forte mesmerized millions on their journey to the finals on the eighth season of the top-rated reality competition series. Solo artists in their own right, Page, Panikkar and Ryu combine their individual talents to create one multicultural vocal force. After a series of ovations on the show (including the longest standing ovation in "AGT" history during the top 12 round), they were joined by another crossover sensation, Josh Groban, in a duet for the show's finale.

Within moments of leaving the "AGT" finale stage, Forte was signed to Columbia/SYCO records literally in the wings of the famed Radio City Music Hall. Their self-titled debut album topped the Barnes and Noble bestseller list and rose to No. 2 on the Amazon Best Sellers - behind only Lady Gaga.

Forte's first single, "Game of Thrones," off the album "The Future Classics," has already gone viral across several social media platforms.

Forte has brought an epic stage presence and power to live performances throughout the country. Most recently, legendary composer/producer David Foster took Forte on a tour of charitable gala concerts where they performed alongside the likes of Usher, John Fogerty, Natalie Cole, Jackie Evancho and Ruben Studdard. Forte's first post-"AGT" performance was at New York City's Carnegie Hall, where they were invited to headline for Kate Winslet's Golden Hat Foundation. They went on to perform at the National Tree Lighting in Washington, D.C., where they sang for President Barack Obama and Michelle in front of a national television audience (alongside the likes of Mariah Carey, Renee Fleming and Aretha Franklin).

Forte became the only act from season eight to headline a solo show in Las Vegas, where the group held a New Year's residency at the renovated Tropicana Las Vegas. Forte has performed in sold-out festivals and concerts across the U.S., including The Festival of the Arts Boca, The Bloomsburg Fair, Central City Opera's Theatre of Dreams Gala, and the Fort Worth Opera Festival at Bass Hall, among many others.

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