New York City Executives Assist Aspiring Entrepreneurs Worldwide at the Trickle Up Program Presents 'An Evening at Lincoln Center with the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony'

Ensemble of Leading New York City Business Executives to Hold Oct. 22 Concert
 to Benefit Trickle Up, the International Nonprofit Organization Dedicated to
                 Alleviating Poverty through Entrepreneurship

Charles Osgood, Anchor of CBS News' 'Sunday Morning' to Emcee; Lincoln Center
                       President Reynold Levy to Speak

    NEW YORK, Aug. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The Trickle Up Program, an international
nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating poverty through
microenterprise development, will present "An Evening at Lincoln Center with
the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony." The Oct. 22 benefit at Alice Tully Hall
will feature the highly regarded ensemble composed of business executives from
among New York City's premier corporations, law firms, and investment banks,
as well as 11-year-old Jourdan Urbach, violin virtuoso. Veteran CBS newsman
Charles Osgood will emcee, and Lincoln Center President Reynold Levy, former
president of the International Rescue Committee, will welcome guests. At this
gala event, some of the City's leading professionals will perform to help the
poorest people in Africa, Asia, Latin America, as well as the U.S., become
self-reliant through entrepreneurship.
    "We are delighted to be collaborating with the Park Avenue Chamber
Symphony," said Richenda Van Leeuwen, executive director of Trickle Up, which
provides seed capital and business training to the lowest-income people from
around the world to start micro-businesses. "Both organizations are guided by
the same important values: assistance to those who are less fortunate, service
to community, and an ardent dedication to sound and ethical business
practices.  These men and women, whose business acumen and immeasurable talent
are matched only by the quality of their character, are true entrepreneurs
coming to the aid of aspiring entrepreneurs around the world."
    The Symphony's music director and conductor is David Bernard, an alumnus
of the Curtis Institute of Music who has performed in 20 countries over the
past 25 years. "Our mission is to support and celebrate important causes with
our performances," said Bernard. "I can't imagine a more worthy cause than
helping the world alleviate poverty by empowering individuals to participate
in the economic development of their communities."
    The concert will also feature the Lincoln Center debut of 11-year-old
Jourdan Urbach, violin virtuoso, published author, and student at The
Juilliard School's Pre-College Division.  Jourdan has been featured as soloist
at Carnegie Recital Hall, Steinway Hall, The Tilles Center, Merkin Hall, and
Lefrak Hall.  He is also the Founder of Children Helping Children, a musical
charity organization that performs and fundraises for the pediatric centers of
New York hospitals. Expressing delight at Urbach's participation, Trickle Up's
Van Leeuwen noted that "the talent, focus, and determination of this young man
are truly inspirational."
    The program will include Haydn's Symphony No. 88 in G Major; Bruch's
Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 26; and Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C
Minor, Op. 67.  Tickets range from $50 to $200 ($200 tickets include prime
seating and a VIP reception). Tickets can be purchased through the Lincoln
Center Box Office at 212-875-5050, CenterCharge at 212-721-6500, or on-line
through the Lincoln Center Web site at http://www.lincolncenter.org/.

    About Trickle Up
    New York City-based Trickle Up was founded in 1979 to help alleviate
poverty and empower the poor. It has started or expanded more than 115,000
businesses in 120 countries, benefiting more than a half-million of the
world's poorest people. Trickle Up provides business training and seed capital
to the lowest income people. Its grant-based model provides access to capital
to marginalized people who do not qualify for microcredit, including refugees,
displaced people, disadvantaged minorities, single mothers, at risk youth,
HIV/AIDS-affected families, and people with disabilities. Trickle Up works
with 225 grassroots coordinating partner agencies in the U.S. and in 25
countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas to implement its microenterprise
development program. Nearly 70 percent of all Trickle Up Program entrepreneurs
are women. For more information, visit http://www.trickleup.org/.

    About the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony
    Founded in 1999, the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony is a nonprofit
organization based in New York. Symphony members share considerable musical
talent, and successful careers in business, government, and law. They support
charitable causes by performing several times per year to benefit music
education for children, honor leaders in children's music education, and
provide financial support to organizations like Trickle Up. Members include
investment bankers from Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, and Morgan Stanley; and
judicial law clerks and attorneys in major law firms and government service.
Companies represented also include AIG, AllianceCapital, Bank of America, BMG
Records, DB Marketing Technologies, Johnson & Johnson, Nickelodeon, Pfizer, 
Reader's Digest, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, RG Niederhoffer Capital Management, 
RoyalBlue Financial and Tommy Hilfiger.  For more information visit
http://www.chambersymphony.com/ .

     Contact: Dana Galin, Communications Director, 212-255-9980, x218 or
              mailto:%20danag@trickleup.org