“Tune It Up” Virtual Concert to Raise Awareness of Colorectal Cancer
A SOUNDTRACK FOR MARCH 2023 CRC AWARENESS MONTH
Performers
 Rufus Wainwright Singer/Songwriter/Composer |  Hilary Hahn Violinist |  Kerry Ellis West End/Broadway Singer |
 Sierra Hull Bluegrass Singer/Mandolinist |  Jon Batiste Pianist/Singer/Composer |  Ally Venable w/ Buddy Guy Blues Guitarists/Singers |
 David Broza Singer/Guitarist |  Ben Kweller Rock Singer/Guitarist/Songwriter |  Erin Kinsey Country Singer/Guitarist |
 John Morriss Russell Conductor, Cincinnati Pops |  Dave Douglas & Joe Lovano Jazz Trumpet & Saxophone |  Ari Hest Rock Singer/Guitarist/Songwriter |
 Eric Jacobsen Conductor |  Colin Jacobsen Violinist |  The Knights Orchestra |
 K.F. Jacques Hip-Hop Singer |  Free Bridge Quintet Jazz Quintet |  Sue Foley Blues Guitarist |
 Calista Del Toro Rock Singer/Guitarist/Songwriter |  Will Liverman Opera Baritone |  Rachel Barton Pine Violinist |
 Berlin Philharmonic Horns French Horns |
 Cincinnati Pops Orchestra |
2022 Recording: The College is deeply grateful to all the artists who contributed performances to “Tune It Up” in 2022 for their support of Colorectal Cancer Awareness!
Listen to the 2022 concert recording
In 2022, artists Hilary Hahn, Rufus Wainwright, Tim Reynolds, and Ben Folds headlined a musical program that included rock singer/songwriter Ben Kweller and operatic baritone Will Liverman along with a performance by The Knights with violinist Gil Shaham in a special program!
So many artists from an incredible array of musical genres donated their time and performances to support colorectal cancer awareness including the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. See a list of all the featured performers below.
Dr. Benjamin Levy of the ACG Public Relations Committee invited musical guests for this virtual event that brought together the ACG community to focus attention on colorectal cancer screening. ACG’s goal was to tap the connection and energy that music creates to shine a light on the importance of colorectal cancer prevention!
Full List of Performers
Rufus Wainwright – The New York-born, Montreal-raised GRAMMY® Award Nominated singer songwriter is about to release his 12th studio album Folkocracy, a star-studded album of folk music reinventions featuring special guests and collaborations including Brandi Carlile, John Legend, David Byrne, Sheryl Crow, Nicole Scherzinger, Chaka Khan, Andrew Bird, ANOHNI, Susanna Hoffs, Van Dyke Parks, Madison Cunningham, and many more. Rufus Wainwright’s fantastic GRAMMY® Award nominated “Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall,” captured his celebrated Judy Garland tribute performance at the London Palladium.
Hilary Hahn – Three-Time GRAMMY® Award Winning Violinist who is currently the Artist in Residence at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and London’s Wigmore Hall. Hahn is a prolific and celebrated recording artist whose 21 feature albums on Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, and Sony have all opened in the top ten of the Billboard charts. A strong advocate for new music, Hahn has commissioned more than 35 composers to write works in a wide range of formats. Hahn was featured in the Oscar-nominated soundtrack to The Village.
Kerry Ellis – London West End/Broadway singer who originated the role of Meat in Queen’s “We Will Rock You” musical and was the first British Elphaba in the West End smash “Wicked.” Ellis then immediately transferred to Broadway and played Elphaba at the Gershwin Theater for 6 months, where she won the Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite Female Breakthrough Performance, before returning to London for 6 months in 2009. Her many other leading role credits include Eliza Doolittle in “My Fair Lady,” Ellen in “Miss Saigon” and Fantine in “Les Misérables.”
Sierra Hull – In her first 25 years alone, American bluegrass singer-songwriter, mandolinist, and guitarist Sierra Hull has hit more milestones than many musicians accomplish in a lifetime. After making her Grand Ole Opry debut at the age of 10, the Tennessee-bred virtuoso mandolinist played Carnegie Hall at age 12, then landed a deal with Rounder Records just a year later. Now 28-years-old, Hull is set to deliver her fourth full- length for Rounder: an elegantly inventive and endlessly captivating album called 25 Trips.
Jon Batiste – Five-Time GRAMMY® Award Winning pianist, singer, and composer from New Orleans who was bandleader and musical director of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on CBS from 2015-2022. In 2020, Batiste won an Academy Award for Best Original Score for the Disney/Pixar film Soul. Batiste’s work on Soul also earned him a Golden Globe, BAFTA, NAACP Image Award and a Critic’s Choice Award. Jon Batiste was the second black composer in history, after legendary jazz musician Herbie Hancock, to win an Academy Award for composition.
Ally Venable – Texas blues-rock singer/songwriter and guitarist. It was 2019’s #2 Billboard Blues charting Texas Honey and rocking sets on Ruf’s European Blues Caravan tour that propelled her internationally. In 2021, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, lent his guitar skills on her XM Bluesville’s charted song, “Bring on the Pain. Ally Venable performs tonight with Buddy Guy – Blues guitarist, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, 7-time GRAMMY® Award winner, 2015 Lifetime Achievement GRAMMY® Award winner, and Kennedy Center Honoree who has also received the Presidential National Medal of Arts.
Berlin Philharmonic Horns – French Horn Section from the Berliner Philharmoniker in Germany. The ensemble’s debut CD – “Opera” – contains arrangements running the gamut from Richard Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde to Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story.
David Broza – Internationally renowned Israeli singer-songwriter, recognized for his dynamic guitar performances and humanitarian efforts. His signature sound brings together the influence of Spanish flamenco, American folk, rock music, and poetry.
Ben Kweller – GRAMMY® Award Nominated Rock Singer/Songwriter. In 2001, Ben Kweller became ATO Records’s first worldwide signing. After releasing 5 albums, Kweller founded his own label and management company The Noise Company in Austin, Texas. Ben Kweller made his acting debut in the music-themed film Rudderless, directed by William H. The soundtrack featured the song “Hold On,” a duet between Kweller and Selena Gomez.
Erin Kinsey – Country music singer-songwriter in Nashville. A gifted singer, songwriter, and musician, the rising artist from Rockwall, Texas, began pursuing music at 12-years-old. Armed with immense talent, she also plays several instruments including, guitar, piano, and banjo, to name a few. Her debut single, “Just Drive,” is impacting country radio now. The song has been featured on SiriusXM The Highway “On The Horizon” and has over 25 million views/streams to date.
Cincinnati Pops – GRAMMY® Award winning Orchestra and Conductor John Morris Russell. The growing list of celebrated artists who have collaborated with the Pops include Ella Fitzgerald, Henry Mancini, Aretha Franklin, Dave Brubeck, Kristin Chenoweth, John Williams, Idina Menzel, Rosemary Clooney, Mandy Patinkin, Ben Folds, Vanessa Williams, Boyz II Men, and Bernadette Peters. Maestro Russell and the Cincinnati Pops recently received a GRAMMY® Award Nomination “Best Classical Compendium” for their recording American Originals 1918 (a tribute to the dawn of the jazz age).
John Morris Russell – A master of American musical style, John Morris Russell has devoted himself to redefining the American orchestral experience. Beginning his eleventh season as conductor of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, the wide-range and diversity of his work as a conductor, collaborator and educator continues to reinvigorate the musical scene throughout Cincinnati and across the continent. Maestro Russell is also the Music Director of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra in South Carolina and also serves as Principal Pops Conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, following in the footsteps of Marvin Hamlisch and Doc Severinsen.
Dave Douglas – Jazz trumpeter and composer. His unique contributions to improvised music have garnered distinguished recognition, including a Doris Duke Artist Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, an Aaron Copland award, and two GRAMMY® Award nominations. Tonight, Dave Douglas performs with saxophonist Joe Lovano, drummer Joey Baron, pianist Lawrence Fields, and bassist Linda May Han Oh
Joe Lovano – Grammy-winning saxophonist, composer and producer Joe Lovano is fearless in finding new modes of artistic expression. With a GRAMMY® win for his 52nd Street Themes and 14 other nominations, he has won DownBeat Magaine’s Critics and Readers Polls many times as Tenor Saxophonist, Musician of the Year and Triple Crowns from DownBeat. Since 2001, he has held the Gary Burton Chair in Jazz Performance and is a founding faculty member since 2009 of the Global Jazz Institute at Berklee.
Eric Jacobsen – Cellist and Conductor of The Knights, who also serves as the Music Director for the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Under Jacobsen’s baton, The Knights have developed an extensive recording collection, which includes the critically acclaimed albums Azul, with longtime collaborator Yo-Yo Ma, as well as a recent featuring Gil Shaham in performances of the Beethoven and Brahms Violin Concertos. Eric Jacobsen is also a member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project.
Colin Jacobsen – Violinist and Composer who co-founded the Knights with his brother Eric Jacobsen. As a touring member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project since its founding in 2000, Jacobsen has participated in residencies and performances at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Hollywood Bowl, and across the U.S., as well as in Azerbaijan, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, and Switzerland. He has been featured with orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Santa Fe Pro Musica and has premiered concertos by Kevin Beavers and Lisa Bielawa. Recent highlights include a performance of the Brahms’ Double Concerto with cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
The Knights – An orchestra of adventurous musicians in NYC dedicated to transforming the orchestral experience and eliminating barriers between audiences and music. The orchestra has toured and recorded with renowned soloists including Yo-Yo Ma, Dawn Upshaw, Béla Fleck, and Gil Shaham, and has appeared across the world’s most prestigious stages including Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood, Ravinia, The Kennedy Center, and the Vienna Musikverein.
K.F. Jacques – Hip-Hop Artist, Singer and Songwriter who combines hip-hop with opera
Free Bridge Quintet – Faculty Jazz Quintet at the University of Virginia featuring Jeff Decker on saxophones, Robert Jospé on the drums, Peter Spaar on bass, John D’earth on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Calvin Brown on piano
Sue Foley – Canadian guitarist, singer, songwriter and bandleader based in Austin, Texas. Her trademark instrument is a pink paisley Fender Telecaster. She is a veritable triple-threat as a guitarist, songwriter and vocalist. As with many blues women of the past, Foley has a long history of defying convention and being a positive role model for aspiring, young female musicians.
Calista Del Toro – Singer-songwriter from South El Monte, California known for her laid-back soulful pop sound.
Will Liverman – Recently starred in “Fire Shut Up In My Bones” by Terence Blanchard, the first opera ever performed at the Metropolitan Opera written by a Black composer. Their recording for “Fire Shut Up In My Bones” won a 2023 GRAMMY® Award for Best Opera Recording. Liverman’s “Dreams of a New Day” album was a 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominee for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album.
Ari Hest – GRAMMY® Award Nominated Singer/Songwriter for his duets album with Judy Collins. Hest built a loyal following touring the college circuit extensively between 2000 and 2003, after which he released two albums on Columbia Records, Someone To Tell (2004) and The Break-In (2007) all the while touring both in the U.S. and abroad with artists such as Martin Sexton, Suzanne Vega, and Ani Difranco.
Rachel Barton Pine – Concert violinist Rachel Barton Pine performs as soloist with the world’s leading orchestras throughout North and South America, Europe and beyond. She has recorded 40 acclaimed albums, many of which have hit the top of the charts. She has appeared on The Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning, CNN, PBS NewsHour, A Prairie Home Companion, and NPR’s Tiny Desk, and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and New York Times. In 1992, she became the only American and youngest person to win a gold medal at the 1992 J.S. Bach International Violin Competition in Germany. Her RBP Foundation assists young artists through its Instrument Loan Program and Grants for Education and Career, and runs the groundbreaking Music by Black Composers project, which was launched in 2001. This season Rachel Barton Pine joins composer Jessie Montgomery for a Chicago Symphony Orchestra MusicNOW performance of a work written for Pine.
Davis Senior High School Baroque Ensemble performing with violinist Rachel Barton Pine and her daughter violinist Sylvia Pine – Students from Davis Senior High School in Davis, CA, with guest violinist Ronald Hsu, MD, FACG, ACG’s Governor from Northern California
Special Message from Katie Couric
A Message from Katie Couric to Colorectal Cancer Screening Champions and ACG
Concert Director: Benjamin Levy, MD
Benjamin Levy, MD, is a board-certified Gastroenterologist at the University of Chicago. His clinical projects focus on health care disparities and the development of colon cancer screening campaigns. Previously as Division Head of Gastroenterology at Mount Sinai Hospital, Dr. Levy organized a Gastroenterology clinic for refugees resettling in Chicago. Dr. Levy is a member of ACG’s Public Relations Committee and FDA-Related Matters Committee.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Levy started an international health education campaign named “Concerts & Cocktails” that teamed up musicians with physicians and nurses on the front lines. Dr. Levy was subsequently selected to be a TEDx speaker @TEDxWrigleyville – “Humanity: An Inside View of the Pandemic.” An avid cellist, Dr. Levy recently served as co-chair of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Soundpost Series.
Special Thanks
PianoForte Chicago
Rishi Productions
Ruf Records
Ms. Katie Couric
Daniel J. Pambianco, MD, FACG, ACG President
Irving M. Pike, MD, FACG, ACG Past President
Tauseef Ali, MD, FACG, Chair ACG Public Relations Committee
ACG Public Relations Committee
About Colorectal Cancer Screening
In the United States, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer, yet it is one of the most preventable types of cancer. It is highly treatable and is often curable when caught early. Even during COVID-19, colorectal cancer screening is essential and should not be delayed.
Screening colonoscopy can find growths in the colon called polyps so they can be removed before they turn into colorectal cancer. During the pandemic, patients are urged to not put off needed health care, especially preventive tests.
The most common symptom of early colon and rectal cancers is NO symptom, so it is important to get screened. No matter what your age, never ignore new or worrying bowel symptoms.
ACG’s message for March Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month: You can prevent colorectal cancer. Don’t let COVID-19 stop you!