Nashville in Harmony plans to celebrate Don Schlosser Day on August 29, 2020. This day will honor the founding Artistic Director of Nashville in Harmony, who recently retired from the position in June 2020 after growing the organization from 15 singers to more than 120 during his 16-year tenure, and it will feature a virtual livestreamed event at noon and culminate in the lighting of the Korean Veterans Memorial bridge in rainbow colors that evening.
“We celebrate Don Schlosser Day to create awareness of Don's selfless acts of kindness, generosity, and spirit. We want people of all ages, races, genders, and orientations to know who Don is and what he has meant to our Nashville community and beyond,” says Michael Reding, Nashville in Harmony’s President. “To quote the lyrics from the musical, Wicked, "Because I knew you, I have been changed for good." Those lyrics were not only part of the repertoire that was to be Don's final concert with Nashville in Harmony, but they embody how we feel about Don and the legacy he leaves behind in his retirement from the chorus. Though Don always strived for musical excellence with each performance, music was never our end goal; building community and creating social change was our goal, and music was just how we got there.”
Since the pandemic cancelled Nashville in Harmony’s spring concert, Singing For Our Lives, which was to be Don’s final concert with the organization, this day-long event will be the official celebration of his legacy and leadership. “Don has empowered us to embrace our mission statement of using music to build community and create social change internally as Nashville in Harmony and externally with audiences, composers, and other performing arts organizations,” says Kim Ewell, Nashville in Harmony’s Production Director.
Nashville in Harmony invites community partners, members, and fans to join the organization in celebrating this day by uploading a video to their Tribute page and by sharing a memory on August 29 on social media and tagging #DonSchlosserDay.
Visit Nashville in Harmony’s website and social channels for more information. Click here for more coverage of Nashville in Harmony.