A concert to benefit Palo Alto Partners in Education will be held on Saturday, according to lead event coordinator Lauren Bonomi.
International concert pianist and Palo Alto Unified School District parent Samira Tabraue will perform at the event. PiE, a non-profit education foundation that raises money for the Palo Alto public schools, prompted Tabraue to lend her time and talent for the event.
“We [my family and I] just arrived in Palo Alto at the beginning of this academic year,” Tabraue said. “In all the places I have lived, I have never heard of an organization like PiE. [When] I read a little about it and the vision and purpose, I decided to give my support.”
As a new parent in Palo Alto, Tabraue wanted to support her children’s new school district. Tabraue has one child at Walter Hays Elementary School and another at Palo Alto High School.
“After Walter Hays held its PTA [Parent Teacher Association] Fall Fest fundraiser, Samira was inspired by the many parties and events that were offered,” Bonomi said. “She asked about being able to offer a concert to benefit the schools. Since the Walter Hays PTA had met its goals for the Fall Fest fundraiser and she has children at both Walter Hays and Paly, PiE was the logical choice to reach the broader school community.”
Although Tabraue only plans to stay in Palo Alto for one year because her husband is on sabbatical as a visiting researcher at Stanford, Bonomi may consider making the concert an annual event to benefit the organization.
“There are so many talented musicians in the school community that it would be a fantastic idea to continue this type of event going forward,” Bonomi said.
As for this year’s concert, Bonimi hopes for a high attendance.
“Most of all, we hope to have a great turnout for a great cause,” Bonimi said. “Samira has selected a wonderful program and will be performing in a venue known among musicians throughout the Bay Area for it’s fine acoustics.”
The concert will be held from 8-10 p.m. on Saturday at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in downtown Palo Alto. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and $10 for students. Complementary refreshments and treats will be offered at the event during the intermission, according to Bonomi.