Indianapolis, March, 12, 2018 – In partnership with the Lotus Education & Arts Foundation, Eskenazi Health will host three outstanding free concerts this spring featuring a variety of outstanding musicians from around the world. The concerts will take place at the Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital, 720 Eskenazi Ave.

The series of concerts will begin on Friday, March 23, beginning at 12:30 p.m. when Kardemimmit performs in the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation Concourse on the first floor of the Sandra Eskenazi Outpatient Care Center.

The women of Kardemimmit sing and play the Finnish national string instrument the kantele. The quartet has mastered both the 15-stringed and 38-stringed kantele, producing the distinctive sounds made by the plucked acoustic instrument that blends with delicate tight vocal harmonies in a style of singing known as “reki.” The standout contemporary Nordic ensemble writes their own folk music rooted in Finnish tradition.

Lively music and unique dance steps will be featured when Dance of Hope performs at Eskenazi Health on Friday, March 30. The performance will begin at 12:30 p.m., and will be held at the north end of the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation Concourse. 

Dance of Hope strives to restore dignity and self-confidence to Ugandan children through teaching life skills, music and the arts. The group of children, aged 7 to 16 years old, delivers a rich cultural experience packed with passionate rhythms, sensational sounds, and exhilaratingly colorful choreography. Performances explore the transformational power of music and dance to raise awareness and improve the way of life for the many children that are orphaned, displaced, or living in poverty. This vibrant music and dance spectacular features Africa’s newest cast of young performers, whose triumphant and inspiring human turnaround stories showcase a resilience born of sounds that enhance creativity, persistence and change.

This exciting trio of concerts will conclude on Friday, April 6, with award-winning brother-and-sister act Giri and Uma Peters performing in the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation Concourse on the first floor of the Sandra Eskenazi Outpatient Care Center. The concert will begin at noon.

Giri and Uma Peters are award-winning, multi-instrumentalists who astonish audiences with their refreshing, soulful blend of old-time, roots and bluegrass music. Giri and Uma may be young, but their musicianship and vocal harmonies showcase a creativity and originality beyond their years. Their musicianship has attracted the attention of roots music star Rhiannon Giddens and banjo greats Abigail Washburn and Bela Fleck, among others. 

The Lotus Education & Arts Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Bloomington, Indiana (est. 1994). Its mission is to create opportunities to experience, celebrate, and explore the diversity of the world's cultures, through music and the arts. The Foundation’s flagship program is the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival, which takes place in the fall in Bloomington. The Festival is one of the oldest world music festivals in the U.S. and attracts more than 12,000 attendees and nearly 30 artists from all over the world.

These free concerts are part of the Marianne Tobias Music Program at Eskenazi Health, which brings music to the patients, visitors and staff at Eskenazi Health. Tobias helped to establish the program, including donating a concert grand piano that resides in the main concourse of the Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital.
To learn more about the Marianne Tobias Music Program, and to find a list of upcoming concerts, please contact the Eskenazi Health Foundation at 317.880.4900 or visit www.EskenaziHealthMusic.com.

CONTACT: Tom Surber
Phone: 317.880.4793
Cell: 317.402.9327
Pager: 317.310.5972 
Email: thomas.surber@eskenazihealth.edu