By Anne Levin
As a classical violinist, Sunghae Anna Lim has long been interested in how music can be a social force for good in the world. Among her duties as part of the performance faculty at Princeton University is advising the Trenton Youth Orchestra, which pairs Trenton students with music students from the University.
So when Lim learned about Music for Food, a musician-led initiative to fight hunger in local communities, she began thinking about organizing a concert in Princeton. It didn’t take long for her to put together “Mozart and Brahms in Princeton,” a chamber music concert taking place Friday, September 26 at 7:30 p.m. at Nassau Presbyterian Church.
Admission is free with a suggested donation of $40 ($15 for students). All proceeds go to the social service agency Arm In Arm. No reservations are necessary.
“This has been in the back of my mind for a long time,” said Lim, a longtime Princeton resident. “I have a friend who runs the New York chapter of Music for Food, and I was intrigued by it. And with the current climate in our country — budget cuts from SNAP, mental health and substance abuse programs, it seemed like the right time to do it.”
Lim talked to people at Arm In Arm, Meals on Wheels, and other social service about her idea for a concert. Nassau Presbyterian Church seemed like a good place to start, because the church works with Arm In Arm on providing food and shelter.
“I just walked into the food pantry in the basement,” said Lim. “I talked to the woman who was running it and she was very open to the idea.”
According to the website Musicforfood.net, the organization raised $172,700 in 28 cities across the nation in the years 2023-24. Since its founding in 2019, concerts have raised over $1 million, creating more than 3 million meals. More than 400 artists have taken part.
The idea is simple: Musicians donate their time and skills. They create a program, find a venue and a food bank that wants to work with them. They play a concert and ask for donations, which go directly to the food pantry.
“Kim Kashkashian, a well-known violist who has played with [cellist] Yo Yo Ma, says people sometimes ask, ‘Why do a concert? Why not just donate?’ And that is a valid question,” said Lim.
People are already being asked to donate by food charities all over. But this is about bringing awareness to this issue of food insecurity and the surrounding social issues that go with it. And it’s making the case that music and the arts are really important. Of course, you need food to survive. But these ideas can be combined in a wonderful way. And seeing the success over the years, it is a compelling idea.”
The upcoming concert is something of a family affair. Cellists Colin Carr and Frankie Carr are father and son; violist Caroline Wolff is Colin’s wife and Frankie’s mother. Lim and Ellen Jewett are on violin; Marka Gustavsson joins Wolff on viola. The program includes Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet K581 and Brahms’ String Sextet Number 1 in B-flat Major, Opus 18.
Among Lim’s long list of credits are founding member of the Laurel Piano Trio, member of the New Millenium Ensemble, and the Richardson Chamber Players. She has been a soloist with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, Princeton University Orchestra, the Honolulu Symphony, and elsewhere. She is a winner of the Naumburg Chamber Music Award, and made her debut recital at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall.
“Classical music is wonderful, but it is often seen as remote and esoteric and elitist,” said Lim. “I think many musicians are trying to find ways to be relevant. Hopefully, this concert will make some positive impact, however small. It’s a very inhumane moment in the world. Seeing people impacted in my own community makes it seem like the moment to try to do something, in the way that I can do.”