Global Arts Live Gala
Sponsor Soirée
5:30PM, Crystal Ballroom
Live music, tapas-style fare, and cocktails
Sona Jobarteh Band
7:30PM, Somerville Theatre
Featured concert
Gala After-Party
9:30PM, Crystal Ballroom
Late-night nibbles, dessert, and dancing with Orquesta Akokán
Three Ways to Particpate:
Sponsorships | $1,000+
Almost sold out!
Sponsors get VIP access to the entire evening of festivities, which includes exclusive invitation to the pre-concert Sponsor Soirée, premium seating at the Sona Jobarteh Band concert, and access to the exciting After Party. The Sponsor Soirée will have live music, tapas-style fare from award-winning restaurant PAGU, cocktails, and a silent auction. More details on further sponsorship benefits can be found below. All sponsorships directly support the mission of Global Arts Live to cultivate community and transcend borders.
Gala Tickets | $250
We are thrilled to announce that Cuban band Orquesta Akokán will be getting everyone dancing as the Gala After-Party headliner! Premium seat to the Sona Jobarteh Band concert and exclusive access to the After-Party. Orquesta Akokán is guaranteed to keep the celebration going with an electrifying performance. Complimentary late-night bites from award-winning restaurant PAGU and cash bar included. Your Gala ticket also includes a generous $100 donation to Global Arts Live—directly impacting our mission to foster a global arts community that inspires understanding, hope, and unity.
Concert-Only Tickets | $65 / $52 / $44
A modern-day griot, Sona Jobarteh contemporizes the presentation of the kora, a West African stringed instrument, by breaking gender barriers and playing while standing. Performing with an electric Afropop band, she sings about cultural identity, gender, love, and respect.
Watch our highlight reel to experience the magic of the gala and browse our Facebook album to relive some of the most memorable moments.
Sponsorship Levels
Bronze Sponsorship - $1,000
- 2 tickets to the entire event, including the pre-show reception, concert, and post-show party, with reserved seating
- Listing in the event program
- Recognition on signage and the website
Silver Sponsorship - $2,500
- All benefits listed at Bronze level, but with 4 tickets to the entire event.
Gold Sponsorship - $5,000
- All benefits listed at Silver level, but with 8 tickets to the entire event.
- Signed copy of the headlining artist’s merchandise
- Acknowledgment from the stage at the sponsor soirée
Platinum Sponsorship - $10,000
- All benefits listed at Gold level, but with 12 tickets to the entire event.
- 2 reserved parking spots near the theater
- Meet and greet or photo-op with an artist from the Gala
Lead Sponsorship - $25,000
- All benefits listed at Platinum level, but with 20 tickets to the entire event.
- 4 reserved premium parking spots behind the theater
- Acknowledgment from the stage at the soirée and featured concert
- Lead sponsor recognition on all printed materials, including the program, signage, website, and pre-event marketing materials
Global Arts Live is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization, and contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Each sponsorship includes event benefits that have a fair market value of $325 per person which is not tax-deductible. Please consult your tax advisor if needed. Please note that the IRS prohibits the use of donor-advised funds to pay for event sponsorships.
If you cannot make it to the gala but want to support this important event, you can donate today.
Sona Jobarteh Band Bio
Sona Jobarteh has the unique ability to touch audiences from all over the world and from all backgrounds and cultures, singing songs of cultural identity, love, gender, and respect with her electric Afropop band.
The spirit of Sona Jobarteh’s musical work stands on the mighty shoulders of the West African griot tradition; she is a living archive of the Gambian people. Jobarteh is the first female within this ancient tradition to master the kora—"a very central and important adaptation that tradition must take in order to be relevant to our new society” (Sona Jobarteh, 60 Minutes). At the heart of her success as an artist is her dedication to humanitarian activism in social development and educational reform on the continent of Africa.
Orquesta Akokán bio
Orquesta Akokán burst onto the global music scene in 2018 with their no-holds-barred 21st century take on Cuban mambo—imbuing it with the group’s signature sense of akokán, a Cuban Yoruba word meaning “from the heart.” The GRAMMY nominated big band riffs on Cuba’s golden grooves from the 1940s and 1950s with fresh style and panache. The horns drive the tunes, making them irresistibly danceable. Their live shows are said to “vibrate your soul, which is precisely what the world needs right now.” (singer Kiko Ruiz)
“A thrillingly authentic slice of Cuban mambo.”—Uncut
Current Sponsors
Lead Sponsor
Nagesh Mahanthappa and Valentine Talland
Alex Rigopulos and Sachi Sato
Takeda Pharmaceuticals**
Platinum
Eric Klotch
Anonymous
Gold
Ashish Desai and Gandhali Bhole
Kendra Moore
PAGU*
Silver
Pamela Coravos and Garrett Stuck
Eastern Bank Foundation**
Alan Geismer
Rima Hyder
Andrea Itano and Richard Moldovan
Holly Laurent
Phyllis Menken
Redgate**
Catherine Truman
Jean Walsh and Graham Davies
Bronze
Michael Benari
Jeffrey Bernfeld and Mary-Kathleen O'Connell
Pamela Bynum and Henry Ferrara
Anmarie Ciccolo
Paul Dansereau and Julie Miller
Elevate Destinations**
Kenneth and Theresa Ralff
Verneda Ray
Daniel and Julia Rinehart
Phillip and Catherine Saines
Purnima Thakre Braiker and Zach Braiker
Anonymous
*In-Kind Sponsor
**Corporate Sponsor
2025 Gala Committee
Gandhali Bhole, Pamela Bynum, Sarah Delaney, Rima Hyder, Edith Joyce, Eric Klotch, Nagesh Mahanthappa, Priya Sankalia, and Purnima Thakre
Connie C. Chin, Chief Executive Officer
Maure Aronson, Founder & Director of Artistic Programming
