ACC 40th Anniversary Gala in New York
November 10, 2004

The centerpiece of the 40th Anniversary celebration was a Gala event held at the Time Warner Center in New York on November 10, 2004. The Gala evening for 500 guests began with a performance program in the spectacular Jazz at Lincoln Center Allen Room and concluded with dinner in the adjacent Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The 40th Anniversary Gala in New York introduced the work of the ACC to a wider public and featured the performances of several outstanding artists.

An esteemed group of supporters from the business and philanthropic communities in the United States and Asia lent its leadership to the Gala, as follows:

Honorary Chairman: David Rockefeller
Chairman: David Rockefeller, Jr.
Co-Chairs:
  Richard D. Parsons, Time Warner, Inc., New York
  Kenneth Hing-Cheung Fung, Hong Kong
  Douglas Tong Hsu, Far Eastern Group, Taipei
  Seiji Tsutsumi, Saison Foundation, Tokyo
Benefit Committee Chairmen:
  Jozie Cruz Natori
  Valerie Rockefeller Wayne
Master of Ceremonies: Bill Moyers
Honoree: ACC Chairman Elizabeth J. McCormack

The extensive list of Gala supporters included numerous friends and donors from the United States, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines.

The concert program in the Jazz at Lincoln Allen Room featured the following music and dance performances by ACC grantees:

• Gotham Lullaby, for voice and piano - composed and performed by Meredith Monk (U.S.)
• Penumbra, solo dance - choreographed and performed by Martinus Miroto (Indonesia)
• Excerpt from Seasons of Migration - Sophiline Shapiro (U.S.), choreographer; Hun Pen (Cambodia), dancer; Sam-Ang Sam (Cambodia), music director
• Excerpt from Empty Traditions/City of Peonies - Yin Mei (U.S.), choreographer; Yin Mei and Sang Ji Jia (China) dancers; Margaret Leng Tan (U.S.) piano; Frank Almond (U.S.) violin; music composed by Somei Satoh (Japan)

Ikebana artist Gaho Taniguchi from Japan created a floral installation work and table centerpieces for the Gala. Textiles of Laos from the collection of Carol Cassidy were on display.

ACC chairman Elizabeth McCormack (right) with
Nelly Fung, Douglas Tong Hsu, and Richard D. Parsons

photo: Cheung Ching-Ming

ACC chairman Elizabeth McCormack receives Laotian textile from the Council's president Richard S. Lanier (right) and trustee David Rockefeller, Jr.
photo: Ray Stubblebind

Senator John D. Rockefeller IV
speaking about his father
photo: Ray Stubblebind