After months of planning, dozens of audition files and weeks of promotion, the Nanoseed Benefit Concert will bring music and dance to the Rothschild Performing Arts Center this Friday starting at 7 pm. 

Tickets for this year’s concert are available at tiny.cc/nsconcert and can also be bought at box office the day of the event. Up to this point, over 170 tickets have been sold. 

Nanoseed, founded in 2014, is a student-run nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviate poverty in areas of rural China. There are twelve branches across California, each of which is headed by three students at the school where the branch is located.

Andrew Sun (11), the executive director of the state-wide organization, and his team have been preparing for the concert since October, hanging up posters, hosting auditions and, in past weeks, promoting the event. They worked with Harker Production Manager Brian Larsen and upper school business and entrepreneurship teacher Michael Acheatel with regards to logistics, ticket selling and marketing strategies. Performers in the concert went through an application and video audition process. 

“I’m really happy with how awesome our performers are this year, how involved they are,” Andrew said. “Really, it’s a blessing for us to work with them because of how talented they are, and to see people inspired by the concert, by the performers, and just supporting the cause is really important to me.” 

Last year, proceeds from the concert funded 18 scholarships and loans in China. This end result— being able to help a community in need— is what keeps him motivated. 

“[The organization] helps people who can’t access higher education because of the lack of financial assistance. It’s really empowering to them and, seeing their experiences, their passions, their interests, where they want to take themselves in the future, is also inspiring. Allowing them to see that future for themselves and fulfill those ambitions is really rewarding,” Andrew said. 

This year’s performers consist of two dance groups, three pianists, one guitarist, one violinist, and one acapella group, with members from other schools performing as well. 

Synectic Crew is a hip hop dance group composed of Ethan Hu (12), Anna Miner (12), Kai-Ming Ang (12, and Emiko Armstrong (12). They will be dancing a combination to “Lights Down Low (Not Your Dope Remix)” by MAX. Anna and Emiko will also be performing a routine to “If You Need Me” by Julia Michaels. 

“I definitely think [dance] is an art form that everyone can relate to and I love sharing my joy for dance with an audience– especially Nanoseed. This year’s theme is “Giving to Grow.” And through just this performance we’re helping to raise money for the rural communities in China to grow, just as we grow through dance,” Anna said. 

Arely Sun (10) is a ballerina who will be dancing “Variation from Giselle” at the concert, a ballet following the romantic tale of love and betrayal between Count Albrecht and the peasant Giselle. 

Wilson Zhang (11), a classical guitarist, will play Barrios La Catedral. Spencer Cha (10), Yejin Song (10), Audrey Liu (11) will all be playing piano at the benefit concert. Their repertoires are Liszt Mephisto Waltz No. 1, Chopin Ballade No. 3 and the third movement of Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata, respectively.

Audrey is also a part of Signature, the upper school’s acapella group, which will be performing as well. The members who will be singing at the benefit concert include Tasha Moorjani (12), Kalyan Narayanan (12), Joel Morel (12), Anika Fuloria (11), Austin Killam (11), Saumi Mehta (10), Josh Field (10), Lucy Feng (9) and Kris Estrada (9). They’ll be singing “Quiet Place” by Take 6. 

“I’m just glad to participate in such a good cause. Since China is the origin of my parents and kind of my second hometown, I feel like it’s a good cause to give back to them and [to use] the power of music to express your love, even though you’re not directly next to whoever you’re giving to. It’s the thought that matters,” Audrey said.