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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">For Immediate Release:</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><br>
June 13, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:center">
<b><span style="font-size:36.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">MIRI BEN-ARI<br>
</span></b><b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">TO BE HONORED AND PERFORM AT THE BIG VISION AWARDS 2012<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:center">
<b><span style="font-size:16.0pt">THURSDAY, JUNE 14<sup>TH</sup>, 7p.m.</span></b><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">, W.I.P.<span style="color:#1F497D"><br>
</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><br>
</span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><img width="348" height="289" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image001.jpg@01CD4965.B9436A20" alt="Big Vision Photo.jpg"></span></b><b><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">New York, NY – (June 13, 2012) – Grammy Award-winning Violinist & Producer
<b>Miri Ben-Ari </b>will be honored by the<b> Big Vision Awards 2012</b> tomorrow, June 14. As a friend of
<b>Miri Ben-Ari’s</b>, legendary music icon <b>Roberta Flack</b> will be presenting
<b>Miri </b>with her award. <b>Miri Ben-Ari</b> will also be performing a special song at the event. Other honorees include the Executive Director of NATAS Jacqueline Gonzalez, Academy award-nominated Screenwriter / Director Whit Stillman, Broadway Producer
Ken Davenport and TV/Radio Host Matt Pinfield. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The first annual
<b>Big Vision Awards</b>, presented by <b>Big Vision Empty Wallet</b>,<b> </b>honors successful artists, innovators, and decision-makers who are committed to creating outstanding work independently.
<b>Big Vision Empty Wallet</b> is an invitation-only membership organization that connects artists and industry leaders with opportunities.
<b>Big Vision Empty Wallet</b> members are made up of the best undiscovered artists, as well as seasoned pros working in film, music, media, and the performing arts.
<b>Big</b> <b><span style="color:black">Vision Empty Wallet</span></b><span style="color:black">’s goal is to inspire audiences with creatives who have forged their own unique paths to success and to meet other talented people to collaborate with. </span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><br>
When</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">: Thursday, June 14, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> 7:00 PM VIP Cocktail Reception/Red Carpet<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> 8:00 PM Awards Ceremony<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Where</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">: Work In Progress, (W.I.P.) 34 Vandam St, NYC<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Who</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">: Honorees - Grammy Award-winning Violinist & Producer <b>Miri Ben-Ari</b>, Executive
Director of NATAS, Jacqueline Gonzalez; Academy award-nominated Screenwriter / Director, Whit Stillman; Broadway Producer, Ken Davenport and MTV and Radio Host Matt Pinfield. Host BVEW co-founder Dani Faith Leonard
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="color:black">About Miri Ben-Ari<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black">A Grammy Award-Winning violinist originally from Israel,
<b>Miri Ben-Ari </b>has created her own unique sound by a revolutionary fusion of classical style with jazz, R&B and hip hop. This classically trained musician has helped sell millions of records by collaborating with other Grammy award-winning artists such
as Kanye West, Jay Z, Wyclef Jean, Alicia Keys, Wynton Marsalis, Britney Spears, Maroon 5, Patti Labelle, Brandy, Donna Summer, Janet Jackson and John Legend. She studied under the late classical master Isaac Stern and has earned the honor from New York's
Apollo Theater as an Apollo Legend. She is also known as <b><u>The Hip Hop Violinist</u></b>, the title of her latest album (Universal Records).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black">Miri </span>
</b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black">was honored as an "International Jewish Women to Watch” in 2007, she received the 2008 Israel Film Festival Visionary Award, the American Society for Yad Vashem 2011 Young Leadership Associates Remembrance Award
and is the first Israeli to receive the Martin Luther King Award from Israeli President, Shimon Peres. In 2011
<b>Miri Ben-Ari</b> was invited by America's First Lady, Michelle Obama, as a "Remarkable Woman" Mentor to be a part of the annual celebration of Women's History Month and to perform at the White House.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black">Miri Ben-Ari</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black"> is also the CEO and co-founder of Gedenk ("Remember"), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting awareness among
young people about the Jewish Holocaust. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="color:black"><a href="http://www.miribenari.com">www.miribenari.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="color:black">For More Information:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="color:black">Jennie Boddy @ PRESS HERE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="color:black">p:
</span><a href="tel:212.246.2640" target="_blank"><span style="color:black;text-decoration:none">212.246.2640</span></a><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black">e:
</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><a href="mailto:jennie@pressherepublicity.com">jennie@pressherepublicity.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:24.0pt;color:#1F497D">PLEASE EMAIL/CALL IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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