Asia Society 2011 Awards Dinner
Join distinguished guests from the business, arts, policy and diplomatic communities to celebrate the 90th birthday of John C. Whitehead alongside other outstanding leaders in their respective fields whose demonstrated vision, creativity and leadership have earned them global praise and recognition.
With special performance by members of the Silk Road Ensemble
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Waldorf=Astoria Hotel
301 Park Avenue, New York City
Honorees | MC & Moderator | Tickets | Dinner Leadership
Reception: 6:30 pm
Dinner: 7:30 pm
Dress: Asian National Dress or Black Tie
Expected attendance: 400-500
To reserve a seat or table:
Download the invitation (PDF)
Download RSVP form to fax or email (PDF)
For further information:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 212-327-9235
2011 Honorees
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
Global Vision Award
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is the leading pro-democracy opposition leader in Myanmar and the daughter of Aung San, a martyred national hero, and Khin Kyi, a late Burmese diplomat. She has spent most of the past two decades under detention after her party, the National League for Democracy, won a victory in the 1990 elections but was denied power by the ruling military junta. In the midst of her struggle, she has endured the loss of her husband, Michael Aris, and continued separation from her two sons. She was eventually released from house arrest on November 13, 2010 following the election of a new government, and a year later announced she would rejoin the political system.
Aung San Suu Kyi's reemergence into politics has ushered in a new state of dialogue between Myanmar and the international community, highlighted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit in early December 2011, the first visit from a foreign secretary to the country in over 50 years. She formally registered her National League for Democracy as a political party in December 2011. The government of Myanmar approved the National League for Democracy's registration on January 5, 2012, and the party is ready to begin campaigning for the by-elections to be held on April 1 of this year.
In 1991, Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Price for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights.
John C. Whitehead
Former Deputy Secretary of State
Born in Evanston, Illinois, John C. Whitehead graduated from Haverford College in 1943 and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After receiving his M.B.A. degree from Harvard in 1947 he began at Goldman, Sachs & Co., where he became Partner in 1956 and Senior Partner in 1976. In 1985 President Reagan appointed Mr. Whitehead Deputy Secretary of State, a position he held from July 1985 until January 1989.
He is the former Chairman of such diverse organizations as the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Harvard Board of Overseers, the International Rescue Committee, the United Nations Association, Haverford College, Asia Society and the Hungarian-American Enterprise Fund. He is Chairman of the Boy Scouts of America/GNY.
In late 2001 Mr. Whitehead was appointed as Chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corp, the organization responsible for the rebuilding and revitalization of Lower Manhattan, and served in that position until May 2006. He is also the Founding Chairman of the National September 11th Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center.
David Henry Hwang
2011 Cultural Achievement Award
David Henry Hwang's plays include M. Butterfly (1988 Tony Award, 1989 Pulitzer Prize Finalist), Golden Child (1998 Tony Award nomination, 1997 OBIE Award), Yellow Face (2008 OBIE Award, 2008 Pulitzer Prize Finalist), FOB (1981 OBIE Award), The Dance and the Railroad (1982 Drama Desk Award nomination), Family Devotions (1982 Drama Desk Award nomination) and Bondage. He wrote the libretti for the Broadway musicals Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida (co-author), Rodgers & Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song (revival, 2002 Tony Award nomination) and Disney's Tarzan.
In opera, his libretti include four works with composer Philip Glass: The Voyage (Metropolitan Opera), 1000 Airplanes on the Roof, Sound and Beauty (seen in Chicago at the Court Theatre), and Icarus at the Edge of Time; as well as Osvaldo Golijov's Ainadamar (two 2007 Grammy Awards), Unsuk Chin's Alice in Wonderland (Opernwelt 2007 "World Premiere of the Year") and Howard Shore's The Fly. Hwang penned the feature films M. Butterfly, Golden Gate and Possession (co-author), and co-wrote the song "Solo" with Prince.
Hwang sits on the Council of the Dramatists Guild, and served by appointment of President Clinton on the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
More information about Chinglish
Watch an interview with David Henry Hwang
David Henry Hwang photo: Lia Chang
MC & Moderator
Dan Nainan
Comedian and Actor
Table and Ticket Pricing Levels & Benefits
(Please note: this is an Asia Society benefit fundraising event for which Member Discounts do not apply)
Benefactor at $25,000
* One Preferred Table of 10 for Reception & Dinner
* Listing in printed materials and on AsiaSociety.org
* Quarter-page acknowledgement in the Dinner Program
Patron at $15,000
* Table of 10 for Reception and Dinner
* Special listing in the Dinner Program
Golden Ticket(s) at $5,000
* Prime seating for one at Reception and Dinner
* Special listing in the dinner program
* One year New or Gifted Patron-level membership ($1500 value)
Premium Ticket(s) at $2,500
* Preferred seating for one at Reception & Dinner
* Listing in the dinner program
* One year New or Gifted Membership ($250 value)
Individual Ticket(s) at $1,500 (limited availability)
* Participation for one at Reception & Dinner
For information and additional Table Levels, please email:
[email protected]
or call Asia Society's Director of Special Events at 212-327-9235.
RSVP required by January 4, 2012.
Dinner Leadership
Dinner Chairs
J. Michael Evans
Vice Chairman, Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Maurice Greenberg ♦ The Starr Foundation
Paul B. Kazarian
Chairman and CEO, Japonica Partners
Vice Chairs
Citigroup
Henrietta and Richard Fore
Moringside Group/ Ronnie C. Chan
Ruth and Harold Newman
Lulu and Anthony Wang
Benefactors
AEA Investors LLC
Betsy and Edward Cohen
Mrs. Arthur C. Ross
Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Mai
The McGraw-Hill Companies
Tracy and Catherine Wolstencroft
Patrons
Alcoa Foundation
Duke Energy
General Atlantic LLC
Home Box Office
McKinsey & Company, Inc.
MetLife, Inc.
Ophelia and William Rudin
Supporters
The Andrew Sabin Family Foundation
Lisina M. Hoch
HSBC North America
Sonny and Michelle Kalsi/ GreenOak Real Estate Advisors LP
Kohn Pederson Fox
Clare Tweedy McMorris and Howard McMorris III
Victor and Tara Menezes
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
Friends
Kenneth Brody
Robert N. Downey
John Imle
Susan Lynch
Mary Mochary
Cynthia Hazen Polsky and Leon Polsky
Eric and Susan Sheinberg
Jean Kennedy Smith
Ambassador Carl Spielvogel and Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel
Jack and Susy Wadsworth
* Lists in formation
Previous Years
2010 New York Annual Dinner
2009 New York Annual Dinner
2008 New York Annual Dinner
2007 New York Annual Dinner