Mel Heifetz, Jennifer Higdon to be Featured at William Way’s Indigo Ball


Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon will present the Philadelphia premiere of a duet from her upcoming opera "Cold Mountain."

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon will present the Philadelphia premiere of a duet from her upcoming opera “Cold Mountain.”

Several big details were announced today about the upcoming William Way LGBT Community Center’s Indigo Ball, including one of the awardees who will be honored at the evening.

The 2015 Humanitarian of the Year award will go to Mel Heifetz, who, besides being an activist, real estate developer, and political donor, “famously retired the William Way Center’s mortgage on their current home at 1315 Spruce Street” back in 2005.

“Mel Heifetz has been one our community’s strongest humanitarians, fighting for our civil rights, investing in our organizations, and always making a stand for all of us. It’s a terrific honor to us to honor him,“ said William Way Executive Director Chris Bartlett.

Also featured will be Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and Philadelphia resident Jennifer Higdon, who will present the area premiere of a new work from her opera Cold Mountain, scheduled for a 2016 bow at Opera Philadelphia.

Additional awardees will be announced next week, including the evening’s keynote speaker. Tickets for the October 10th event at the National Constitution Center are $250 per person and include access to “Speaking Out for Equality” plus a cocktail hour and a three-course dinner. For more information, click here.