Soprano Alyson Cambridge Headlines FAAFC's Fête de l'Opéra Comique Gala in New York

Soprano Alyson Cambridge hosted and performed at French American Aid for Children's Fête de l'Opéra Comique gala on Oct. 20, 2026, at the Metropolitan Club in New York. The black-tie masquerade benefit honored Philippe Oddou, co-founder and executive director of Sport dans la Ville, with the Simone Alibert Smith Award.

The evening supports underserved children and young people in France and the United States. It drew Myriam Gil, the Deputy Consul General of France in New York, alongside FAAFC grantees, sponsors and members of the philanthropic community. The program ran the full gala gamut: a reception, dinner, opera performances, a live auction and a pledge drive.

Who performed, and what did they sing?

Cambridge, whose résumé spans The Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center and Broadway, closed her hosting duties with a performance of the "Habanera" from Bizet's "Carmen." Gil opened the program with remarks on French-American friendship and FAAFC's work since 1939, followed by a short film on the organization's grantees.

Mezzo-soprano Tivoli Treloar also performed, accompanied by pianist Giancarlo Llerena. Treloar is pursuing her Artist Diploma in Opera Studies (a postgraduate performance degree) at The Juilliard School.

Why Philippe Oddou received the Simone Alibert Smith Award

FAAFC co-presidents Jeri L. Sape and Wendy C. Weiler presented the award, named for the organization's founder and first president. The prize recognizes individuals whose work transforms a cause and whose legacy will uplift future generations. The previous recipient, Katherine Gage Boulud, vice president of the board of Spoons Across America, attended the gala.

Oddou earned the honor through Sport dans la Ville, the organization he co-founded and now leads as executive director, which works with young people through sport — a mission that maps neatly onto the gala's beneficiary pool.

What is FAAFC, and where does the money go?

FAAFC was established in 1939 and began by assisting World War II efforts. Its portfolio has since shifted from wartime relief to grantmaking, funding programs that address healthcare, nutrition, education, wellness, and physical and mental health for children on both sides of the Atlantic.

Eight decades on, the formula still sells tickets. A masquerade, a mezzo from Juilliard and the "Habanera" raised money for children's health and education programs in France and the United States — a pledge drive doing what galas do best, converting an evening of Bizet into grants.