The Ceres Rotary Foundation Scholarship Fund will be putting on a Benefit Concert featuring Modesto’s own Francesca Bavaro, a talented Downey High grad and 2018 American Idol contestant.

He swings into town to support Rotary while on a U.S. and European tour with the acclaimed Postmodern Jukebox. Also performing will be comic and ventriloquist Karl Herlinger.

The event will be held at the State Theatre in downtown Modesto at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are $25 to $45 depending on seats and may be purchased online at https://thestate.org

All of the proceeds benefit Ceres Rotary Foundation’s High School Senior Scholarship Program. 

Francesca Bavaro is a classically trained soprano turned singer/songwriter from Modesto. She was a semi-finalist on the 2018 season of American Idol, and has continued her work in music ever since. She now resides in Mexico, where she performs all over Puerto Vallarta, as well as Guadalajara and Mexico City. She writes musical theatre, and is currently working on three musical projects. She can be found on Spotify and Apple Music under the pseudonym “Effie Passero,” where she has reached over 1 million streams.