Kyle Abraham To Be Honored By The PAC

THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, PURCHASE COLLEGE (The PAC), along with Gala Committee Co-Chairs Umran Beba (SVP, Chief Diversity and Engagement Officer for PepsiCo) and Michelle Ifill (Retired, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Verizon Corporate Services Group, Inc), are celebrating 42 years of world-class music, dance, theatre, film, comedy and family programming, with a very special evening starring audience-favorite Black Violin.

Stereotype-smashing Black Violin blends classical, hip-hop, rock, R&B, and bluegrass to create a sound they call "classical boom." Honorees include Kyle Abraham, Class of '00, Artistic Director of A.I.M (formally Abraham.In.Motion), who has been cultivating and premiering work at The PAC throughout his professional career and Christopher T. Clark is a long time PAC Patron and Emeritus PAC Advisory Council Member.

On Friday, March 27, 2018, 8pm, the gala begins at 5pm with cocktails followed by dinner at 6pm, with performance immediately following in the Concert Hall at The PAC, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY 10577. Gala tickets start at $600 and include prime seating for the Black Violin performance. Ticket and sponsorship details are available at https://www.artscenter.org/gala/orderform/, or by contacting Katherine King at 914.251.6178 or katherine.king@purchase.edu.

"I'm thrilled to celebrate The Performing Arts Center by honoring Chris Clark and Kyle Abraham, because these two remarkable individuals are a perfect example of the great journey our organization has traveled and continues to travel," says PAC Director Seth Soloway. "Mr. Clark is the caliber of board member we rarely find these days, and has supported us through thick and thin to get us to a place where we have the audience and support in place to welcome prominent artists like Mr. Abraham whose artistic and educational contributions to Purchase are immense."

"As a Purchase College alumnus, it's been a great pleasure to return to The PAC, work with students on campus, and have space to develop my dances and see them come to life on its stages," says Abraham. "Their commitment to presenting work that tells stories from diverse artists and perspectives makes The PAC an invaluable resource for the campus and surrounding community."

"I have been a Member of The PAC's Advisory Council for over 25 years," says Clark. "I believe The PAC adds immeasurable wealth to the cultural life of our local community through a range of engaging, high-quality performances."

Black Violin's Impossible Tour spreads the message that anything is possible and there are no limits to what one can achieve, regardless of circumstance. "Their music will keep classical music alive for the next generation." - NPR

With influences ranging from Shostakovich and Bach to Nas and Jay-Z, stereotype-smashing Black Violin breaks the rules, blending classical, hip-hop, rock, R&B, and bluegrass to create a sound they call "classical boom." With Kevin Sylvester and Wilner Baptiste, a.k.a. Kev Marcus and Wil B. on violin and viola, alongside DJ SPS and drummer Nat Stokes, Black Violin uses their music to overcome stereotypes and encourage people of all ages, races, and economic backgrounds to join together to break down cultural barriers.

In November 2019, Black Violin released their latest album Take the Stairs, featuring the track Showoff - check out the video! Their last record, Stereotypes, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Classical Crossover Chart and #4 on the Billboard R&B Chart. Creative collaborators include Kanye West, Wu-Tang Clan, Wyclef Jean, Lil Wayne, and Alicia Keys.