Camille Thurman Kicks Off New Partnership Between Jazz At Princeton And McCarter Theatre In February

Jazz at Princeton University, helmed by acclaimed saxophonist/composer Rudresh Mahanthappa, and the McCarter Theatre kick off a new partnership on Saturday, February 11 with "For the Love of It," a concert celebrating life, love, and culture through diverse musical styles and composers.

The event features Princeton's Jazz Vocal Collective under the direction of Dr. Trineice Robinson-Martin with special guest rising star multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and composer Camille Thurman.

Tickets are $15-$25 for the 8 p.m. concert, which takes place at McCarter's Berlind Theatre, 91 University Place, Princeton. https://www.mccarter.org/season/2022-2023/camille-thurman/ or www.mccarter.org. Princeton University students can access free tickets with Passport to the Arts using code PUTIGER. Tickets must be booked online with student ID. More Info at www.mccarter.org/tigertix.

"We are thrilled about this new alliance with McCarter, and the value it will bring to the entire community," says Mahanthappa. "Our talented students will benefit from opportunities to work with extraordinary talents like Camille Thurman, and community members get to experience the powerful music they create together." Debbie Bisno, McCarter's Director of University and Artistic Partnerships said "McCarter is collaborating in new and deeper ways with the extraordinary talent and minds at the University. We are excited - and honored - to be in creative conversation with Jazz at Princeton and to enhance our main stage season with this joyful concert!"

Composer, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and unique interpreter of the jazz tradition Camille Thurman is quickly becoming one of the standard bearers for the form, making a considerable and dynamic contribution to the legacy of jazz while paying tribute to its heroes. Fluid and powerful on the tenor saxophone and highly inventive as a vocalist, she also plays bass clarinet, flute and piccolo. Her rich sax sound has been compared to Joe Henderson and Dexter Gordon, while her vocal approach - including an impressive scatting ability - has been compared to Ella Fitzgerald and Betty Carter. Thurman has shared the stage with artists including George Coleman, Roy Haynes, Dianne Reeves, Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Kenny Barron, Buster Williams, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jack DeJohnette, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Harry Connick Jr., Jon Batiste, Audra McDonald, Diana Krall, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Janelle Monae, Alicia Keys, Lalah Hathaway, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu and many others.

The New York City native was runner up in the 2013 Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition, two-time winner of the ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award and winner of the Fulbright Scholars Cultural Ambassador Grant, Chamber Music of America Performance Plus Grant and Jazz Coalition Composers Grant, among others. Thurman has released four full-length recordings as a leader, and her compositions were featured in the ASCAP/The Kennedy Center "Songwriters: The Next Generation" showcase as well as the Greenwich School of Music "Uncharted" Series. Camille has appeared on BET's "Black Girls Rock" as the saxophonist and flutist in the All-Star Band.

Jazz at Princeton University serves to promote this uniquely American music as a contemporary and relevant art form. Its goals are to convey the vast musical and social history of jazz, establish a strong theoretical and stylistic foundation with regard to improvisation and composition, and emphasize the development of individual expression and creativity. Offerings of the program include academic course work, performing ensembles, master classes, private study, and independent projects. More information at jazzatprinceton.com, Instagram, and Facebook.

The Department of Music at Princeton University is a vibrant musical community with both academic and performance components for students, scholars, and visiting artists. Home to Jazz at Princeton University, Princeton University Orchestra (PUO), Princeton University Glee Club, African Music Ensembles, Princeton Laptop Orchestra (PLOrk), Princeton Sound Kitchen (PSK), and other distinguished ensembles, the Department hosts a renowned graduate program in composition and musicology, majors and certificate programs for undergraduate students, and more than 150 performances, workshops, master classes, colloquia and recitals presented to the public each year. To learn more, visit music.princeton.edu.

An independent not-for-profit performing arts center located between New York City and Philadelphia - and on the campus of Princeton University - McCarter is a multi-disciplinary creative and intellectual hub offering theater, music, dance, spoken word, and educational programs for all ages that inspires conversations, connections and collaborations in our communities. We lead with our values of justice and joy, and we seek beauty in belonging. Celebrated for developing new work and winner of the 1994 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, world premieres include Christopher Durang's Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike (Tony, Best Play), Tarell Alvin McCraney's The Brother/Sister Plays, Emily Mann's Having Our Say.

Renowned artists who have appeared at McCarter include: Alvin Ailey, Yo-Yo Ma, Audra McDonald, David Sedaris, The Moth, Terence Blanchard, Roseanne Cash, the rock band Lake Street Dive, Shawn Colvin, more. McCarter connects with the community year-round via various community reading event opportunities, digital programming, on-site classes and in-school residencies. McCarter and Princeton University share a long history of unique partnerships and creative collaborations. More information at mccarter.org, Instagram and Facebook.

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