The PAC Announces 40th Anniversary Season

THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, PURCHASE COLLEGE (The PAC) is celebrating its 40th Anniversary with a step into the future and a nod to the past, with a curatorial eye towards honoring our history and prominently featuring the latest cutting-edge performances from artists who have been critical to our 40 years of success. All performances take place at The PAC, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY 10577. Tickets prices vary. Create-Your-Own subscription packages and single tickets are one sale now. For tickets call 914-251-6200 or visit www.ArtsCenter.org.

Interim Director, Seth Soloway states "I am looking forward to celebrating our 40th Anniversary with a spectacular season and our amazing patrons. At the launch of our season, we will be opening a newly renovated PepsiCo Theater, and offering a fully modernized user experience with our new ticketing software. This very special season plays homage to our tremendous history while continuing to advance the new vision of The PAC as an artistic incubator--featuring familiar friends such as Orpheus and Kyle Abraham, and exciting new artists like Jessica Lang and GlobalFEST resulting in what will be an unforgettable year! I am honored to have planned it and now execute it with our outstanding staff, Board of Directors, and of course our incredibly dedicated patrons for they are the ones who truly deserve the greatest tribute."

ORCHESTRAS

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

Cicely Parnas, cello

Sunday, October 8, 2017, 3pm | Recital Hall

$80

http://www.artscenter.org/events/orpheus-chamber-orchestra-cicely-parnas

PAC audience favorite Orpheus Chamber Orchestra creates extraordinary musical experiences, performing music at the highest level, challenging artistic boundaries, and inspiring the public.

Joining Orpheus for a program of beloved works from their repertoire will be American cellist Cicely Parnas, recognized for bringing "velvety sound, articulate passagework and keen imagination" to her performances (The New York Times).

Westchester Philharmonic The Phil's 35th Anniversary Opener

Jaime Laredo, conducting

Jinjoo Cho, violin

Sunday, October 15, 2017, 3pm | Concert Hall

$98 / $76 / $36

http://www.artscenter.org/events/westchester-philharmonic-35th-season-opener/

First, there was Jennifer Koh, then Bella Hristova, now Jinjoo Cho, yet another former student and protégé of Jaime Laredo's, who went on to win 1st prize in a few major international violin competitions, followed by acclaimed solo engagements with the Cleveland Orchestra and Montreal Symphony. This October, Cho, Laredo, and the Westchester Philharmonic take on Dvo?ák's lyrical masterpiece, aptly celebrate the Phil's 35th anniversary season with Mozart's 35th Symphony, and close with Beethoven's monumental Seventh Symphony.

Moscow State Symphony Orchestra

Alexander Sidnev, conductor

Narek Hakhnazaryan, cello

Saturday, November 11, 2017, 8pm | Concert Hall

$100 / $80 / $52.50 / $32.50 http://www.artscenter.org/events/moscow-state-symphony-orchestra/

Renowned around the globe, the MSSO was founded in 1943 and is one of the oldest symphony orchestras in Russia. The orchestra is known for its enviable reputation for high standards of artistic excellence, imaginative programming, and community engagement, and having a broad and loyal constituency at home and abroad. They will be joined by Armenian cello phenom Narek Hakhnazaryan.

Westchester Philharmonic Winter Pops!

Ted Sperling, conducting

Laura Michelle Kelly, vocals

Special appearance by Kelly Hall-Tompkins, violin

Sunday, December 17, 2017, 3 pm | Concert Hall

$98 / $76 / $36

http://www.artscenter.org/events/westchester-philharmonic-winter-pops/

She created the stage role of Mary Poppins in London's West End, earning the Olivier Award for Best Actress. She reprised the role on Broadway, and at DC's Ford's Theater in a special performance for the Obamas, which also aired on ABC. Laura Michelle Kelly went on to star in West End and Broadway productions of South Pacific, The King and I, and Finding Neverland. Plus a special appearance by our February soloist, Kelly Hall-Tompkins, performing her acclaimed solos from Fiddler on the Roof.

Winter Pops After-Party with the stars. Tickets: $30, includes light appetizers and wine tasting. Call The Phil at 914-682-3707 for more information.

Westchester Philharmonic The Phil's Friends & Family Concert

Ted Sperling, conducting

Kelly Hall-Tompkins, violin

Sunday, February 11, 2018, 3 pm | Concert Hall

$98 / $76 / $36 http://www.artscenter.org/events/westchester-philharmonic-friends-family-concert/

Ms. Hall-Tompkins was recently the envy of every violinist in New York, as the remarkable - yet unseen - soloist for the acclaimed Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof (under the musical direction of Ted Sperling). Indeed, this Naumburg Competition winner and Concert Artists Guild Grant recipient is the most in-demand violinist on Broadway, yet her classical bona fides are even more impressive.

Instrument Petting Zoo at 2pm. Kids attend free with a paid adult.

American Rhapsody: The Gershwin Songbook

Sunday, February 25, 2018, 3pm | Concert Hall

$72.50 / $62.50 / $42.50 / $27.50 http://www.artscenter.org/events/american-rhapsody/

Nearly a century after the songs were composed, George Gershwin's music remains as fresh and irresistible as it did during the Jazz Age. His poetic melodies and eclectic oeuvre of everything including Broadway, Hollywood, opera, and classic American standards have left a legacy audiences love to hear again and again.

The Gershwin Big Band, a collection of world class jazz musicians led by Michael Andrew, whom The New York Post called "the next Harry ­Connick, Jr...a natural bandleader," brings George Gershwin's music to life in this brand new program of iconic American music.

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra The Courage to Create

Lisa Batiashvili, violin

Friday, March 23, 2018, 8pm | Concert Hall

$80 / $65 / $50

http://www.artscenter.org/events/orpheus-chamber-orchestra-lisa-batiashvili/

PAC audience favorite Orpheus Chamber Orchestra creates extraordinary musical experiences, performing music at the highest level, challenging artistic boundaries, and inspiring the public.

Schubert and Prokofiev always followed their hearts and their ears, even when the world misunderstood them. Schubert never had a symphony performed publicly in his lifetime, but he conjured masterful sounds in the "Unfinished" Symphony that he abandoned midway, inexplicably. Music from Rosamunde-one of his many failed attempts to break into the theater world-matches the intensity of the "Unfinished" Symphony, and may have actually begun as its finale. Prokofiev endured his own rejections during his years of exile in Europe, especially once he turned toward a self-described "new simplicity." The Georgian violinist Lisa Batiashvili brings her insightful perspective to Prokofiev's elegant Second Violin Concerto, a work steeped in the crosscurrents between Russia and the West.

Westchester Philharmonic Eternal Spring

Edgar Meyer, double bass soloist-leader

Sunday, April 8, 2018, 3pm | Concert Hall

$98 / $76 / $36

http://www.artscenter.org/events/westchester-philharmonic-eternal-spring/

Hailed by The New Yorker as "...the most remarkable virtuoso in the relatively un-chronicled history of his instrument," Edgar Meyer's mantelful of Grammys (and a MacArthur "Genius" for good measure) barely define this remarkable composer and performer, whose instinct for collaboration draws the likes of Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Béla Fleck, Emanuel Ax, and now, the Westchester Philharmonic.

Westchester Philharmonic Keys, Kegs & 'Que

Jaime Laredo, conducting

Anna Polonsky, piano

Orion Weiss, piano

Sunday, June 17, 2018, 3 pm | Concert Hall

$98 / $76 / $36

http://www.artscenter.org/events/westchester-philharmonic-keys-kegs-que/

Ever since his triumphant Chopin 2nd in 2011 we've been anxious to bring back Orion Weiss. At that time he had just married the brilliant and acclaimed Mozart interpreter, Anna Polonsky, and we knew the Mozart "double" was the perfect vehicle for this pianistic power couple.

Post-concert spring BBQ. Adults: $25; Children: $12. Includes burgers, hots dogs, salads, and drinks. Call The Phil at 914-682-3707 for more information.

CHAMBER MUSIC

The Chamber Music Society Of Lincoln Center The nation's premier repertory company, under the artistic direction of David Finckel and Wu Han, is committed to creating extraordinary programs that deliver the finest chamber music repertoire and artists. This season, they renew their multi-year residency and bring us a series of Saturday afternoon performances. Each program will be preceded by a "Meet the Artists" talk, open to all ticket buyers.

The Chamber Music Society Of Lincoln Center Flute Affair

Tara Helen O'Connor, flute; Ransom Wilson, flute; Juho Pohjonen, piano; Kristin Lee, violin;

Paul Neubauer, viola; Timothy Eddy, cello; Anthony Manzo, double bass; James Austin Smith, oboe;

Eric Reed, horn

Saturday, November 18, 2017, 5pm | Recital Hall

$60 http://www.artscenter.org/events/cms-of-lincoln-center-flute-affair/

An instrument that's been around for 60,000 years certainly deserves a concert of its own. This program's exposé of the flute's astonishing capabilities reveals how composers of three centuries were inspired by its magical qualities.

The Chamber Music Society Of Lincoln Center Brahms & Dvo?ák

Michael Brown, piano; Wu Han, piano; Chad Hoopes, violin; Paul Huang, violin; Matthew Lipman, viola; Dmitri Atapine, cello

Saturday, January 27, 2018, 5pm | Recital Hall

Tickets: $60 http://www.artscenter.org/events/cms-of-lincoln-center-brahms-dvorak/

The musical and personal friendship between Brahms and Dvo?ák is the stuff of legend. This pairing brings to life the creative energy that reverberated between the German neo-classicist and the champion of Czech folk music, producing a glowing array of classical music's most essential works.

The Chamber Music Society Of Lincoln Center Vienna to Hollywood

Juho Pohjonen, piano; Wu Qian, piano; Sean Lee, violin; Danbi Um, violin; Mihai Marica, cello

Saturday, February 24, 2018, 5pm | Recital Hall

$60 http://www.artscenter.org/events/cms-of-lincoln-center-vienna-to-hollywood/

Vienna has likely produced more great music than any other city in the world. As our program's anchor Viennese composer, we've chosen Schubert, the only one of the Viennese giants actually born in the storied city. His pair of fantasies, composed in the last year of his life, are a stunning tribute to his everlasting genius. And likewise, Hollywood's movie industry has generated a level of creative composing to rival any European capital, and perhaps the most famous of all was Erich Wolfgang Korngold (think: The Adventures of Robin Hood) who wrote this stirring, hyper-romantic piano quartet for the pianist Paul Wittgenstein.

The Chamber Music Society Of Lincoln Center Classical Evolution

Gilles Vonsattel, piano; Ida Kavafian, violin; Erin Keefe, violin; Yura Lee, viola; Nicholas Canellakis, cello; Tommaso Lonquich, clarinet

Saturday, April 21, 2018, 5pm | Recital Hall

$60 http://www.artscenter.org/events/cms-of-lincoln-center-classical-evolutuion/

This program of favorites reveals the multi-dimensional ingenuity of the Classical style. Its intelligent principles of symmetry and logic have enabled composers through the ages to craft aesthetically pleasing works that endure the test of time. Mozart's pristine Trio, Weber's electrifying Clarinet Quintet, and Brahms's magisterial Piano Quintet all owe a nod of thanks to Haydn's immortal invention.

Kronos Quartet

David Harrington, violin; John Sherba, violin; Hank Dutt, viola; Sunny Yang, cello

Saturday, January 20, 2018, 8pm | PepsiCo Theatre

$62.50 / $52.50 / $42.50 http://www.artscenter.org/events/the-kronos-quartet/

Since its founding in 1973, the San Francisco-based Kronos Quartet has become one of the most celebrated and influential ensembles in classical music. Known for its spirit of fearless exploration, dedication to experimentation, and championing of new and under-heard music, Kronos has won a Grammy, released more than 60 recordings, collaborated with many of the world's most eclectic composers and performers, and commissioned more than 900 works and arrangements for string quartet.

wild Up

Saturday, February 10, 2018, 8pm | PepsiCo Theatre

$47.50 / $37.50 / $27.50 http://www.artscenter.org/events/wild-up/

We make music.

New music. Old music.

We'll play it, as long as we love it.

wild Up is a modern music collective; an adventurous chamber orchestra; a group of Los Angeles-based musicians committed to creating visceral, thought-provoking happenings. Their programs are eclectic studies of people, places, and ideas. The group believes that music is a catalyst for shared experiences, and that the concert venue is a place for challenging, exciting, and igniting the community around us.

GREAT PERFORMERS

The Brentano Quartet

Serena Canin, violin; Mark Steinberg, violin; Misha Amory, viola; Nina Lee, cello

Saturday, December 9, 2017, 8pm | Recital Hall

$50 http://www.artscenter.org/events/the-brentano-quartet/

Since its inception in 1992, the Brentano String Quartet has appeared throughout the world to popular and critical acclaim. "Passionate, uninhibited and spellbinding," raves the London Independent.

Sarah Chang Viva Piazzolla!

Adam Millstein, violin; Nigel Armstrong, violin; Michael Casimir, viola; Christine Lamprea, cello;

Nathan Farrington, double bass

Saturday, March 10, 2018, 8pm | Concert Hall

$85 / $75 / $60 / $42.50 http://www.artscenter.org/events/sarah-chang/

Recognized as one of the foremost violinists of our time, Sarah Chang has performed with the most esteemed orchestras, conductors, and accompanists in an international career spanning more than two decades. Since her debut with the New York Philharmonic at the age of eight, Ms. Chang has continued to impress audiences with her technical virtuosity and refined emotional depth. Join us as she presents a program featuring some of her signature pieces.

To post a comment, you must register and login.