Chappaqua Performing Arts Center Kicks Off Inaugural Season

CHAPPAQUA, NY – The new gem on the old Readers Digest campus, Chappaqua Performing Arts Center opens its doors this weekend. The inaugural season kicks off Saturday with an opening night concert by acclaimed jazz vocalist Cyrille Aimee. Plus, there will be an art exhibit and reception in the lobby before the concert.

Patrons are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy an entire evening of rich artistic experiences. Chappaqua Performing Arts Center has partnered with the LOVE ART Gallery to present a pop-up exhibition and reception entitled “Art for Positive Social Change” taking place in the lobby of ChappPAC from 4-7 p.m. The exhibition will feature a group of twelve artists from Connecticut and New York sharing a cross section of works focusing on social issues from race, to feminism to politics.

Described as “one of the most promising jazz singers of her generation” by the Wall Street Journal, CYRILLE AIMÉE is a vocalist with French and Dominican roots who fell in love with gypsy music and its culture heritage at an early age. Aimée grew up in Samois-sur-Seine, France – a village best known as the home of gypsy guitar iconDjango Reinhardt – and its little wonder that its legacy resonates throughout her performances and recordings. In recent years Aimée has toured and recorded in a variety of ensembles configurations, among them, various duet projects with Brazilian guitarist Diego Figueiredo. Her rich hybrid of influences has resulted in an award-winning vocal style that incorporates gypsy swing with Brazilian rhythms and melodies into well-known standards and original compositions that led the New York Times to proclaim, “No other young artist gives me hope for the future like Cyrille Aimée, the brilliantly inventive jazz vocal prodigy.”

Tickets are $25-$75 — and are available in advance at Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000 and in person on the night of the show in the lobby box office.

Located on the former campus of Reader’s Digest in a building once known as the Wallace Auditorium, the 425-seat Chappaqua Performing Arts Center — or ChappPAC for short – was recently saved from demolition and established to provide a blend of local and national arts and cultural programming for people throughout Westchester County and the region.

Chappaqua Performing Arts Center was recently featured on the cover of The Journal News. Read story here

2017 CHAPPAQUA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER FALL SEASON LINE UP

• 9/23 Cyrille Aimee (Jazz)
• 10/8 Tim Kubart & The Space Cadets (Children)
• 10/14 So Percussion (Classical)
• 10/20 Soulshine: An Allman Brothers Experience (Rock)
• 10/27 Rocky Horror Picture Show (Film)
• 10/28 Echos of Sinatra (Swing)
• 11/2 Matt Schofield (Blues)
• 11/11 The Greatest Pirate Story (N)ever Told! (Children)
• 12/1 What Fresh Hell Live! (Spoken Word)
• 12/9 Ragtag Theatre’s Cinderella (Children)
• 12/17 ELF (Film)

The Chappaqua Performing Arts Center is located at 480 Bedford Road, Chappaqua, NY 10514 just inside the gate on the former Reader’s Digest campus. Tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000

For additional information, visit www.ChappaquaPAC.org or call 914-458-5143

PHOTOS: jazz vocalist Cyrille Aimee; Chappaqua Performing Arts Center/ contributed