Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC) opens its doors to the world with a 5-night, Pay-What-You-Wish global music concert series featuring over 30 internationally acclaimed artists. Each evening brings together an eclectic, vibrant mix of artists and styles curated around a theme of refuge – from exuberant Afro-Latin rhythms to futuristic electronic beats, from traditional Klezmer melodies to soulful Rock and Funk. You're invited to take refuge in the music and art that inspires, heals and connects us all. Curated in Collaboration with Trinity Church Wall Street.
NYC Tapestry: Home as Refuge
September 19 @ 8 PM
Musicians from around the country and around the world have found refuge in New York, a city with a rich musical history, diverse cultural influences and endless opportunities for collaboration and growth. The first Refuge concert features a World Premiere commission by Pulitzer Prize–winning composer Raven Chacon and brings together extraordinary artists from Shanghai, West Africa, Tunisia, Brazil, Jamaica, France, Arizona and Minneapolis, who have all found their artistic home in New York. Forró in the Dark performs on the Vartan and Clare Gregorian Lobby Stage following the evening’s concert.
Devotion: Faith as Refuge
September 20 @ 8 PM
Join us for a celebration of faith and spiritual traditions expressed through the power of music. Featuring soaring Gospel anthems, lively Kelzmer melodies, percussive Youruban religious music and hypnotic Gnawa rhythms, this evening gathers internationally acclaimed artists from across the spectrum of faiths for an uplifting tribute to art and song as a source of refuge, hope and optimism. The Choir of Trinity Wall Street (7 PM) and ÌFÉ (following the evening’s concert) will perform on the Vartan and Clare Gregorian Lobby Stage.
Playing it Forward: School as Refuge
September 21 @ 8 PM
PAC NYC shines a spotlight on internationally acclaimed artists who have made educating the next generation of musicians an integral part of their artistic practice. Grammy, Emmy and Academy Award-winning rapper, actor and activist Common is the co-founder of The Common Ground Foundation, dedicated to inspiring youth through mentorship to become the next generation of dreamers and leaders. Easter Island’s award-winning pianist and humanitarian Mahani Teave is the co-founder of the Toki School of Music and the Arts. Israel’s multi-platinum singer-songwriter David Broza has created the One Million Guitars project to empower children through music education. Arturo O’Farrill, leader of the Grammy Award-winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, teaches master classes, seminars and workshops throughout the world for students of all ages. They will share the PAC NYC stage for a celebration of the power of music to expand our understanding of the world and connect us to one another.
Relatively Speaking: Family as Refuge
September 22 @ 8 PM
Relatively Speaking gathers artists from around the globe who have built their careers making music with their family members. A band of brothers whose music fuses Mexican folk and jazz. A husband and wife team who mix Kentucky blues and gospel with the eclectic grit of pre-gentrified Brooklyn. An Afghan ensemble of father and sons who are unable to perform in their home country where all music has been banned. Together these artists will celebrate the love, acceptance and understanding we find in the refuge of our families – those we are born into or the families that we choose for ourselves.
Childhood Songs: Memory as Refuge
September 23 @ 8 PM
Memories connect the present to the past and help us navigate the unseen path to the future. The Refuge concert series culminates in a chorus of multi-talented artists sharing stories and songs from their childhoods. Join us as we create new musical memories and launch a future full of thrilling performances at PAC NYC. Alphabet Rockers will perform on the Vartan and Clare Gregorian Lobby Stage at 11 AM and 2 PM.
