CCCA Blog

City College Center for the Arts Presents Truth, Tales & Fabrications: The Art of Laura R. Gadson

Jessica Lino — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 14:59:08 -0500

Truth, Tales & Fabrications shines a light on a rarely told history of America

Exhibit runs February 6 through June 27 at Aaron Davis Hall

City College Center for the Arts presents Truth, Tales & Fabrications: The Art of Laura R. Gadson, an exhibition of quilts and fiber art all created by Laura Gadson. On view is a selection of beautiful quilts showcasing the beginnings of African American entrepreneurship and its impact on American culture. The quilts were created from 2000 to 2024 using a multitude of mixed media such as quilting, felting, painting, and collage. The exhibition runs February 6 through June 27 at the Aaron Davis Hall Lobby Gallery.

America has often had trouble recognizing the struggles and triumphs of African Americans throughout history, an example being the schools that hide and overlook moments that change the narrative that they try to push onto students. Gadson’s passion for showcasing the truth and changing people’s views are clear in her work; her desire to show that quilts are an important artwork that connects to our society, and the subjects of her art adding to the history of African Americans that many are unaware of.

“…It has to do with concretizing history, whether it’s history that comes before you or if it’s your own history.. .I’m gonna make some history; it may not be all that you love but I’m gonna make it as pretty as possible for you to look at.” – Laura Gadson

These quilts are unlike anything seen before; the unique combination of mediums blends perfectly together, creating a story that introduces the lost history to students and historians alike.

Here is another quote from the CCCA, this time it is used to describe the skill of Laura, maybe her knowledge of history and skill of her work. [Insert Quote]

Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

City College Center for the Arts can be followed on Twitter@ccnyarts. For more information, visit www.citycollegecenterforthearts.org.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Laura Gadson has been creating her unique quilts for over 23 years. A child of two artists, she has been surrounded by art all throughout her life. She is one of the founders of The Harlem

Aesthetic, which provides boutique-style artist salons that cultivate a living legacy of the Harlem Renaissance and Black Arts Movement. She is also the creator of the Gadson Gallery, a vibrant space in her own home where emotion, creativity, and culture intersect. Gadson was a proud performer at ��Ӱҵ’s theater and has manifested the opportunity to share her artwork with the City College Center for the Arts.

ABOUT THE CITY COLLEGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS:

The City College Center for the Arts hosts an ambitious, year-round calendar of students and professional performances. The mission of the City College Center for the Arts is to provide a creative arts center and focal point for the City College of New York, building a sense of community within the College, elevating the profile of Aaron Davis Hall in the greater New York area, and connecting the College to the surrounding community through the arts.

For interview and media inquires, contact:

Gregory S. Shanck

City College Center for the Arts

212-650-6400

GSh%61nck@ccny.cuny.edu " rel="nofollow"> GShanck@ccny.cuny.edu

Bestselling author Roxane Gay is ��Ӱҵ's 2025 Langston Hughes medalist

Jessica Lino — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 10:36:01 -0500

Roxane Gay, a New York Times bestselling author and noted scholar, is ��Ӱҵ’s 2025 Langston Hughes Medalist.

NEW YORK (January 13, 2025) — City College of New York -CUNY

Roxane Gay, the New York Times bestselling author and noted scholar, is the City College of New York’s 2025 Langston Hughes Medal recipient. She’ll receive the Medal at ��Ӱҵ’s 46th annual Langston Hughes Festival, Feb. 13-14. This year’s event commemorates the centenary of the Harlem Renaissance, that intellectual and cultural revival of African-American literature, music, art, theater and scholarship of which Langston Hughes was a central figure.

The medal is awarded to highly distinguished writers from throughout the African American diaspora. It recognizes honorees for their impressive works of poetry, fiction, drama, autobiography and critical essays that help to celebrate the memory and tradition of Langston Hughes. Past award winners include:

•   James Baldwin;
•   Gwendolyn Brooks;
•   Toni Morrison;
•   August Wilson;
•   Maya Angelou;
•   Octavia Butler;
•   Edwidge Danticat;
•   Zadie Smith;
•   Michael Eric Dyson;
•   Rita Dove;
•   Jamaica Kincaid;
•   Lynn Nottage; and
•   Carlson Whitehead.

A prolific writer, Gay has authored and edited numerous books. The list includes her 2014 debut An Untamed State, the New York Times bestsellers Bad Feminist and Hunger; the nationally bestselling Difficult Women, and the World of Wakanda for Marvel. Click here for a full list of her books.

Gay’s writing appears also in Best American Mystery Stories 2014, Best American Short Stories 2012, and Best Sex Writing 2012. Among the many literary magazines frequently publishing her work are: A Public Space, McSweeney’s, Tin House, Oxford American, American Short Fiction, and Virginia Quarterly Review. Read more here.

In 2020, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQ Pride parade, Queerty — the online news and entertainment publication that covers LGBTQ-related topics, including news and politics — named Gay among the 50 heroes “leading the nation toward equality, acceptance, and dignity for all people.” She was also included in the 2022 Fast Company Queer 50 list.

Gay is a graduate of Norwich University (B.A.), the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (M.A.) and Michigan Technological University (Ph.D.).

The Langston Hughes Festival commences Thursday, Feb. 13, with a student symposium. The evening ceremony will include a reading by Gay, and a conversation between her and author Edwidge Danticat, the 2011 Langston Hughes medalist.

Concluding the program on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, will be the first Langston Hughes Festival Fundraising Breakfast.

“The 2025 Langston Hughes Festival Theme is Black Love, and we will celebrate Black Love in all its iterations,” said Jervette R. Ward, Festival Director and Chair of ��Ӱҵ’s Black Studies Department. “In addition, in honor of both Gay and Danticat, this special two-day Harlem Renaissance Centennial will include a celebration of Haitian music and food.”

Both Gay and Danticat are of Haitian heritage.

About ��Ӱҵ
Since 1847, ��Ӱҵ has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. ��Ӱҵ embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at ��Ӱҵ can move up two or more income quintiles. Education research organization Degree Choices ranks ��Ӱҵ #1 nationally among universities for economic return on investment. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places ��Ӱҵ in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Lightcast puts at $3.2 billion ��Ӱҵ’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 15,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. In 2023, ��Ӱҵ launched its most expansive fundraising campaign, ever. The campaign, titled “Doing Remarkable Things Together” seeks to bring the College’s Foundation to more than $1 billion in total assets in support of the College mission. ��Ӱҵ is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View ��Ӱҵ Media Kit.

Jay Mwamba
p: 917.892.0374
e: jmwamba@ccny.cuny.edu

Journey: A Soulful Music Celebration Returns to City College Center for the Arts

Jessica Lino — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 14:14:54 -0500

Joyful tour of Black American musical history set for Friday, October 11 at Aaron Davis Hall

NEW YORK (September 30, 2024) — City College of New York -CUNY

A moving voyage through the sounds of the Black American experience returns to Aaron Davis Hall as City College Center for the Arts (CCCA) and Marvin Lowe present JOURNEY: A Soulful Music Celebration on Friday, October 11, at 7 p.m. The concert, featuring acclaimed bass-baritone soloist Marvin Lowe and friends — including jazz trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, soprano Brandie Sutton and vocalist Marcelle Davies-Lashley — will take audiences on a journey through the music created by Africans and African-Americans in response to their trials and triumphs over the centuries. The soulful trek also seeks to inspire contemporary listeners to use their own voices to create change and help unite all people in these trying times.

A musical tour de force featuring genres spanning from Negro spirituals and religious hymns to the modern sounds of gospel, blues and jazz, JOURNEY: A Soulful Music Celebration was an immense hit with audiences when it was performed at Aaron Davis Hall in 2018 and 2019. Now back by popular demand, the show takes music lovers even further back in time with performances showcasing the African drum and dance, centering the rhythmic beat that gave much of Black American music its lifeblood. Under the musical direction of Vinroy D. Brown, Jr., Lowe along with an array of talented performers, including vocalist C. Anthony Bryant, Davies-Lashley and Sutton, will offer new takes on songs such as “Lord, How Come Me Here,” “Hold on Just a Little While Longer” and Ragtime’s “Make Them Hear You.” Obediah Wright will serve as choreographer for the concert.

Offering audiences historical background and context for songs during the concert will be the show’s narrator, the Rev. Dr. S. Raschaad Hoggard.

“I created this concert to help bring this musical history to center stage and to also show that we are all connected through music and love,” said Lowe, who organized the concert. “There is so much division and injustice in our world right now. It is my hope that each person leaves the concert reminded that their voice must be used and be heard. No one can afford to sit silently anymore.”

Tickets for JOURNEY: A Soulful Music Celebration are $35 general admission and $25 for students and seniors and can be purchased online at www.citycollegecenterforthearts.org or in person at the Aaron Davis Hall box office weekdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., except on Wednesday when the box office is closed. For full details, visit the CCCA website at www.citycollegecenterforthearts.org or call the Aaron Davis Hall box office at (212) 650-6900.

Aaron Davis Hall is located on the campus of the City College of New York, at 129 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street. Follow City College Center for the Arts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @ccnyarts.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Marvin Lowe is native of Philadelphia who has toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, South America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. He has performed with the New York City Opera, Washington Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Opera Ebony and Virginia Opera. On the concert stage his credits include solo performances with the National Cathedral Choral Society and a performance in Abyssinian 200: A Celebration at Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis. In addition to classical and theatrical performances, his television and film credits include Live from Lincoln Center as well as appearances in Boomerang, starring Eddie Murphy, and Spike Lee’s Malcolm X.

Vinroy D. Brown, Jr., holds credits in conducting, sacred music and music education. He is a member of both the Performance Studies and Baccalaureate Honors Program faculty at Westminster Choir College, where he conducts the Westminster Jubilee Singers and previously taught African American Choral Literature. A church musician, he is director of music & worship arts at Elmwood United Presbyterian Church. Maintaining an active conducting schedule, he is founder and artistic director of Elmwood Concert Singers and is artistic director and conductor of Capital Singers of Trenton. He holds a Master of Music in choral conducting from Temple University, where he was the recipient of the Elaine Brown Choral Award and the inaugural recipient of the Alan Harler Choral Award; a Master of Arts in practical theology from Regent University; and Bachelor of Music in sacred music and music education from Westminster Choir College. Currently, Brown is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in music, musicology concentration, from Temple University.

C. Anthony Bryant is a renowned vocalist who stands out as one of the most versatile and technically sound singers of his generation. With an unparalleled ability to perform every genre of music, he has garnered widespread acclaim for his powerful and emotive voice. Bryant graduated from the famed HBCU Morehouse College and the Manhattan School of Music. Along with being a gifted vocalist, Bryant is an accomplished composer, conductor and music program manager. Bryant is a true force to be reckoned with in the world of music and beyond. His talent, versatility and commitment to social justice make him a unique and valuable voice in today’s society.

Marcelle Davies-Lashley, a Brooklyn native and baby of seven children born to West African parents from Liberia and Sierra Leone respectively, is a psalmist extraordinaire. She began singing lead in the church choir at the age of 5 and never stopped performing as a musical theater artist throughout her childhood. The sultry sound of the warm musical instrument of her voice will melt your heart and feed your soul. Davies-Lashley has traveled to five of seven continents, soothing and exciting the world in melody and song with a stage presence and sincerity that is mesmerizing and second to none. She toured Paris and Turkey with Craig Harris and the Nation of Imagination.Wycliffe A. Gordon is a gifted trombonist, conductor, composer and arranger. A native of Waynesboro, Georgia, Wycliffe was musically influenced at a young age by his father, Lucius Gordon, a classical pianist and teacher. His musical prowess has been captured on numerous recordings, including over thirteen solo albums with the Wycliffe Gordon Quartet and seven co-leader albums. With a loyal following, Wycliffe has won scores of awards, including the Trombonist of the Year Award from the Jazz Journalists Association, which he has won five times. He is a former veteran member of the Wynton Marsalis Septet and Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and has been a featured guest artist on Billy Taylor’s “Jazz at the Kennedy Center” series. Wycliffe’s extensive performance experience includes work with many of the most renowned jazz performers of the past and present. His work with young musicians and audiences from elementary schools to universities all over the world is extensive, and includes master classes, clinics, workshops, children’s concerts and lectures. Wycliffe is widely respected for his powerful sound, distinctive techniques and funky performance style, all factors which make him one of the world’s most popular trombonists.

Brandie Sutton is hailed by the The New York Times for her “warm, ample voice” and “distinctive, earthy coloring,” and by Opera News for “her sumptuous mid-weight soprano.” Sutton recently had a great personal success in the leading role of Rautendelein in New York City Opera’s very successful production of Respighi’s rarely-performed La Campana Sommersa. Her performance was received with unanimous acclaim, both by critics and audiences.

Obediah Wright, a native of Brooklyn, New York, is an internationally renowned creative director and two-time Honorary Doctorate Nominee, who has received numerous accolades for his multifaceted career as a choreographer, master yeacher, director and producer, impacting youth and adult cultural development. An alumnus of LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts and Julliard, his impressive journey began with a professional Sears catalogue advertisement at the age of 9.

ABOUT THE CITY COLLEGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS:

The City College Center for the Arts hosts an ambitious, year-round calendar of student and professional performances. The mission of the City College Center for the Arts is to provide a creative arts center and focal point for the City College of New York, building a sense of community within the College, elevating the profile of Aaron Davis Hall in the greater New York area, and connecting the College to the surrounding community through the arts.

For interview and media inquiries, contact:

Cheryl L. Duncan
Cheryl Duncan & Company Inc.
cheryl@cdcprnews.com

Samuel Torres Latin Chamber Ensemble Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with special performance at Aaron Davis Hall

Jessica Lino — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 14:07:13 -0500

Internationally acclaimed percussionist, Latin Grammy winner, composer and arranger Samuel Torres to perform Flying South with special guests Maria Raquel, Mauro Torres
and Bergamot Quartet, on Friday, October 4

NEW YORK (September 9, 2024) — City College of New York -CUNY

City College Center for the Arts proudly celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with Flying South, a musical performance by Latin Grammy Award-winning percussionist, composer and arranger, Samuel Torres and his Latin Chamber Ensemble. Torres will be joined by Bergamot Quartet and guest soloists Maria Raquel and Mauro Torres. Flying South will take us south of the border, integrating a mix of musical styles including llanera and cumbia from Colombian folklore, Venezuelan joropo, Peruvian festejo, Argentinian tango, Cuban bolero and New York salsa. The concert takes place on Friday, October 4, at 7 p.m. at Aaron Davis Hall, 129 Convent Avenue at West 135^th Street. General admission tickets are $30 with discounts for seniors and students.

A celebrated percussionist, composer and arranger, Torres, a native of Colombia who now resides in Brooklyn, has worked with music giants including Tito Puente, Arturo Sandoval, Chick Corea, Cándido Camero, Angélique Kidjo, Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, Shakira and Alejandro Sanz, among others. Torres’ most recent album, A Dance For Birds (2024), is a pivotal work in Torres’ career because it showcases his innovative approach to composition by merging the traditions of Afro-Latin rhythms, the improvisational elements of jazz and the rich complexities of contemporary classical music.

Performing with Samuel Torres Latin Chamber Ensemble are Samuel Torres (congas, percussion and maracas llanerase), Alejandro Berti (trumpet), John Ellis (tenor and soprano saxophone), Manuel Valera (piano), Alex “Apolo” Ayala (acoustic/electric bass), Jimmy Macbride (drums) and Felipe Fournier (percussion and vibraphone).

Bergamot Quartet is Ledah Finck (violin), Sarah Thomas (violin), Amy Tan (viola) and

Irène Han (cello).

“Flying South is a very special concert, a journey to Latin America and its beautiful songbook through the lens of ‘Dance for Birds,’ my most recent Latin jazz project,” said Samuel Torres. “It is where the traditions of jazz, Afro Latin-American and contemporary classical music coexist in harmony with each other. You will experience the air of the streets of Buenos Aires; the plains of Colombia and Venezuela; the festive spirit of Peru; the Caribbean breeze of Havana, San Juan and Santo Domingo; together with the explosive energy of New York.”

“Samuel’s extraordinary tapestry of sounds and textures in his music is a joy to the mind and soul of any music lover, and we are delighted to again present him at Aaron Davis Hall,” said City College Center for the Arts Managing Director Gregory Shanck.

Tickets for Flying South are on sale now for $30 general admission and $20 for students and seniors with ID and can be purchased online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/flying-south-featuring-samuel-torres-latin-chamber-ensemble-tickets-999329781277 or in person at the Aaron Davis Hall box office Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The box office is closed on Wednesday. For more details, visit the CCCA site or call the Aaron Davis Hall box office at (212) 650-6900. City College Center for the Arts can be followed on Twitter at @ccnyarts.

Aaron Davis Hall is located on the campus of the City College of New York. For more information on City College Center for the Arts, visit: www.citycollegecenterforthearts.org.

Flying South is made possible with funding from The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, The City University of New York and ��Ӱҵ.

ABOUT THE ARTISTs:

Samuel Torres

Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, based in Brooklyn, New York, celebrated Latin Grammy Award-winning percussionist and composer Samuel Torres thrives at the intersection of Afro-Latin rhythms, Latin jazz, and contemporary classical music. “…intelligent, sophisticated and explosive.” – JazzTimes Magazine

Torres has performed, arranged, produced and/or recorded with the “who’s who” of the jazz, Latin pop and the classical world, including such luminaries as Tito Puente, Paquito D’Rivera, Yo-Yo Ma, Chick Corea, Alejandro Sanz, Ricky Martin, Don Byron, Richard Bona, Arturo Sandoval, Lila Downs, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Angelique Kidjo, Marc Anthony, Rubén Blades, Fonseca, Andrés Cepeda, Thalía, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Bridget Kibbey, Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Nashville Symphony and his country’s own international superstar, Shakira. He has been featured as a composer and soloist with classical orchestras such as Berlin Symphoniker, City of London Sinfonia, Bogotá Philharmonic, Medellín Philharmonic, Delaware University Orchestra, Berklee Composition Orchestra, Gainesville Chamber Orchestra and the Cali Philharmonic.

Torres won the Latin Grammy Award for the Best Classical Record with his album Regreso, a concerto for congas and symphony orchestra in 2019. He is a three-time recipient of the New Jazz Works Grant by Chamber Music America. Torres received second place at the Thelonious Monk Jazz Hand Percussion Competition in 2000. In 2023, he earned his master’s degree in classical composition from the prestigious Manhattan School of Music, where he was honored with the Nicolas Flagello Award for his outstanding achievements as a composer. More information on the artist and his music can be found at www.samueltorres.com.

Maria Raquel A versatile singer whose deep, dark velvet voice can bring the goosebumps to any ballad and can light the fire under an energetic pregón, Maria Raquel channels her upbringing in dance parties, displaying the killer instinct of a vocalist whose instrument speaks the language of percussion. She cites her mother’s taste in music as a principal influence, and her voice evokes the nostalgia of bygone eras and sepia tones. Her upcoming release, Mucha Mujer presents a collection of songs united less by genre and more by the vintage treatment of each selection, with a large acoustic ensemble recorded live, her voice leading the listener seamlessly through the entire journey. In less than a decade in the big city, Maria Raquel has already become the lynchpin of New York’s Latin music scene, her new release making a bold statement of artistry and tradition.

Mauro Torres

Colombian singer-songwriter and sonero, with more than 25 years of experience in Afro-Caribbean rhythms, Mauro Torres has been recognized by great artists in the genre at a national and international level. Throughout his successful career he has been an element within prestigious orchestras in accompaniment to artists of the stature of Cano Estremera, Cheo Feliciano, Lalo Rodriguez, Ismael Miranda and Tony Vega. Torres currently has a successful career also as a composer, having written songs for artists like Giseli, Tumbao Orquesta, Christian Fernandez and Cadencia Orquesta. His way of approaching salsa and soneo makes Torres an integral artist, with experience, a seal of guarantee, neatness and excellence.

Bergamot Quartet

Bergamot Quartet is fueled by a passion for exploring and advocating for the music of living composers, continually expanding the limits of the string quartet’s rich tradition in western classical music. With a priority given to music by women, they aim to place this new, genre-bending music in meaningful dialogue with the histories that precede it with creative programming, community-oriented audience building and frequent commissioning.

Bergamot values partnership and collaboration as a vital element of their creative work. Included in their 2023-24 season is the premiere of an evening-length work at Lincoln Center by percussionist Samuel Torres for Bergamot and Latin jazz sextet, collaborating with The Crossing Choir for a premiere of David T. Little’s SIN-EATER, premiering a new work by Robert Honstein for BalletCollective, an evening exploring Hildegard von Bingen with the New York Choral Society and a collaboration with composer/percussionist Susie Ibarra and her Talking Gong trio. Bergamot operates the monthly concert series “Bergamot Quartet Extended” at Sisters (Brooklyn) this spring, as a medium to showcase their many inspiring collaborators.

About the City College Center for the Arts:

The award-winning City College Center for the Arts hosts an ambitious, year-round calendar of professional performances in the historic Aaron Davis Hall. Our mission is to provide a creative arts center and focal point for the City College of New York, building a sense of community within the College, elevating the profile of Aaron Davis Hall in the greater New York area, and connecting the College to the surrounding community through the arts.

For interview and media inquiries, contact: Cheryl L. Duncan
Cheryl Duncan & Company Inc.
201-552-9239 (O)
cheryl@cdcprnews.com

Pulitzer-Winning Author Colson Whitehead Is 2024 ��Ӱҵ Langston Hughes Medalist

Jessica Lino — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 11:32:08 -0500

Award-winning novelist Colson Whitehead, ��Ӱҵ’s 2024 Langston Hughes Medalist

NEW YORK (January 11, 2024) — City College of New York -CUNY

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Colson Whitehead is this year’s City College of New York’s Langston Hughes Medal recipient. He’ll receive the Medal at ��Ӱҵ’s 45th annual Langston Hughes Festival on Feb. 1.

The medal is awarded to highly distinguished writers from throughout the African American diaspora. It recognizes honorees for their impressive works of poetry, fiction, drama, autobiography and critical essays that help to celebrate the memory and tradition of Langston Hughes. Past award winners include:

James Baldwin;
Gwendolyn Brooks;
Toni Morrison;
August Wilson;
Maya Angelou;
Octavia Butler;
Zadie Smith;
Michael Eric Dyson;
Rita Dove;
Jamaica Kincaid and
Lynn Nottage.

Whitehead won his first Pulitzer Prize in 2017 for his novel “The Underground Railroad.” A #1 New York Times bestseller, it also earned him the National Book Award and the Carnegie Medal for Fiction.

His second Pulitzer came two years later for “The Nickel Boys,” a novel inspired by the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Florida. It also scooped the Kirkus Prize and the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction.

His other notable books include:

His first novel, “The Intuitionist,” a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award and winner of the Quality Paperback Book Club’s New Voices Award;
“John Henry Days,” finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Los Angeles Times Fiction Award, and the Pulitzer Prize. It won the Young Lions Fiction Award and the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award;
“Apex Hides the Hurt,” PEN/Oakland Award winner;
“Sag Harbor,” finalist PEN/Faulkner award and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award; and
“Harlem Shuffle” (2021), and “Crook Manifesto” (2023), the first two books in his Harlem Trilogy.

Whitehead’s reviews, essays, and fiction have appeared in a number of publications, such as the New York Times, The New Yorker, New York Magazine, Harper’s and Granta.

His honors include a MacArthur Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Whiting Writers Award, the Dos Passos Prize, and a fellowship at the Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers.

In 2018, New York State named him its New York State Author, and in 2020 the Library of Congress awarded him its Prize for American Fiction.

Click here to read more.

About ��Ӱҵ
Since 1847, ��Ӱҵ has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. ��Ӱҵ embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at ��Ӱҵ can move up two or more income quintiles. Education research organization Degree Choices ranks ��Ӱҵ #1 nationally among universities for economic return on investment. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places ��Ӱҵ in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Emsi (now Lightcast) puts at $1.9 billion ��Ӱҵ’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 15,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. This year, ��Ӱҵ launched its most expansive fundraising campaign, ever. The campaign, titled “Doing Remarkable Things Together” seeks to bring the College’s Foundation to more than $1 billion in total assets in support of the College mission. ��Ӱҵ is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View ��Ӱҵ Media Kit.

Jay Mwamba
p: 917.892.0374
e: jmwamba@ccny.cuny.edu

City College Center for the Arts Celebrates the Holidays with Nicole Henry

Jessica Lino — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 12:16:45 -0500

Special holiday concert to feature the Soul Train Award-winning, internationally acclaimed chanteuse

NEW YORK (November 28, 2023) — City College Center for the Arts (CCCA)

“(She) should be standing on the biggest stages of the world, alongside the biggest divas in the world. Everyone everywhere needs to be exposed to this magical force of musical artistry.” – BroadwayWorld

“Listen and you’ll hear an artist who knows how to make a song her own… Henry aims right for the emotional center…”. – Billboard

“(Henry) can sell a power ballad as well as Whitney, Diana and Patti.” – Jazz Times

GET “SET FOR THE SEASON” WITH ACCLAIMED JAZZ SINGER NICOLE HENRY

Special City College Center for the Arts holiday concert to feature the Soul Train Award-winning, internationally acclaimed chanteuse

NEW YORK (November 28, 2023) — International recording artist Nicole Henry will bring in the holidays at Aaron Davis Hall on Friday, December 8, as City College Center for the Arts (CCCA) presents a special concert with the powerhouse jazz vocalist. The 7 p.m. concert, “Set for the Season,” will feature holiday favorites and familiar classics by the singer who is celebrated for her fluency with the American Songbook, classic and contemporary jazz, popular music and more. From “My Favorite Things” to “Mary Did You Know,” Henry’s personalized renditions and heartfelt storytelling will instill in New Yorkers the spirit of the holidays, while reminding all of the reason for the season.

The Miami-based performer, a Soul Train Traditional Jazz Performance Award winner originally from Philadelphia, has lit up stages of some of the world’s top venues and music festivals over the past two decades. Henry boasts four top-10 jazz albums on U.S. Billboard, Jazz Week, HMV Japan & UK Sweet Rhythms charts and has been called “…the vocal love child of Whitney Houston and Sarah Vaughan” by the Miami Herald, “a pop-soul superwoman” by the New York Times and “the real thing” by Jazz Journal. Among the musical greats that Henry has recorded with are Kirk Whalum, Julian Lage, Gerald Clayton and Gil Goldstein. She has also performed with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra, Pasadena POPS and Michael Feinstein.

Henry will be accompanied by David Cook on piano, Richie Goods on bass, Jerome Jennings on drums and Tim Jago on guitar.

“I can’t think of a better way to end our successful fall season at Aaron Davis Hall and help set the tone for the holiday season than with the brilliantly dynamic voice of Nicole Henry,” said CCCA Managing Director Gregory Shanck.

Tickets for the concert are $50 and available at www.citycollegecenterforthearts.org.

Aaron Davis Hall is located on the campus of the City College of New York at West 135th Street and Convent Avenue (129 Convent Avenue).

The concert is made possible with funding from The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, National Endowment for the Arts, Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa, The City University of New York and ��Ӱҵ.

ABOUT NICOLE HENRY: Since her debut, Nicole Henry has established herself among the jazz world’s most acclaimed performers, possessing a potent combination of dynamic vocal abilities, impeccable phrasing and powerful emotional resonance.

Her passionate, soulful voice and heartfelt charisma have earned her a Soul Train Award for “Best Traditional Jazz Performance,” and four Top-10 jazz albums on U.S. Billboard, Jazz Week, HMV Japan & UK Sweet Rhythms charts. Heralded by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Japan Times, El Pais, Jazz Times, Essence and more, Henry tells real stories through peerless interpretations of repertoire from the American Songbook, classic and contemporary jazz, popular standards, blues and originals.

She has captivated audiences in over 20 countries, headlining at venues in cities including New York, Tokyo, Madrid, Moscow, Paris, Shanghai, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco and Miami. Henry has also performed in more than 30 music festivals worldwide and in some of the world’s most famous venues including Blue Note; Jazz at Lincoln Center; Blues Alley; Arsht Center; Feinstein’s; Green Mill; Jazz St. Louis; Madrid Jazz Festival; the Regattabar and Catalina Jazz.

the City College Center for the Arts:

The award-winning City College Center for the Arts hosts an ambitious, year-round calendar of professional performances in the historic Aaron Davis Hall. Our mission is to provide a creative arts center and focal point for the City College of New York, building a sense of community within the College, elevating the profile of Aaron Davis Hall in the greater New York area and connecting the College to the surrounding community through the arts.

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For press inquiry, contact:

Cheryl L. Duncan

Cheryl Duncan and Company Inc.

cheryl@cdcprnews.com

City College Center for the Arts Presents Merengue Star Rubby Pérez

Jessica Lino — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 12:14:36 -0400

The “highest voice in merengue” to perform special concert celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

NEW YORK (September 19, 2023) — City College Center for the Arts (CCCA) marks Hispanic Heritage Month with a rousing special concert featuring award-winning Dominican singer Rubby Pérez. Dubbed “the highest voice in merengue,” Pérez will take to the stage at Aaron Davis Hall on Friday, October 6, at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at citycollegecenterforthearts.org for the event, which is produced and emceed by award-winning radio host and Latin music historian Nelson Radhames Rodriguez.

Pérez has previously performed at the National Theater of the Dominican Republic and headlined merengue performances at Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden. His albums, which have gone gold and platinum in Venezuela, have earned him both “Orchestra of the Year” and “Merengue of the Year” honors at the Soberano Awards.

“City College Center for the Arts is proud to bring the celebrated talent Rubby Pérez to Harlem for what will be an amazing celebration of merengue and Hispanic culture ,” said CCCA Managing Director Gregory Shanck. “Concertgoers should wear comfortable shoes as we will be dancing the night away!”

“This very special Hispanic Heritage Month celebration of Dominican Merengue music featuring Rubby Pérez is not to be missed,”said Rodriguez.

All tickets for the concert are $25 and available at www.citycollegecenterforthearts.org.

ABOUT RUBBY PÉREZ

Roberto Antonio Pérez Herrera, known professionally as Rubby Pérez, is a Dominican merengue singer. He first came to prominence as a member of band leader Wilfrido Vargas’ orchestra, where he performed hits like “El Africano” and “Cobarde Cobarde.” Later, Pérez became a famous solo artist in his own right, beginning with his debut album in 1987, “Buscando Tus Besos.”

Pérez, who aspired to be a baseball player in his youth, turned to music when a car accident caused permanent damage to his left leg. After studying music at the National Conservatory of Santo Domingo, he took his first steps as an artist as a member of school groups: Choir Youth Guidance Society, The Youth of Bani in 1978 and Los Hijos del Rey.

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After performing in Vargas’ orchestra during the early 1980s, he took a foray as a solo artist in 1987. Over the course of his career, Pérez has also had two hits on the Billboard charts. His self-titled album “Rubby Pérez” spent two weeks on the Tropical list, peaking at #15 and his song “Love Her” reached #29 on the Latin Charts.

He has won “Orchestra of the Year” and “Merengue of the Year” at the Casandra Awards. In Venezuela, his first solo album won gold and platinum albums in 1988. He also received Globo awards for “Best Song” and “Album of the Year.” Pérez was recognized by the Committee of Latin American Political Parties in the United States (COPOLA USA) for his assistance to victims of the earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010.

the City College Center for the Arts:

For press inquiry, contact:

Cheryl L. Duncan

Cheryl Duncan and Company Inc.

cheryl@cdcprnews.com

Women’s History Month with Author, Motivational Speaker Carla A. Harris

Jessica Lino — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 15:21:46 -0500

Celebrate Women’s History Month with Carla Harris on March 15, 2023 at Aaron Davis Hall

New York, N.Y., Wednesday, March 7, 2023 – – City College Center for the Arts, on the campus of City College of New York, is celebrating Women’s History Month with Author, Motivational Speaker, Carla A. Harris, a discussion, Q&A and book signing for her new book “Lead to Win,” on Wednesday, March 15, 2023 in Aaron Davis Hall. This special Women’s History Month celebration will feature Carla’s signature “pearls” of wisdom. Named as one of the top 40 female speakers in the world 2020, Carla engages audiences around the world with her popular “Carla’s Pearl’s” where she shares with both leaders and emerging leaders how to maximize their career success across all industries using the “hard earned and hard learned” lessons that she acquired during her Wall Street career. Her most recent book “Lead to Win,” shares her pearls of Intentional Leadership to help professionals become powerful, impactful, influential leaders in today’s challenging professional context. Carla has been named as one of the top 25 Black Board Members in the U.S. in 2023 sitting on the boards of Cummins, MetLife and Walmart 2023. This event starts at 6:00 PM EDT. RSVP for Free Tickets and available book purchase at citycollegecenterforthearts.org.

CITY COLLEGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

The 630 seat Marian Anderson Theatre is the largest theatre in Aaron Davis Hall. It was dedicated in 1993 with a tremendous ceremony featuring Harry Belafonte, Jessye Norman, Max Roach, Martina Arroyo, Arthur Mitchell with members of Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Phylicia Rashad.

Marian Anderson is remembered as one of the best American contraltos of all time. She was the first African American singer to perform at the White House and also the first African American to sing with New York’s Metropolitan Opera. Ms. Anderson’s achievements, which inspired generations of young black performers, also included a concert before 75,000 listeners at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 arranged by Eleanor Roosevelt after the Daughters of the American Revolution denied the singer the use of the concert hall in their national headquarters.

About Carla Harris:

Carla Harris is a renowned international public speaker and is also a Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley. She was most recently the Vice Chairman responsible for increasing client connectivity and penetration to enhance revenue generation across the firm. In her 30+ year career as an investment banker, Ms. Harris has had extensive industry experiences in the technology, media, retail, telecommunications, transportation, industrial, and healthcare sectors. She is highly regarded as a motivator, executor and leader. In August 2013, Carla Harris was appointed by President Barack Obama to chair the National Women’s Business Council.

Named as one of the Top 40 Female Speakers in the World in 2020, Carla engages audiences around the world with her popular “Carla’s Pearls” where she shares with both leaders and emerging leaders how to maximize their career success across all industries using the “hard earned and hard learned” lessons

that she acquired during her Wall Street Career. Her most recent book, Lead To Win, shares her pearls of Intentional Leadership to help professionals become powerful, impactful, influential leaders into today’s challenging professional context.

Carla has been named to Fortune Magazine’s list of “The 50 Most Powerful Black Executives in Corporate America”, Fortune’s Most Influential List, U. S. Bankers Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Finance(2009, 2010, 2011), Black Enterprise’s Top 75 Most Powerful Women in Business (2017), and “Top 75 African Americans on Wall Street”, and to Essence Magazine’s list of “The 50 Women Who are Shaping the World”, Ebony’s list of the Power 100 and many more. She has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, Fast Money, Barrons and many other publications.

In her other life, Carla is a singer who has sold out concerts at Carnegie Hall and the Apollo Theatre, and released 4 Gospel CDs:“O This is Christmas” (2021) “Unceasing Praise” (2011), “Joy Is Waiting”(2005), and her first CD entitled, “Carla’s First Christmas”(2000), was a bestseller on Amazon.com in New York and was featured on the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather in his “American Dream” segment.

Celebrate 60 Years of Orquesta Broadway

Jessica Lino — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 13:36:33 -0500

Legendary band, Orquesta Broadway, to play at Aaron Davis Hall on March 24, 2023

New York, N.Y., Tuesday, February 21, 2023 – – City College Center for the Arts, on the campus of City College of New York, is celebrating the 60-year history of the legendary, Cuban charanga-styled band, Orquesta Broadway, on Friday, March 24, 2023 in Aaron Davis Hall, with a special concert featuring Multi-award-winning flutist and educator Connie Grossman and Karen Joseph. This special celebration will take place at the College’s renowned Marian Anderson Theatre, named after the distinguished African American singer who broke racial barriers and inspired new generations of singers of all colors. Notable Award-winning radio host and Latin music history aficionado Nelson Radhames Rodriguez is the producer and host of this concert which starts at 7:00 PM EDT. Tickets available at citycollegecenterforthearts.org.

“Over the years, City College Center for the Arts has hosted numerous outstanding milestones in the Latin music industry and I can’t imagine this celebration being elsewhere. Orquesta Broadway’s hypnotic Cuban charanga sound is sure to bring everyone to their feet” said City College Center for the Arts Managing Director, Gregory Shanck.

“Rhythmic and poetic, the sound of a legendary orchestra preserving the tradition of the Cuban Charanga style. The smooth harmonies of the flute and violins make you dance and move like a feather caught in the wind. Traditional Cuban style persists under the direction of El Maestro Eddy Zervigon, who for more than 60 years has been the leader of the mother of all charangas outside of the island, La Orquesta Broadway.” said Nelson Radhames Rodriguez, Producer.

The Orquesta members includes Eddy Zervigon – Director & Flute; Ivan Zervigon – American Drums; Pablo Mayor – Piano; Berny Minoso – Bass; Luis Mangual – Congas; James Guevara – Timbales; David Remedi – Violin; Yunior Terry – Violin; Hector Aponte – Singer; Jorge Maldonado – Singer; Luis Rosa – Singer.

CITY COLLEGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

ORQUESTA BRAODWAY:

Orquesta Broadway is a Cuban charanga-styled band founded by flutist Eddy Zervigón and his brothers Kelvin and Rudy in New York City in 1962. Charanga is an instrumental format of Cuban origin developed at the end of the 19th century that consists of a flute, violins, bass, and a rhythm section composed of conga, timbal, and güiro. The name of the orchestra was adopted after being suggested by Catalino Rolón, the Palladium Ballroom booking agent at the time–the place where the orchestra made its official debut and, also, where four years later it would play the world-famous ballroom’s final dance.

Undoubtedly, the popular Orquesta Broadway has stood the test of time by becoming not only one of the few surviving charanga bands in New York, but the longest running of its type outside of Cuba. Sixty years after its founding and despite varying musical styles, the ever-in-demand Orquesta Broadway continues to enjoy an enviable place at the forefront of Latin music in the United States.

After more than twenty-five record productions, the album “Orquesta Broadway 40 Aniversario” was nominated for the Latin Grammy® Awards in 2003. The band made its phonographic debut in 1963 on the Gema label with an album entitled “Dengue” (Gema GLP 2191)–that included “Como camina María,” the band’s first hit–followed a year later by a self-titled album (Gema LPG-3003). Next releases, Arrímate Pa’ Acá and Tiqui-Tiqui, 1965 and 1966 respectively, for the Musicor label, solidified the orchestra’s popularity as one of New York’s best and helped catapult the band onto the international scene. The result was immediate, and the band traveled for the first time outside the United States to Caracas, Venezuela in 1967. Later visits to Africa, Europe, and South America followed and that is how in 1973 and 74, the Broadway Orchestra made successive visits to Ivory Coast and Senegal as well as France.

In Cali, Colombia, in 1982, Orquesta Broadway was awarded as “Best of the Fair” during the celebration of the city’s “XXV Sugar Cane Fair”. This recognition was one of the first in a lengthy list of accolades the group has garnered in recognition of its great popularity, high professionalism, and excellent interpretive quality. The orchestra keeps on playing at local venues and continues to travel abroad bringing the exciting sound of Afro-Cuban music to the refined ears of dancers around the world.

On November 12, 2011, Orquesta Broadway was featured at the annual World Athletic Gala of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in the Hall of Stars of the State

Sports Club in the Principality of Monaco thus becoming the second Latin American group, after Cuba’s legeendary Orquesta Aragón in 2007, to be chosen to entertain such a prestigious event.

On June 30, 2012, Orquesta Broadway celebrated its 50th anniversary with an exciting concert at New York’s Lincoln Center where Mr. Zervigón and the band were presented with a special proclamation by New York’s City Council.

Most recently, 0n April 23, 2022, Orquesta Broadway was featured as the main attraction at a multitudinous concert labeled “Gran Fiesta Cubana” in Medellin, Colombia where the band played opposite Orquesta Aragon from Cuba, New York’s Tipica Novel and Guateque Project, a local aggregation.

Eddy Zervigón, the flutist, musical director, and founding leader of Orquesta Broadway plays a five-key wooden flute referred to as the “French flute”; instead of the more modern and more frequently used Boehm system flute. Mr. Zervigón was born in Güines, a small town 48 km southeast of Havana. In 1962, he and his brothers left Cuba and arrived in Miami where they stayed for a brief time before finally settling in New York City where Mr. Zervigón worked with the bands of Lou Pérez, Johnny Pacheco, Alfredo Valdés Sr., and Arsenio Rodríguez before founding his own, Orquesta Broadway.

As a flutist, Eddy Zervigón has taken part in innumerable record production by a select and diverse group of artists. He has also appeared as a guest soloist with such prestigious aggregations as Manny Oquendo’s Conjunto Libre, New York’s Grupo Folklórico y Experimental, and Eddie Palmieri’s band.

Langston Hughes Festival, “Black Ephemera” event, mark ��Ӱҵ Black History Month observance

Jessica Lino — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 07:28:00 -0500

A celebration of two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, and a conversation with noted author and academic Mark Anthony Neal, highlight ��Ӱҵ’s Black History Month observance this February.

Nottage will receive the Langston Hughes Medal at The City College’s 44th Annual Langston Hughes Festival on Feb. 9. On Feb. 17, Neal, who is the James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of African & African American Studies and Chair of the Department of African & African American Studies at Duke University, will visit ��Ӱҵ for an event entitled: “Mark Anthony Neal and Black Ephemera.”

Following are details about these and other events. All are free and open to the public.

Feb. 9 – Langston Hughes Festival. The event starts with a symposium, 12:30 – 1:45 p.m., in ��Ӱҵ’s Aaron Davis Hall, honoring Nottage. Moderated by Jodi-Ann Francis, associate director of the Black Studies Program, the conversation will include Laurie Woodard, ��Ӱҵ assistant professor of history; Kaitlyn Greenidge, novelist and features editor of Harper’s Bazaar; and Quiara Alegría Hudes, Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright, lyricist, and essayist. Aaron Davis Hall is located at 134th and Convent Ave. Click here to register for the symposium.

Yahdon Israel, a senior editor at Simon and Schuster, founder of Literaryswag, and creative writing teacher at ��Ӱҵ, will emcee the evening’s presentation ceremony, 6 – 8 p.m., in Aaron Davis Hall. Nottage will give a reading, and engage in a conversation about her writing with Salamishah Tillet, the 2022 Pulitzer Prize winner for Criticism for her work as a contributing critic-at-large for the New York Times. Nottage will have a book signing after receiving the Hughes Medal. Click here to register for the presentation ceremony.

Nottage will join a list of highly distinguished writers from throughout the African American diaspora as a Hughes Medalist. It recognizes honorees for their impressive works of poetry, fiction, drama, autobiography and critical essays that help to celebrate the memory and tradition of Langston Hughes. Click here for a list of past award winners.

Ahead of the Langston Hughes Festival, Nottage was interviewed by ��Ӱҵ President Vincent Boudreau on “From City to the World,” the radio show he hosts on City College-based WHCR-90.3FM. Click here to listen to the interview.

Feb. 10 – Online premiere of Langston Hughes’ never-produced 1940s radio play “Little Ham from Harlem.” Starts at 9 p.m. (EST) on www.projectaudion.com, or www.youtube.com/projectaudion.

Feb. 17 – “Mark Anthony Neal and Black Ephemera,” 11 a.m. to 12 noon in ��Ӱҵ’s Rifkind Center for the Humanities and the Arts, features Neal in conversation with Vanessa K. Valdés, ��Ӱҵ’s associate provost for community engagement. They will discuss his latest book, “Black Ephemera: The Crisis and Challenge of the Musical Archive.” The Rifkind Center is located on the sixth floor of the North Academic Center (NAC), room 316. Click here to register for the event.

About the City College of New York
Since 1847, ��Ӱҵ has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. ��Ӱҵ embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at ��Ӱҵ can move up two or more income quintiles. Education research organization DegreeChoices ranks ��Ӱҵ #3 nationally for social mobility. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places ��Ӱҵ in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Emsi puts at $1.9 billion ��Ӱҵ’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 15,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. This year, ��Ӱҵ launched its most expansive fundraising campaign, ever. The campaign, titled “Doing Remarkable Things Together” seeks to bring the College’s Foundation to more than $1 billion in total assets in support of the College mission. ��Ӱҵ is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View ��Ӱҵ Media Kit.

Jay Mwamba
p: 212.650.7580
e: jmwamba@ccny.cuny.edu