Purchase College to Present Soul Voices Concert

Purchase College will present Soul Voices: It’s a Family Affair, on Weds., November 14, at 7:00 pm. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will take place at the Conservatory of Music Building, Recital Hall at Purchase College (735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY).

Soul Voices celebrates the diverse and talented student body of Purchase College. Comprised of young people of various backgrounds, interests and major study areas, the singers in the group come together to experience and express to their audience the unity possible via the great and universal gift of the human voice.

The Purchase College Conservatory of Music is celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of its acclaimed Jazz Studies program by presenting several concerts in Westchester and New York City featuring students from the highly competitive program.

Pete Malinverni, founder and artistic director of Soul Voices and head of the Jazz Studies program, said, “It’s an honor to celebrate such an important milestone for Jazz Studies at Purchase. Our alumni are among the most talented and professionally successful in the world, as evidenced by their celebrated work in jazz clubs, ensembles, and on award-winning recordings. We are thrilled to invite the public to check out the next generation of leading jazz artists right in their own back yard.”

The performance-driven curriculum strives to emphasize the practical, bringing “the street into the classroom.” With world-class performance and rehearsal facilities, the program enjoys an acclaimed reputation among today’s leading institutions. Jazz majors are mentored by some of the leading jazz artists on the scene today, including Malinverni, Todd Coolman (acoustic bass), Jon Faddis (trumpet), and David DeJesus (conductor), among many others. Prominent alumni include: internationally acclaimed jazz vocalist Cyrille Aimée; vocalist Jo Lawry, who can be heard on multiple Sting albums; trumpet player Bruce Harris; Grammy award winning drummer Paul Francis; and Spike Wilner, a notable pianist and owner of Smalls.

Also coinciding with the 25th Anniversary, Purchase is launching an effort to raise funds for a Friends of Jazz Endowed Scholarship Fund. All gifts will go to scholarships for students in the Jazz Studies program. Purchase maintains a strong commitment to the idea that any student talented enough to succeed in a program as competitive as Purchase Jazz should not be impeded by an inability to pay.