Photos: Kurt Elling Concert

Grammy Award-winning jazz artist Kurt Elling entertained an audience of about 350 during a concert in celebration of Penn Charter's commitment to the arts and the leadership of Head of School Darryl J. Ford, who is in his final year at PC, on February 28 in the David L. Kurtz Center for the Performing Arts.

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Prior to the concert, a reception for OPCs in the Arts was held in the Kurtz Center's Choral Room. After the concert, a dessert reception was held for all concert-goers in the Lyons Room at the Graham Athletics and Wellness Center. Elling also visited with Upper and Middle school jazz vocalists and musicians earlier in the day to listen to the students perform and share encouragement and advice.

Darryl, who has served PC for 26 years as the director of the Middle School then as head of school, counts Elling among his favorite musicians. A robust arts program has been a focal point during Darryl's tenure, along with strong academics and athletics offerings. In 2010, the David L. Kurtz Center for the Performing Arts opened on campus. In the years since, thousands of students have showcased their musical, vocal and performing talents on the Kurtz Center stage, and thousands more have learned to play a range of instruments and pursue other passions through their exposure to the arts at PC.