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Meet Cyrille Aimée

“I think the most beautiful thing that Purchase provided to me was a sense of community. The people I met at Purchase are the people who I grew musically with, and will continue to do so forever.”

Cyrille Aimée (BM)
Voice

Improvisation is not just a technique for Cyrille Aimée, it’s a way of life. The acclaimed vocalist ventured from singing on street corners in Europe to dazzling audiences at the world’s most prestigious jazz festivals; from sneaking out to sing in gypsy encampments in her native France to acting on Broadway; from braving the notoriously tough audiences at New York’s Apollo Theatre to being called a “rising star in the galaxy of jazz singers” by the New York Times. Among countless accolades, Aimée won the Montreux Jazz Festival Vocal Competition and the Sarah Vaughn International Jazz Vocal Competition.

Her most recent album, LIVE, is the closing chapter of her years of touring with her innovative two-guitar line-up. As an actress, Aimée co-starred with Bernadette Peters in a Stephen Sondheim tribute at New York’s City Center. This has inspired her into digging deeper in the Sondheim repertoire for her next project. She’s shared her story via master classes, a TEDx talk, and an address at the Conference on World Affairs. 

On the occasion of Purchase Jazz’s 25th Anniversary she writes:

“I released my new album “Move On: A Sondheim Adventure”, on February 22nd, which I co-produced with pianist and fellow Purchase alumni Assaf Gleizner. On the record are several other Purchase class mates such as saxophonist Bill Todd and trumpet player Wayne Tucker.

I have learned so much at Purchase College I wouldn’t know where to begin. One of the most important things I learned is to be professional. I remember Pete Malinverni would take being on time to class very seriously, and that is a lesson that has stuck with me in the real world ever since.

I think the most beautiful thing that Purchase provided to me was a sense of community. The people I met at Purchase are the people who I grew musically with, and will continue to do so forever. They were my classmates, my teachers, and became my colleagues and are now family.”