The raves just keep coming in…

Artists, ambassadors, special guests, and our funder partners alike had a great time at the June 19 Center Stage launch at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. With nearly 1,000 in the audience as seen from the stage when I spoke briefly and introduced the Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S. Sherry Rehman, the packed crowd stretched to Pennsylvania, it seemed. 

What’s even better are the reports from the road – both the Arieb Azhar ensemble and noori and having wonderful experiences in American communities. From Arieb’s recent performance in Bellows Falls, VT, eliciting reactions like this from one participant, “keep your beautiful message beaming around America and wherever you travel next…we were deeply moved by meeting with you,” to noori’s praise for the Ann Arbor Summer Fest, “Thank you, Ann Arbor, for making us feel right at home,” Center Stage is making an impact across the country.  And these are just the first two tours, with more to follow this fall.

Photos by Daniel Schwartz.