Melissa White returns to Purdue with Harlem Quartet
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – The Harlem Quartet plays at Loeb Playhouse on September 28, 2025, with violinist Melissa White returning to Purdue.
Last year, she joined Pallavi Mahidhara for a collaboration performance. The two combined classical and contemporary music in their February 2024 Purdue debut.
Now, as a founding member of the Harlem Quartet, White returns to the Loeb stage in a performance like no other.
The New York-based group is renowned for their fusion of classical, jazz, and Latin music. This unique style won them a Grammy for their compendium, “Passion for Bach and Coltrane”. Additionally, they received acclaim from the Obamas in their White House concert.
Ted Nash of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra said, “Harlem Quartet is one of the greatest string quartets I have ever heard. They can play anything.” Since their 2006 debut at Carnegie Hall, this group has performed in 47 states and four continents. Currently, they serve as the quartet-in-residence at the Royal College of Music in London.
The quartet has three goals: to bring a variety of sounds from different artists into their performance, to collaborate with classical musicians and jazz artists, and to educate young audiences on the genres used.
Along with White, Cuba native Ilmar Gavilán is featured on the violin. Cellist Felix Umansky comes from Carmel, Indiana. Puerto Rican violist Jaime Amador joined the quartet in 2012. All members of the group have studied and toured internationally with the goal of bringing classical music to a wide audience. They hope to target students and those otherwise uninterested in classical music.
The Harlem Quartet’s fascinating blend of genres is unlike any other. Loeb Playhouse’s intimate space creates an immersive musical experience audiences will not want to miss.
Harlem Quartet at Purdue
Sunday, September 28, 2025
3:00 pm / Loeb Playhouse
Exclusive Friends of Convos event: Behind the Music with Harlem Quartet
Saturday, September 27, 2025
7:00 pm / Purdue Memorial Union, Room 118
Join your fellow Friends of Convocations the night before for an evening of music, food, culture and conversation. Enjoy light hors d’oeuvres, desserts and coffee provided by 8Eleven Modern Bistro while you listen to Harlem Quartet perform and discuss the music in their program.
