The Paris Performance Experience

23/03/2026

17/03/2026

✨ Faculty Spotlight: Mr. Benjamin Garner ✨

Collaborative Pianist – The Paris Performance Experience

It is a tremendous honor to welcome Mr. Benjamin F. Garner to the faculty of The Paris Performance Experience as our official collaborative pianist.

Benjamin Garner is truly a musical savant—a musician whose depth of knowledge and instinctive musicality allow him to move seamlessly across classical, jazz, CCM, choral, and contemporary styles. His remarkable versatility makes him an ideal collaborator for a program that celebrates artistry across disciplines.

Mr. Garner currently serves as University Organist and Instructor of Piano and Organ at Hampton University, where he works closely with the university choirs and teaches piano and organ.
A native of Newport News, Virginia, he began studying piano at the age of five and later pursued formal training in music performance at Virginia Commonwealth University.

He holds a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and has performed in distinguished venues including Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, Lincoln Center’s Clark Theater, and internationally in Australia and Scotland.

Beyond his work as a pianist and organist, Benjamin is also known throughout the Hampton Roads region as a composer, arranger, piano technician, recording engineer, and instrument specialist.

For The Paris Performance Experience, Mr. Garner will not only serve as our collaborative pianist for singers and instrumentalists, but will also contribute his expertise as a sound and recording support, helping document and shape the musical work created throughout the program.

Simply put, Benjamin Garner is a consummate artist whose generosity, brilliance, and musical intuition elevate young artists.

We are absolutely thrilled that he will be joining us in France to help bring the music of our artists to life.

Bienvenue, Benjamin! 🇫🇷🎶

02/03/2026

The is beyond excited to collaborate with arguably the world’s most proficient vocal artist . The Paris Performance Experience is a two week performing arts program in France, where Avery will be in residence this summer.

As program director of The Paris Performance Experience, I am an admirer of Avery’s artistry. His voice, presence, and heart align magically. Thank you, Avery! You will inspire many lives this summer!

23/02/2026

We are beyond honored to welcome Sarah Weber Gallo to the Dance Faculty of The Paris Performance Experience at Le Château de Chaumont-sur-Yonne, July 17–31, 2026 🇫🇷✨

Director of Hoboken Dance Academy and current Executive Director of Dance New Jersey, Sarah Weber Gallo brings extraordinary leadership, artistry, and vision to The Paris Performance Experience. With a distinguished 25-year career as a member of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet and as a former Radio City Rockette, she embodies a level of professional excellence, precision, and performance mastery that inspires young artists. She also serves as an Adjunct Instructor in Theatre and Dance, Dean’s Office, College of the Arts at Montclair State University, shaping the next generation of artists through "the dual perspectives of functional anatomy and maximal expressivity."

A versatile master teaching artist specializing in ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap, and composition, Sarah is a passionate advocate for dance education and performer wellness. This summer in France, she will integrate principles of the Alexander Technique into our daily work—guiding participants in body awareness, alignment, breath, and efficiency of movement before each intensive day begins. Her work empowers artists to connect deeply with their physical instrument, prevent injury, enhance performance quality, and cultivate longevity in their careers.

At the Paris Performance Experience, where artists gather from multiple disciplines to train, collaborate, and perform on an international stage, Sarah’s presence elevates our commitment to render excellence, distinction, and artistry to young artists. 💫

10/02/2026

Hello Everyone! I hope you are well and thriving. I am sharing a hub that I created for faculty, guests, and participants. It is exclusively for you, not as a replacement for the main site, but supplementary to it. I will continue to update it frequently. Enjoy!

A prestigious two-week international performing arts residency in Paris. July 17-31, 2026. Master classes, mentoring, and cultural immersion for exceptional artists.

24/01/2026

is an extraordinary opera singer whose humanitarian efforts have transcended the art form. I remember when I was a graduate student at Yale during a time when she was lighting up the stage in Bizet’s Carmen at the Met, her debut in 1995. I remember reading about her imminent stardom in Opera News. It was an inspiration at the time to see someone who looked like me with such confidence, strength, and beauty. I owe her a debt of gratitude and a hearty congratulations for a job well done!

La Divina Assoluta is taking a final bow at today in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Many of my friends get to experience history together with her. Such a gift!! Thank you Denyse Graves! Your next chapter is already in progress!