Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts Offers Tastes Of Paris

Renowned International Guest Chefs to Partner with Local Restaurant Host Chefs for Food and Dining Events

Nine Philadelphia-Connected Designers to Showcase Work at Signature PIFA Fashion Show

What would any event connected to Paris be without food or fashion? For the upcoming Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA), April 7 - May 1, there will be plenty of both. Festival organizers have announced the rundown of extraordinary food- and fashion-centric events that will bring the tastes and styles of the City of Lights to the City of Brotherly Love, including the pairing of world-renowned Chefs from Paris and Lyon who will whip up new masterpieces in partnership with local restaurant Chefs, and a slate of national and locally-connected designers whose newest runway-worthy styles will be spotlighted during PIFA's Signature Fashion Event.

An opportunity to showcase the core themes of the Festival - collaboration, creativity and innovation - and to highlight the diversity of French cooking technique and cuisine, the culinary component will kick off with the presentation of the first Culinary Visionary Award to Chef Georges Perrier during PIFA's Opening Night Gala on Thursday, April 7. As Philadelphia's renowned master of French cuisine who held the distinction of being the City's premier 5 Star Chef for 26 years, Chef Perrier, himself a native of Lyon, will be honored for his contribution to the culinary culture of Philadelphia and his accomplishments as a regional member of the Maîtres Cusiniers de France (Master Chefs of France).

PIFA Pairs French Chefs with Local Chefs

Then, from Sunday, April 10 to 17, PIFA will bring 11 Guest Chefs from Lyon and Paris to Philadelphia, where they will be hosted by local restaurants including Le Bec Fin, Bibou, Bistrot La Minette, Caribou Café, Fork, Lacroix, Parc, R2L, Rouge, Table 31 and Amuse at Le Méridien Philadelphia. Each French Guest Chef will collaborate with the Philadelphia Chefs to create a special, inspired menu that they will help prepare during their stay and will be featured at the host restaurant throughout the festival month of April. The special pairing menus for PIFA will be served from Wednesday through Friday, April 13 to 15. The pairings include:

Michael Abt, Parc with Frédéric Berthod 33 Cité
Terence Feury, Fork with Simon Lacassin Préfecture du Rhône
Daniel Stern, R2L with Babette De Rozieres La Table de Babette
Pierre Calmels, Bibou with Olivier Paget Le Fleurie
Jon Cichon, Lacroix with Frédéric Côte Restaurant au Colombier
Chris Scarduzio, Table 31 with Arnaud Languille Clostan Traiteur
Olivier Desaintmartin, Caribou Café with Jean-Paul Borgeot La Tassée
Dan Black, Amuse (Le Méridien, Phila) with Eric Brujan L'Orénac Le Méridien Etoile
Peter Woolsey, Bistrot La Minette with Joseph Viola Daniel et Denise
Georges Perrier, Le Bec Fin with Mathieu Viannay La Mère Brazier
Michael Yeamans, Rouge with TBA

On Tuesday, April 12, the Chefs will participate in a Student-Master Chef Exchange Day at the Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College. Hosted by Chef Tom Delcamp, Philadelphia's aspiring future chefs will have the unique opportunity to interact with the French chefs in a special inter-cultural exchange.

A prestigious and fun-loving group, each of the visiting Chefs has a story to tell. The Lyon-based chefs are part of the Toques Blanches organization, headed by Chef Christophe Marguin. Several have worked in restaurants in the U.S. and at least one was trained under Chef Georges Perrier, himself a native of Lyon. In addition, an elite group are members of the prestigious Maitres Cuisineres de France, the association of Master French Chefs. Georges Perrier, Olivier deSaintmartin, Jean-Pierre Tardy, and Jean-Francois Taquet are the four chefs in the Philadelphia region who are members of the association. One member - the only female - of the visiting group is from the French West Indies and has her own television show. Biographies and photos of the Chefs are available for further detail.

Adding to PIFA's culinary offerings, Wolfgang Puck Catering at the Kimmel Center will be participating in PIFA 2011 with Bistro Academie, a Parisian-inspired seasonal buffet based in the recently-restored Ballroom at the Academy of Music at Broad & Locust Streets. Bistro Academie will be open for dinner on each Friday and Saturday and Sunday brunch during the Festival. $38.00* Friday & Saturday Dinner $24.00* Sunday Brunch Reservations: call 215 670 2388 or email PIFA@wolfgangpuck.com. As well, Wolfgang Puck Catering will be providing French-inspired food in the Kimmel Center Commonwealth Plaza throughout the Festival - including crepes, croissants and more.

PIFA Celebrates Haute Couture with Fashion Show

PIFA's Fashion and Style component will be showcased at a signature Fashion Show, to be held in the transformed lobby of the Kimmel Center the evening of Friday, April 8. In addition to highlighting the work of both noted and up-and-coming local designers, the event will present Ralph Rucci, a Philadelphia native, with the Visionary Award for Fashion. Rucci became the first American designer in more than 60 years to be invited to show in Paris by the French Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, and he showed his haute couture designs in Paris for the next three seasons. It is this French connection that compelled PIFA to bestow this award on Mr. Rucci.

Produced by SPW Productions, the show's participating designers (each of whom will present six individual looks), will also include student designers from fashion departments of four of Philadelphia's universities, who will compete for an internship at Chado Ralph Rucci in New York. Rucci's designs will be showcased as the grande finale of the Fashion Show. The participating designers include: Melani Von Alexandria, Priscilla Costa, Katie Ermilio, Carmelita Martell, Janice Martin, Lonni Rossi, Alison Lewis, Jaames Nelson, Bela Shehu, Kristen Haskins Sims and Sarah Van Aken.

Truly a banquet for both longtime arts lovers and novices, the full slate of PIFA programming, including food and fashion events can be accessed via www.pifa.org and at the Kimmel Center Box Office. Tickets to individual performances and events can be purchased on the PIFA website, in person at the Kimmel Center Box Office, or by phone at 215-546-PIFA. Tickets are priced by individual presenting organizations, ranging from FREE to the public to $125. For the most up to date information, visit www.pifa.org.

About PIFA The Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA), inspired by the Kimmel Center, is the city and region's first major international arts festival, celebrating the spirit of collaboration and innovation that characterized Paris from 1910 to 1920 - a time of tremendous creativity that ultimately shaped how we defined the arts throughout the 20th century. Slated for April 7 to May 1, and featuring a feast of music, dance, fashion, fine arts, outdoor events, theater, literature, cuisine and more, PIFA will celebrate the depth and breadth of Philadelphia's vibrant cultural community. Comprised of more than 140 cultural organizations, over 135 events, 30 commissioned works and 1500 artists over 25 days, the festival offers an enticing mix of programs from classical performances to new works, family and children's programming to cutting-edge dance and music, unique collaborations to gravity-defying aerial artists, all featuring a roster of local, national and International Artists from Paris and beyond. The Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA), festival was made possible by an extraordinary grant from Philadelphia philanthropist Leonore Annenberg, whose vision for a city-wide celebration of the arts shaped its philosophy and programming

Kimmel Center, Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit organization, owns, manages, supports and maintains The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, which includes Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, Innovation Studio and the Merck Arts Education Center. Kimmel Center, Inc. also manages the Academy of Music, owned by the Philadelphia Orchestra Association, and the University of the Arts' Merriam Theater. Our mission is to operate a world-class performing arts center that engages and serves a broad audience from throughout the Greater Philadelphia region. The 2010/2011 season is sponsored by Citi, and the Broadway 2010/2011 season is sponsored by Verizon, and American Airlines. For additional information, visit kimmelcenter.org.