New Jersey Youth Symphony Presents 2021 Concerto Competition Winners Recital, Friday, March 26, at 7:00 p.m. FREE

The New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJYS) announced today that it will present a virtual recital featuring 

2021 Concerto Competition Winners 

WHEN: Friday, March 26, at 7:00 p.m. EDT

WHERE: WhartonArts.tv

TICKETS: free

The concert will feature this year’s first place winner, violinist Samantha Liu; second place winner, clarinetist Alex Cha; and third place winners violinist James Song and pianist Sarah Ouyang; as well as the 2020 Concerto Competition Winner, French hornist Thomas McGrath. New Jersey’s largest youth orchestra program holds the annual competition for current members of the NJYS Youth Symphony with the top winner earning the opportunity to perform with the ensemble at a prestigious concert hall. This year, the competition was held virtually with 19 entrants performing for two guest adjudicators, Ilmar Gavilan, violinist of Harlem Quartet and Dr. Mark Laycock, professor of orchestral studies at Wichita State University.  

Said Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Helen H. Cha-Pyo, “It is truly inspiring to watch these talented and dedicated young musicians completely immerse themselves in the music and perform their hearts out. I always knew that music and youth are a dynamic combination, but it seems more powerful during the pandemic.”

First place winner Samantha Liu of Basking Ridge, a junior at Ridge High School, will perform the first movement from Barber’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 14. She has studied violin for nine years with Yousun Kim and has been a member of the New Jersey Youth Symphony for six years. She wants to thank her violin teacher, her NJYS friends, and Artist Director and Principal Conductor Helen H. Cha-Pyo, all of whom inspire her to be a better musician. She looks forward to making live music together in the spring.

Second place winner Alex Cha of Westfield, a senior at Westfield High School, will perform the first movement from Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622. A proud member of the New Jersey Youth Symphony’s Clarinet Quartet and Youth Symphony, he has been playing the clarinet for over nine years and currently studies with Jo-Ann Sternberg at the Manhattan School of Music Pre-College Division. Accolades in his musical career include placing first in the National Artists Competition and second place in the International Grande Music Competition as well as performing with the New Jersey Regional and All-State Bands.

Third place winner James Song of New Providence, a senior at the Union County Magnet High School, will perform the Finale from Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26. He studies with Oleg Pavlov and joined the New Jersey Youth Symphony in his freshman year of high school as a member of the NJYS Youth Symphony. He has placed in several competitions, most notably First Place in the American Protege International Concerto Competition (2020), Grand Prix Winner in the Concert Festival International Competition (2020), and Second Place in the American Protege International Piano & Strings Competition (2017).

Third place winner Sarah Ouyang of Basking Ridge, a junior at Ridge High School, will perform the first movement from Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488. A young musician who loves both the piano and the cello, she studies piano with Gloria Chu and cello with Gerall Hieser. She has performed as a piano soloist with Sinfonica del Festival di Chioggia under the baton of Maestro Pietro Perini at the International Festival Musica in Laguna in Chioggia, Italy, as well as performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15 with the Plainfield Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Charles Prince. As a cellist, she joined the New Jersey Youth Symphony in 2015 and has been a proud member of the NJYS Youth Symphony since 2018.

The 2020 New Jersey Youth Symphony Concerto Competition Winner Thomas McGrath of Princeton, a senior at Princeton High School, will perform Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 1 in D major, K. 412. He studies with Kathryn Mehrtens at The College of New Jersey and has performed with the New Jersey All-State Wind Ensemble and All-State Orchestra (Principal horn, 2020), Central Jersey Regional Orchestra, and Philadelphia Sinfonia.

The New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJYS), founded in 1979, is a tiered orchestral program offering ensemble education for students in grades 3-12 across New Jersey. NJYS has grown from one orchestra of 65 students to over 500 students in 15 different orchestras and ensembles, including the internationally recognized Youth Symphony. NJYS ensembles have performed in venues including the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Carnegie Hall, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. NJYS has received numerous prestigious awards for its adventurous programming from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) and has had six European tours, including participation in the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Festival and Competition (Vienna), winning First Prizes in July 2014 and 2017.

The New Jersey Youth Symphony is a program of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts. Wharton is New Jersey’s largest non-profit performing arts education organization serving over 1,500 students of all ages and abilities through a range of classes and ensembles. In addition to the New Jersey Youth Symphony, programs include the Paterson Music Project, an El Sistema-inspired program that uses music as a vehicle for social change by empowering and inspiring children through the community experience of ensemble learning and playing in its hometown of Paterson. Beginning with early childhood music classes for toddlers, the Performing Arts School offers 500 private lessons and group classes each week, ensuring there is something for everyone of all ages and abilities. 

New Jersey Youth Symphony Hosts Virtual Playathon, Sunday, March 21, at 3:00 p.m. FREE

The New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJYS) hosts

A Virtual Playathon 

WHEN: Sunday, March 21, from 3:00-4:30 p.m. EDT

WHERE: WhartonArts.tv. 

The event will feature virtual ensemble performances, raffles, trivia contests, and interviews with NJYS conductors, as well as a live auction to win the conductor’s baton and the chance to conduct the New Jersey Youth Symphony performing John Williams’ Superman. WNYC’s Weekend Edition and The Christie Tracker Podcast Host David Furst will preside as the event’s emcee.

The annual fundraiser raises nearly $100,000 for the organization to support performing arts education, including scholarships and tuition assistance for New Jersey’s largest youth orchestra program. This year, NJYS students are participating in a practice challenge to help raise funds for the event and have logged 279,500 minutes to date. To support music education at the New Jersey Youth Symphony and the 2021 Playathon, continue to give by texting MUSIC to 74121 or donating online at www.WhartonArtsDonate.org.

Said Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Helen H. Cha-Pyo, “Although we cannot be together in person, the New Jersey Youth Symphony is super excited to present a virtual orchestra of over 300 musicians performing two of our Playathon favorites, Can-Can and Superman. We will also feature newly-created virtual performances by our Clarinet Ensemble and Charles Mingus Jazz Combo, as well as video messages from graduating seniors. It will be a true celebration of our beloved NJYS community and beyond!”

The New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJYS), founded in 1979, is a tiered orchestral program offering ensemble education for students in grades 3-12 across New Jersey. NJYS has grown from one orchestra of 65 students to over 500 students in 15 different orchestras and ensembles, including the internationally recognized Youth Symphony. NJYS ensembles have performed in venues including the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Carnegie Hall, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. NJYS has received numerous prestigious awards for its adventurous programming from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) and has had six European tours, including participation in the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Festival and Competition (Vienna), winning First Prizes in July 2014 and 2017.

The New Jersey Youth Symphony is a program of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts. Wharton is New Jersey’s largest non-profit performing arts education organization serving over 1,500 students of all ages and abilities through a range of classes and ensembles. In addition to the New Jersey Youth Symphony, programs include the Paterson Music Project, an El Sistema-inspired program that uses music as a vehicle for social change by empowering and inspiring children through the community experience of ensemble learning and playing in its hometown of Paterson. Beginning with early childhood music classes for toddlers, the Performing Arts School offers 500 private lessons and group classes each week, ensuring there is something for everyone of all ages and abilities.  

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts Offers Free Audition Workshop Series: February 21-April 30 

The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts announced today that it will offer a series of 

Audition Workshop Series

WHEN: February 21 through April 30
TUITION: free and open to the public.
To register to attend, visit WhartonArts.org.
For New Jersey Youth Symphony 2021-22 season auditions, visit NJYS.org.

Instrumentalists entering grades 3-12 from anywhere in the world are invited to take advantage of this series of virtual workshops to hone skills and prepare for orchestral auditions. 

• Do You Know Your Scales & Arpeggios?
• Tips for Making a Great Audition Video
• New Jersey Youth Symphony Audition Preparation Excerpt Workshops

Said Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Helen H. Cha-Pyo, “This has not been an easy season for our young musicians as they had to pivot to online lessons and rehearsals. These instrument-specific audition workshops will provide extra support to help them hone their basic skills and prepare for upcoming auditions.”

Wharton Arts Workshops

Do You Know Your Scales & Arpeggios? Audition Workshops: Mondays 7:00 – 8:15 p.m. EST

February 21: Flute: Kathleen Neste

This workshop meets from 4:00 – 5:15 p.m. EST on Sunday, February 21.

February 22: Winds & Brass: Oboe, Meredyth Coleman; Clarinet, David Sapadin; Bassoon, Sasha Energren; Horn, Amy Larkey-Emelianoff; Trumpet, Valdemar Castillo; Trombone, Nicole Abissi; Tuba, Derek M. Fenstermacher

March 1: Strings: Violin, James Keene; Viola, Elizabeth Nowik; Cello, Tomoko Fujita; Bass, Ha Young Jung

March 15: Jazz Musicians: Saxophones, David Schumacher; Trumpet, Nathan Eklund; Trombone, David Gibson; Guitar, Charlie Sigler; Piano, Shamie Royston; Bass, Chris Berger

Tips For Making a Great Audition Video with Engineer Joe DeVico

Monday, April 5 | 7:00 – 8:15 p.m. EST

New Jersey Youth Symphony Audition Preparation

Excerpt Workshops: Fridays 4:00 – 5:15 p.m. EST

April 16: Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, Trumpet, Trombone & Tuba: Flute, Bart Feller; Oboe, Andy Adelson; Clarinet, Andy Lamy; Bassoon, Mark Timmerman; Horn, Michelle Baker; Trumpet, Eric Berlin; Trombone, Vernon Post; Tuba, Derek M. Fenstermacher

April 23: Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass & Percussion: Violin, Brennan Sweet; Viola, Garrett Fischbach; Cello, John Spitz; Bass, Ha Young Jung; Percussion, Joe Tompkins

April 30: Jazz Audition Workshop: Saxophone, Julius Tolentino and Drums, Matt Slocum

The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts’ mission is to provide the highest quality performing arts education to a wide range of students in a supportive and inclusive environment, where striving for personal excellence inspires and connects those we teach to the communities we serve.

Wharton is New Jersey’s largest independent non-profit community performing arts education center serving over 1,200 students through a range of classes and ensembles including the 15 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Symphony, which serve 500 students in grades 3 – 12 by audition. Beginning with Out of the Box Music and Pathways classes for young children, Wharton offers private lessons, group classes, and ensembles for all ages and all abilities at the Performing Arts School. With the belief in the positive and unifying influence of music and the performing arts and that arts education should be accessible to all people regardless of their ability to pay, Wharton teaches all instruments and voice and has a robust musical theater program. Based in Paterson, New Jersey, the Paterson Music Project is an El Sistema-inspired program of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts that uses music as a vehicle for social change by empowering and inspiring children through the community experience of ensemble learning and playing.

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts is located in Berkeley Heights, New Providence and Paterson, NJ and reaches students from 10 counties. All of Wharton’s extraordinary faculty members and conductors hold degrees in their teaching specialty and have been vetted and trained to enable our students to achieve their personal best. 

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts Announces Online Master Class with Grammy-winning Guitarist Sharon Isbin

The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts (WIPA) Performing Arts School presents 

A FREE GUITAR MASTER CLASS

WHEN: Monday, February 1, at 7:00 p.m.

WHERE: Zoom 

Click here to register for the the master class which will take place via Zoom.

For full details, visit WhartonArts.org.

GRAMMY Award Winner and 2020 Musical America Worldwide Instrumentalist of the Year Sharon Isbin will share her talents with Performing Arts School students online. Audience members are invited to listen and learn from the acclaimed guitarist. 

Said Artistic Director Helen H. Cha-Pyo, “Our students at Wharton Arts are incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to learn from Sharon Isbin. She is truly a trailblazer in the world of guitar and an inspirational role model for musicians everywhere.”

Acclaimed for her extraordinary lyricism, technique and versatility, multiple GRAMMY Award winner Sharon Isbin was named the 2020 Musical America Worldwide Instrumentalist of the Year, the first guitarist ever to receive the coveted honor in its 59 year award history. Hailed as “the pre-eminent guitarist of our time,” she is the winner of Guitar Player magazine’s Best Classical Guitarist award, Germany’s Echo Klassik, Concert Artists Guild’s Virtuoso Award, and the Toronto and Madrid Queen Sofia competitions, and was the first guitarist ever to win the Munich ARD Competition. Isbin has appeared as soloist with over 200 orchestras and has given sold-out performances in many of the world’s finest halls, including New York’s Carnegie and Geffen Halls, Boston’s Symphony Hall, Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center, London’s Barbican and Wigmore Halls, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Paris’ Châtelet, Vienna’s Musikverein, Munich’s Herkulessaal, and Madrid’s Teatro Real. She has served as Artistic Director and soloist of festivals she created for Carnegie Hall and the Ordway Music Theatre (St. Paul), New York’s 92Y, and the national radio series Guitarjam. Read more at www.sharonisbin.com.

The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts’ mission is to provide the highest quality performing arts education to a wide range of students in a supportive and inclusive environment, where striving for personal excellence inspires and connects those we teach to the communities we serve.

Wharton is New Jersey’s largest independent non-profit community performing arts education center serving over 1,200 students through a range of classes and ensembles including the 15 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Symphony, which serve 500 students in grades 3 – 12 by audition. Beginning with Out of the Box Music and Pathways classes for young children, Wharton offers private lessons, group classes, and ensembles for all ages and all abilities at the Performing Arts School. With the belief in the positive and unifying influence of music and the performing arts and that arts education should be accessible to all people regardless of their ability to pay, Wharton teaches all instruments and voice and has a robust musical theater program. Based in Paterson, New Jersey, the Paterson Music Project is an El Sistema-inspired program of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts that uses music as a vehicle for social change by empowering and inspiring children through the community experience of ensemble learning and playing.

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts is located in Berkeley Heights, New Providence and Paterson, NJ and reaches students from 10 counties. All of Wharton’s extraordinary faculty members and conductors hold degrees in their teaching specialty and have been vetted and trained to enable our students to achieve their personal best.

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts Announces Online Master Class with Broadway Star Marissa McGowan

Online Master Class with Broadway Star Marissa McGowan

WHEN: Friday, January 22, at 4:00 p.m. EST
WHERE: via Zoom
TUITION: free
Click here to register for the the master class which will take place via Zoom. For full details, visit WhartonArts.org.

Marissa McGowan, known for her work in Roundabout Theatre Company’s Broadway revival of Kiss Me Kate at Studio 54 and the revival of Broadway's A Little Night Music starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury, will work with Performing Arts School students online, enabling audience members the opportunity to learn from anywhere in the world. A seasoned vocal coach, McGowan imparts to her students confidence in vocal technique while learning how to really tell a story and nail a great audition. 

Said Artistic Director Helen H. Cha-Pyo, “During this season of virtual learning, Wharton Arts is offering close to 20 free master classes for every instrument, including voice, with world-renowned artists. Marissa McGowan is an award-winning singer, actress, and a seasoned master teacher who finds joy in helping young people find their voice. We are extremely excited about this master class.”

Marissa McGowan is currently appearing in the Roundabout Theatre Company Broadway Revival of Kiss Me Kate at Studio 54, playing the Wardrobe Mistress and understudying Lilli Vanessi, played by the incomparable Kelli O’Hara. McGowan had the honor to be chosen by Marvin Hamlisch to star as Stella Purdy in the world premier of Marvin’s last musical The Nutty Professor, directed by the legendary Jerry Lewis, for which she won the “best leading actress” award in Nashville for her performance. McGowan has appeared on Broadway in the A Little Night Music revival alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury (Original Cast Recording), Bonnie and Clyde (Original Cast Recording), and Les Misérables (Revival and National Tour), where she performed both the roles of Eponine and Cosette. Television credits include Major Crimes (TNT) and Odd Mom Out (Bravo). Concert appearances include Lincoln Center in a tribute to Marvin Hamlisch directed by Mike Nichols, Susan in The Sweet Smell of Success in Concert (Hudson Theater NYC), and soloist with the Indianapolis Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Omaha Symphony, Houston Symphony, Kalamazoo Symphony, Phonecia Festival of the Voice, New Albany Symphony, Annapolis Chorale, Alpine Theatre Project, and the American Cancer Society Marvin Hamlisch tribute at the Hudson Theater in NYC. As a pedagogue, McGowan has taught master classes across the country and has a roster of private students in the NYC area.

The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts’ mission is to provide the highest quality performing arts education to a wide range of students in a supportive and inclusive environment, where striving for personal excellence inspires and connects those we teach to the communities we serve.

Wharton is New Jersey’s largest independent non-profit community performing arts education center serving over 1,200 students through a range of classes and ensembles including the 15 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Symphony, which serve 500 students in grades 3 – 12 by audition. Beginning with Out of the Box Music and Pathways classes for young children, Wharton offers private lessons, group classes, and ensembles for all ages and all abilities at the Performing Arts School. With the belief in the positive and unifying influence of music and the performing arts and that arts education should be accessible to all people regardless of their ability to pay, Wharton teaches all instruments and voice and has a robust musical theater program. Based in Paterson, New Jersey, the Paterson Music Project is an El Sistema-inspired program of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts that uses music as a vehicle for social change by empowering and inspiring children through the community experience of ensemble learning and playing.

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts is located in Berkeley Heights, New Providence and Paterson, NJ and reaches students from 10 counties. All of Wharton’s extraordinary faculty members and conductors hold degrees in their teaching specialty and have been vetted and trained to enable our students to achieve their personal best.

WHARTON SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS & VISUAL ARTS CENTER OF NJ DELIVER HOLIDAY CHEER

Holiday Cabaret for the Arts 

WHEN: Friday, December 18, at 6:00-8:00 p.m. 
WHERE: Zoom or Facebook Live
TICKETS: free

Featuring pops and holiday favorites from Wharton’s musical theater arts department alongside video footage from the Art Center’s current exhibitions and educational offerings, this new collaboration between the arts organizations hopes to bring a unique combination of beauty, seasonal cheer, and a message of unity to a shared local community base, even as COVID-19 continues to impact the local and national arts scenes.

Said Melanie Cohn, VACNJ Executive Director, “The Art Center is excited for this festive partnership with Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts. Our two organizations really demonstrate the transformational power of art and we look forward to this opportunity to share the joy of the performing and visual arts with our communities.”

“I am thrilled to support music education and the arts, now more than ever. I look forward to performing arts programs continuing to inspire residents of all ages in Berkeley Heights, and the Holiday Cabaret for the Arts is a festive nod to community-engaged art,” stated Berkeley Heights Mayor Angie Devanney.

 

Audience members are invited to watch from the comfort of home and experience the delights of music and art in this joyful celebration. The event will conclude with a festive holiday sing along and a shop local video featuring small businesses from the township of Berkeley Heights. Rumor has it that Jolly Old Saint Nick may even appear! 

For more information, visit WhartonArts.org.

The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts’ mission is to provide the highest quality performing arts education to a wide range of students in a supportive and inclusive environment, where striving for personal excellence inspires and connects those we teach to the communities we serve.

Wharton is New Jersey’s largest independent non-profit community performing arts education center serving over 1,200 students through a range of classes and ensembles including the 15 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Symphony, which serve 500 students in grades 3 – 12 by audition. Beginning with Out of the Box Music and Pathways classes for young children, Wharton offers private lessons, group classes, and ensembles for all ages and all abilities at the Performing Arts School. With the belief in the positive and unifying influence of music and the performing arts and that arts education should be accessible to all people regardless of their ability to pay, Wharton teaches all instruments and voice and has a robust musical theater program. Based in Paterson, New Jersey, the Paterson Music Project is an El Sistema-inspired program of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts that uses music as a vehicle for social change by empowering and inspiring children through the community experience of ensemble learning and playing.

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts is located in Berkeley Heights, New Providence and Paterson, NJ and reaches students from 10 counties. All of Wharton’s extraordinary faculty members and conductors hold degrees in their teaching specialty and have been vetted and trained to enable our students to achieve their personal best.

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts Presents Virtual Salon Series October 4 

VIRTUAL SALON SERIES

WHEN: Sunday, October 4, at 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: WhartonArts.tv. 

Replacing cabaret-style seating on stage alongside the performers in Wharton’s black box theatre, the intimate concert series continues via livestream free of charge. Audience members are invited to watch from the comfort of home and share on social media the wine and cheese pairings of their choice while viewing. For full concert details, visit WhartonArts.org.

The Sunday evening series opens with pianist, composer, and arranger Matt King performing selections from the Great American Songbook, jazz classics, and original compositions. A former Composition Fellowship recipient from the NJ State Council on the Arts, King has garnered awards as a semi-finalist at the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition and winner of the Great American Jazz Piano Competition (2000). He toured extensively with the iconic group Blood, Sweat & Tears and served as music director for jazz guitarist Chuck Loeb. He has performed with symphony orchestras across the United States and appeared on The Today Show and Good Morning America. He can be heard at Holland’s renowned North Sea Jazz Festival, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Montreal Jazz Festival, and the Cape Town Jazz Festival.

The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts’ mission is to provide the highest quality performing arts education to a wide range of students in a supportive and inclusive environment, where striving for personal excellence inspires and connects those we teach to the communities we serve.

Wharton is New Jersey’s largest independent non-profit community performing arts education center serving over 1,200 students through a range of classes and ensembles including the 15 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Symphony, which serve 500 students in grades 3 – 12 by audition. Beginning with Out of the Box Music and Pathways classes for young children, Wharton offers private lessons, group classes, and ensembles for all ages and all abilities at the Performing Arts School. With the belief in the positive and unifying influence of music and the performing arts and that arts education should be accessible to all people regardless of their ability to pay, Wharton teaches all instruments and voice and has a robust musical theater program. Based in Paterson, New Jersey, the Paterson Music Project is an El Sistema-inspired program of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts that uses music as a vehicle for social change by empowering and inspiring children through the community experience of ensemble learning and playing.

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts is located in Berkeley Heights, New Providence and Paterson, NJ and reaches students from 10 counties. All of Wharton’s extraordinary faculty members and conductors hold degrees in their teaching specialty and have been vetted and trained to enable our students to achieve their personal best.

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts Presents Fall Virtual Open House

What to Expect with Online Learning

WHEN: Sunday, September 13, at 1:00 p.m. EDT
WHERE: Zoom
ADMISSION: free
To attend the event, sign up online. For more information, call (908) 790-0700.

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts (WIPA) announced today that it will host a virtual Open House via Zoom. In addition to class demos and information sessions with Performing Arts School Artistic Director Helen H. Cha-Pyo, faculty and staff, the event will include a presentation on What to Expect with Online Learning: Private Lessons and Group Classes with Director of Student Services Kristen Wuest and Director of Musical Theater Arts Timothy Maureen Cole. A $25 Open House discount is offered on all group class enrollments taken during the virtual Open House. 

“Online learning has become an essential part of the educational offerings of our Performing Arts School, especially in these challenging times,” said Peter H. Gistelinck, Executive Director of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts. “We will continue to expand our offerings on an ongoing basis as online learning will remain a crucial component of our education system moving forward and will be a priority in the strategic planning process of Wharton.”

Wharton’s Performing Arts School, which launched a nationwide online learning platform this summer including virtual camps, Zoom private lessons, workshops, and master classes for the whole family to enjoy right from home, will continue this fall with expanded online program offerings. Dedicated to the highest quality performing arts education, Wharton has cultivated an online space for creativity, community, and collaboration through an array of affordable performing arts activities for all ages. All of the Performing Arts School’s online programs can be found at www.WhartonArtsOnline.org.

The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts’ mission is to provide the highest quality performing arts education to a wide range of students in a supportive and inclusive environment, where striving for personal excellence inspires and connects those we teach to the communities we serve.

Wharton is New Jersey’s largest independent non-profit community performing arts education center serving over 1,500 students through a range of classes and ensembles including the 15 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Symphony, which serve 500 students in grades 3 – 12 by audition. Beginning with Out of the Box Music and Pathways classes for young children, Wharton offers private lessons, group classes, and ensembles for all ages and all abilities at the Performing Arts School. With the belief in the positive and unifying influence of music and the performing arts and that arts education should be accessible to all people regardless of their ability to pay, Wharton teaches all instruments and voice and has a robust musical theater program. Based in Paterson, New Jersey, the Paterson Music Project is an El Sistema-inspired program of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts that uses music as a vehicle for social change by empowering and inspiring children through the community experience of ensemble learning and playing.

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts is located in Berkeley Heights, New Providence and Paterson, NJ and reaches students from 10 counties. All of Wharton’s extraordinary faculty members and conductors hold degrees in their teaching specialty and have been vetted and trained to enable our students to achieve their personal best. 

WHARTON INSTITUTE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS LAUNCHES “WEDNESDAY WEBINARS AT WHARTON”

Wednesday Webinars at Wharton

WHEN: Wednesday afternoons, July 1- August 26, 4-5PM EDT
WHERE: on Zoom
TICKETS: $20 ($10 for Wharton Arts students)
Tickets are available at www.WhartonArts.org/wednesday-webinars
For more information, call (908) 790-0700 or email info@whartonarts.org.

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts (WIPA) announced today that world-renowned Broadway stars and music industry veterans Capathia Jenkins, Marissa McGowan, Michael Mendez, Pam Sousa, Michael Keller, and Doug LaBrecque will join the line-up of Performing Arts School faculty to participate in “Wednesday Webinars at Wharton,” a series of weekly one-hour virtual workshops exploring what it means to have a career in the professional musical theatre world, including the sharing of personal experiences, behind-the-scene stories, tips, training, and more. Proceeds from the nine-week webinar series will benefit the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts Scholarship Fund.

“Especially in these challenging times, Wharton Arts sees it as its duty to expand its footprint by bringing our offerings online,” said Peter H. Gistelinck, Executive Director of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts. “Our ‘Wednesday Webinars at Wharton’ provide unique opportunities for students of all ages across the country to learn directly from some of the best artists in the musical theater industry,” said Helen H. Cha-Pyo, Artistic Director of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts.

• The first event will take place on Wednesday, July 1 and will feature an intimate conversation with American actress and singer Capathia Jenkins, best known for her work as a Broadway performer with roles in shows such as Caroline, or Change, Newsies, and Martin Short's Fame Becomes Me.
• Stage favorites Marissa McGowan (Kiss Me Kate) and Michael Mendez (Chaplin, Grease) will appear together on July 15.
• Broadway dancer and choreographer Pam Sousa (A Chorus Line), a player in the original Bob Fosse production of Pippin, will follow on August 5.
• Broadway music contractor and drummer Michael Keller (music contractor for the legendary Marvin Hamlisch) on August 12.
• Broadway veteran Doug LaBrecque (Phantom of the Opera) will appear on August 19.

The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts’ mission is to provide the highest quality performing arts education to a wide range of students in a supportive and inclusive environment, where striving for personal excellence inspires and connects those we teach to the communities we serve.

Wharton is New Jersey’s largest independent non-profit community performing arts education center serving over 1,500 students through a range of classes and ensembles including the 15 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Symphony, which serve 500 students in grades 3 – 12 by audition. Beginning with Out of the Box Music and Pathways classes for young children, Wharton offers private lessons, group classes, and ensembles for all ages and all abilities at the Performing Arts School. With the belief in the positive and unifying influence of music and the performing arts and that arts education should be accessible to all people regardless of their ability to pay, Wharton teaches all instruments and voice and has a robust musical theater program. Based in Paterson, New Jersey, the Paterson Music Project is an El Sistema-inspired program of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts that uses music as a vehicle for social change by empowering and inspiring children through the community experience of ensemble learning and playing.

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts is located in Berkeley Heights, New Providence and Paterson, NJ and reaches students from 10 counties. All of Wharton’s extraordinary faculty members and conductors hold degrees in their teaching specialty and have been vetted and trained to enable our students to achieve their personal best.

Summer Jazz Workshop Brings Technology and Top Jazz Educators Together in Online Learning Program

The New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJYS), a program of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts (WIPA), announced today that it will hold a summer jazz workshop on its nationwide online learning platform.

The JTole Summer Jazz Workshop at NJYS

WHEN: July 13-25

Led by award-winning Jazz educator Julius Tolentino, the workshop will include a star-studded lineup of guest artists and faculty. Sean Jones, Chair of Jazz at Peabody Conservatory and Jazz Education Network President; Kenny Rampton, Founder of Jazz at Lincoln Center and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Jazz Outreach Initiative; Tia Fuller, Professor of Saxophone at Berklee School of Music and Mack Ave Recording Artist; Rodney Green, Educator, Composer, and Sound Designer; Michael Dease, Professor of Trombone at Michigan State University; and Helen Sung, Composer, Performer, and Educator, will join faculty members David Gibson, Dave Schumacher, Shamie Royston, and Matt Slocum for the two-week workshop.

Said JTole Summer Jazz Workshop Director Julius Tolentino (above), “What separates our virtual workshop from others is that all of our teachers and master class clinicians understand and teach this music as a language. Jazz is a language and we at Wharton Arts have proven methods that will help students significantly increase their fluency to achieve the most in a short period of time."

In addition to master classes and private lessons, workshop participants will experience virtual big band and combo classes culminating in a virtual jazz festival on Sunday, July 26, where a video project featuring the workshop participants will be released. For more information and registration, visit www.WhartonArtsOnline.org. 

The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts’ mission is to provide the highest quality performing arts education to a wide range of students in a supportive and inclusive environment, where striving for personal excellence inspires and connects those we teach to the communities we serve.

Wharton is New Jersey’s largest independent non-profit community performing arts education center serving over 1,500 students through a range of classes and ensembles including the 15 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Symphony, which serve 500 students in grades 3 – 12 by audition. Beginning with Out of the Box Music and Pathways classes for young children, Wharton offers private lessons, group classes, and ensembles for all ages and all abilities at the Performing Arts School. With the belief in the positive and unifying influence of music and the performing arts and that arts education should be accessible to all people regardless of their ability to pay, Wharton teaches all instruments and voice and has a robust musical theater program. Based in Paterson, New Jersey, the Paterson Music Project is an El Sistema-inspired program of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts that uses music as a vehicle for social change by empowering and inspiring children through the community experience of ensemble learning and playing.

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts is located in Berkeley Heights, New Providence and Paterson, NJ and reaches students from 10 counties. All of Wharton’s extraordinary faculty members and conductors hold degrees in their teaching specialty and have been vetted and trained to enable our students to achieve their personal best.

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts Offers Summer Jazz Listening Hour Online

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts (WIPA) announced today that it will offer a month-long Jazz Listening Hour every Monday at 7:00 p.m. EST beginning June 29. The participation fee for the Jazz Listening Hour is $50. For more information and registration, visit www.WhartonArtsOnline.org. 

Hosted by saxophonist Dave Schumacher, this informal survey of the history of Jazz will explore classic as well as rare, live unissued recordings generally unavailable to the public. This series of five online listening/discussion sessions covers eras in the development of Jazz from its early roots through swing, bebop, and beyond. Featured Jazz legends include Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and more.

Said Host Dave Schumacher, “Music lovers of all ages will enjoy exploring the history of America's great art form through guided listening sessions. Whether you are a Jazz newbie or seasoned fan, these sets will expand your horizons right from your living room.”

Chicago native Dave Schumacher has been a key player in the New York jazz scene for more than three decades, touring throughout the United States and internationally with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, Art Blakely Big Band, T.S. Monk on Monk Ensemble, Nicholas Payton’s Louis Armstrong Tribute Big Band, and as an original member of the Harry Connick, Jr. Orchestra. Highlights of his international career include an appearance at Mount Fuji Jazz Festival in Japan with the Art Blakely Big Band.

Schumacher can be heard on nearly a dozen Columbia Records recordings with the Harry Connick, Jr. Orchestra and with such jazz greats as Lionel Hampton and Mel Tormé. Schumacher received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Jazz Performance from Rutgers University/Livingston College and a Master of Music degree in Jazz Performance from New Jersey City University.

The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts’ mission is to provide the highest quality performing arts education to a wide range of students in a supportive and inclusive environment, where striving for personal excellence inspires and connects those we teach to the communities we serve.

Wharton is New Jersey’s largest independent non-profit community performing arts education center serving over 1,500 students through a range of classes and ensembles including the 15 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Symphony, which serve 500 students in grades 3 – 12 by audition. Beginning with Out of the Box Music and Pathways classes for young children, Wharton offers private lessons, group classes, and ensembles for all ages and all abilities at the Performing Arts School. With the belief in the positive and unifying influence of music and the performing arts and that arts education should be accessible to all people regardless of their ability to pay, Wharton teaches all instruments and voice and has a robust musical theater program. Based in Paterson, New Jersey, the Paterson Music Project is an El Sistema-inspired program of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts that uses music as a vehicle for social change by empowering and inspiring children through the community experience of ensemble learning and playing.

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts is located in Berkeley Heights, New Providence and Paterson, NJ and reaches students from 10 counties. All of Wharton’s extraordinary faculty members and conductors hold degrees in their teaching specialty and have been vetted and trained to enable our students to achieve their personal best.

WHARTON INSTITUTE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS LAUNCHES NATIONWIDE ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORM WITH ITS SUMMER PROGRAM OFFERINGS

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts (WIPA) announced today that it has launched a nationwide online learning platform with its summer program offerings including virtual camps, Zoom private lessons, workshops, and master classes that the whole family can enjoy right from home.

“In these challenging times, it is our duty and social responsibility as a non-profit organization to give back and do our part in offering music lessons online of a high caliber while remaining accessible for all,” said Peter H. Gistelinck, Executive Director of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts. “We are confident that our online programs will expand our footprint beyond our New Jersey home base, and may even have a significant nationwide impact.”

Dedicated to the highest quality performing arts education, Wharton has cultivated an online space for creativity, community, and collaboration through an array of affordable summer activities for all ages. All of the online programs can be found at www.WhartonArtsOnline.org.

The public is invited to a virtual Open House on Friday, May 29, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. using the video conferencing platform Zoom. This free event will feature demo classes and Q&A sessions with New Jersey Youth Symphony, Paterson Music Project, and Performing Arts School faculty and staff.

A $25 Open House discount is offered on all enrollments taken during the virtual Open House. To attend the virtual Open House, sign up online at www.WhartonArtsOnline.org. For more information, call (908) 790-0700.

The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts’ mission is to provide the highest quality performing arts education to a wide range of students in a supportive and inclusive environment, where striving for personal excellence inspires and connects those we teach to the communities we serve.

Wharton is New Jersey’s largest independent non-profit community performing arts education center serving over 1,500 students through a range of classes and ensembles including the 15 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Symphony, which serve 500 students in grades 3 – 12 by audition. Beginning with Out of the Box Music and Pathways classes for young children, Wharton offers private lessons, group classes, and ensembles for all ages and all abilities at the Performing Arts School. With the belief in the positive and unifying influence of music and the performing arts and that arts education should be accessible to all people regardless of their ability to pay, Wharton teaches all instruments and voice and has a robust musical theater program. Based in Paterson, New Jersey, the Paterson Music Project is an El Sistema-inspired program of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts that uses music as a vehicle for social change by empowering and inspiring children through the community experience of ensemble learning and playing.

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts is located in Berkeley Heights, New Providence and Paterson, NJ and reaches students from 10 counties. All of Wharton’s extraordinary faculty members and conductors hold degrees in their teaching specialty and have been vetted and trained to enable our students to achieve their personal best.

WHARTON INSTITUTE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS HOSTS VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE MAY 29

A Virtual Open House

WHEN: Friday, May 29, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Virtual Open House Schedule: 6:30-7:15 p.m. Summer Program Overviews; 7:15-7:45 p.m. Summer Program Information & Demos; 7:45-8:00 p.m. Q&A Session
WHERE: the video conferencing platform Zoom
To attend the virtual Open House, sign up online at www.WhartonArts.org. For more information, call (908) 790-0700.

Committed to providing the highest quality performing arts education, Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts (WIPA) will roll out an array of affordable summer offerings available nationwide at the Open House including virtual camps, private lessons, workshops, and master classes that the whole family can enjoy right from home. The public is invited to this free event to meet faculty and participate in demo classes and Q&A sessions with New Jersey Youth Symphony, Paterson Music Project, and Performing Arts School staff.

A $25 Open House discount is offered on all enrollments taken during the event.

The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts’ mission is to provide the highest quality performing arts education to a wide range of students in a supportive and inclusive environment, where striving for personal excellence inspires and connects those we teach to the communities we serve.

Wharton is New Jersey’s largest independent non-profit community performing arts education center serving over 1,500 students through a range of classes and ensembles including the 15 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Symphony, which serve 500 students in grades 3 – 12 by audition. Beginning with Out of the Box Music and Pathways classes for young children, Wharton offers private lessons, group classes, and ensembles for all ages and all abilities at the Performing Arts School. With the belief in the positive and unifying influence of music and the performing arts and that arts education should be accessible to all people regardless of their ability to pay, Wharton teaches all instruments and voice and has a robust musical theater program. Based in Paterson, New Jersey, the Paterson Music Project is an El Sistema-inspired program of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts that uses music as a vehicle for social change by empowering and inspiring children through the community experience of ensemble learning and playing.

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts is located in Berkeley Heights, New Providence and Paterson, NJ and reaches students from 10 counties. All of Wharton’s extraordinary faculty members and conductors hold degrees in their teaching specialty and have been vetted and trained to enable our students to achieve their personal best.

A New Virtual World for the Paterson Music Project

Amid the growing concerns surrounding the COVID 19 pandemic, the Paterson Music Project (PMP) suspended all regularly scheduled classes on Monday, March 16, for what was expected to be a two-week departure from the norm. Realizing the possibility of social distancing extending beyond the projected fortnight, the administrative staff at PMP jumped into action: of Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts’ three programs, the Paterson Music Project was the first to establish a robust schedule of online learning for its students using the video conferencing platform Zoom. Within the first week of quarantine, PMP students had access to group learning as well as individual instructional time with teaching artists, hardly missing a beat in their music education.

Said Paterson Music Project Director Elizabeth Moulthrop, “PMP has continued virtual group and private lessons from the first moment of the pandemic shutdown. We are holding group hang-outs, which are so important for our students to maintain social contact with each other. The social connection is a huge part of the El Sistema model of teaching, which our program follows. Music is healing, and we hear every day from parents and students alike how much joy it brings into their lives, even during the COVID 19 pandemic—especially during the pandemic.”

Hosting over sixty 40-minute sessions per week, PMP classes reach Paterson students in Grades 2-9 and include violin, viola, cello, double bass, percussion, brass, woodwinds, and a drum circle, as well as private lessons. PMP has had siblings of students join its online classes who are not normally part of the program, encouraging the entire family to get involved and welcoming their participation.

“The biggest difference we have found with distance learning is that our students are not able to play together at the same time due to the internet latency," said Moulthrop. “In our Zoom group classes, the students sometimes take turns playing alone, or they mute themselves and play together. That being said, it has been a unique opportunity to explore the abundance of available music apps and games that we might not include in a traditional classroom setting. And clearly the students enjoy and need this creative outlet—we had one second grade violin student log over 8 hours of PMP instructional time, two weeks in a row!”

Against some daunting odds—Paterson has the biggest outbreak of COVID 19 in Passaic County, and per capita emergency crews are responding to approximately the same number of calls from residents suffering with symptoms as in New York City—the students at PMP have remained dedicated, continuing to practice their musical instruments and learn from home. Uplifting for both the student families and teaching artists to convene on a weekly schedule, PMP is making the best of a challenging situation, and looking forward to the day that they can once again play together in Paterson.

The Paterson Music Project (PMP) empowers children to achieve their full potential through the joyful pursuit of musical excellence. Inspired by the global El Sistema movement, PMP uses music education as a vehicle for social change in its home city of Paterson.

PMP provides tuition-free musical training to students throughout Paterson after school. Students study a primary instrument and participate in ensemble practice and instrumental sectionals. They receive an average of 6 hours of instruction per week and in addition, may participate in an optional private lesson program. Students perform frequently for the community and perform an average of 30 events annually.

The Paterson Music Project launched its first site at the Community Charter School (CCSP) of Paterson in January 2013 with 32 second graders and has since added a new class of students each year. Since its inception, PMP has partnered with the Paterson Public Schools to open programming to students at Paterson Public Schools 1, 24, and 26. PMP has also partnered with William Paterson University’s Music After School Program to create a central band site at the Norman S. Weir School to serve over 60 students. There are now 200 students in the program across the city of Paterson grades 2-9. PMP also runs Saturday classes at the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Paterson.

The Paterson Music Project is a program of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts. Wharton is New Jersey’s largest non-profit performing arts education organization serving over 1,500 students of all ages and abilities through a range of classes and ensembles including the 15 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Symphony which serve 500 students in grades 3 - 12. Beginning with early childhood music classes for toddlers, the Performing Arts School offers 500 private lessons and group classes each week, ensuring there is something for everyone of all ages and abilities.

For more information, visit www.patersonmusicproject.org

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts Hosts Virtual Audition Workshop April 17

The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts announced today that it will hold a virtual Audition Workshop using the video conferencing platform Zoom.

WHEN: Friday, April 17, from 4:00-5:30 p.m.
FEE: The workshop is a free event. Student must sign up online at www.WhartonArts.org to attend.

Bryan Rudderow, conductor and director of New Jersey Youth Symphony Concertino Winds, Clarinet Ensemble, CL4tet and Summer Winds Camp, will provide insights and tips to help students prepare for a successful audition. An experienced instructor and adjudicator, Rudderow’s students consistently place in Junior High School and High School Region, All-State, All-Eastern, and All-National Orchestras and Bands. Select participants will be invited to prepare a mock audition. For more information, call (908) 790-0700.

Said Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Helen H. Cha-Pyo, “There is no substitute for thorough preparation when it comes to playing your best at auditions. I urge all young musicians to attend this online workshop to gain important knowledge that will help take their audition performance to the next level!”

The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts’ mission is to provide the highest quality performing arts education to a wide range of students in a supportive and inclusive environment, where striving for personal excellence inspires and connects those we teach to the communities we serve.

Wharton is New Jersey’s largest independent non-profit community performing arts education center serving over 1,500 students through a range of classes and ensembles including the 15 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Symphony, which serve 500 students in grades 3 – 12 by audition. Beginning with Out of the Box Music and Pathways classes for young children, Wharton offers private lessons, group classes, and ensembles for all ages and all abilities at the Performing Arts School. With the belief in the positive and unifying influence of music and the performing arts and that arts education should be accessible to all people regardless of their ability to pay, Wharton teaches all instruments and voice and has a robust musical theater program. Based in Paterson, New Jersey, the Paterson Music Project is an El Sistema-inspired program of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts that uses music as a vehicle for social change by empowering and inspiring children through the community experience of ensemble learning and playing.

Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts is located in Berkeley Heights, New Providence and Paterson, NJ and reaches students from 10 counties. All of Wharton’s extraordinary faculty members and conductors hold degrees in their teaching specialty and have been vetted and trained to enable our students to achieve their personal best.