• By Mabel Pais

The New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJYS) will perform a free Education Concert on Wednesday, February 21 at 10:00-11 a.m. in the Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) at 1601 Irving Street, Rahway, NJ 07065.

Nearly 1,000 elementary and middle school students will be in attendance – 600 students from Union County public schools and 300 students from Paterson Public Schools – for this special event to celebrate Black History Month with powerful music selections by Duke Ellington and William Grant Still. Led by Helen H. Cha-Pyo, the NJYS Youth Symphony will be joined by guest artist and tenor saxophonist Lance Bryant for the performance.

Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Helen H. Cha-Pyo said, “As we celebrate our 45th anniversary season, the New Jersey Youth Symphony remains dedicated to training its students in a supportive yet rigorous environment, while encouraging them to use music to serve and inspire others. With our NJYS Youth Symphony musicians, predominantly high school students who serve as positive role models, we aim to ignite passion and excellence in our younger audience members.”

“Hosting this educational concert is central to our mission, as it celebrates the legacies of Black composers including Duke Ellington and William Grant Still, while offering an immersive experience for attendees. Through creative and engaging introductions to each section of the orchestra, we aim to make this concert memorable and educational. Opening with the singing of the Black National Anthem ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ underscores our dedication to celebrating the contributions of Black artists to our cultural heritage. We are honored to share this musical experience with our community, fostering a deeper appreciation for diversity and inclusion in the arts.”

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NJYS HONORS BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH CONCERT

By Mabel Pais

The New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJYS), a program of Wharton Arts, presents a Black History Month Celebration Concert (whartonarts.org/calendar/black-history-month-celebration-concert) on Sunday, February 25 at 3:00 p.m. at the Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC), at 1601 Irving Street, Rahway, NJ 07065. Conductor Helen H. Cha-Pyo will lead the NJYS Youth Symphony in Duke Ellington’s ‘Three Black Kings’ featuring tenor saxophonist Lance Bryant, William Grant Still’s ‘Afro American Symphony,’ and the world premiere of Stefania De Kennesey’s ‘Microvids for Symphony Orchestra’ and ‘Piano’ featuring pianist Donna Weng Friedmann and narrator Diana Solomon-Glover.

TICKETS

To purchase tickets, go to UCPAC.org. Tickets are priced for adults; students and seniors get discounted tickets. Use code FAMILYPACK for five tickets.

Said Cha-Pyo, “This season holds special significance as we celebrate Duke Ellington’s 125th birth year, and the excitement is palpable as NJYS prepares to perform his final composition, ‘Three Black Kings,’ featuring the incredible Lance Bryant on tenor saxophone. Additionally, marking the 45th season of the New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJYS), each signature concert features premiere performances of new works by BIPOC and women composers. I am particularly thrilled about presenting Stefania De Kenessey’s ‘Microvids’ with dynamic pianist Donna Weng Friedmann and eloquent reciter Diana Solomon-Glover. Closing the concert is William Grant Still’s beloved ‘Afro American Symphony,’ paying homage to the Dean of African American Composers. Our dedicated youth musicians and I are passionately committed to delivering a program that celebrates the richness of Black excellence, and we hope you will join us in this musical celebration.”

“I’m so excited to perform as a featured soloist with the New Jersey Youth Symphony,” said Bryant. “It’s a rare experience to play with a full orchestra. In fact, it’s a first for me! And all the more special, since we’re playing Duke Ellington’s last extended composition, written at the end of a long life of composing music of the best quality. ‘Three Black Kings’ is everything we come to expect from Ellington. It’s rich, elegant, adventurous, and soulful—a final masterpiece from our maestro.”————————————-

NJYS HOLDS ANNUAL OPEN REHEARSALS WEEK

By Mabel Pais

The New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJYS), a program of Wharton Arts, holds its annual Open Rehearsals Week (whartonarts.org/calendar/2024-open-rehearsals-week), February 26-March 3, 2024.

Young musicians in grades 2-11 are warmly welcomed to meet the passionate NJYS conductors and immerse themselves in a live rehearsal at this behind-the-scenes look at any of the New Jersey Youth Symphony’s 15 ensembles. Open Rehearsals Week is free but advance registration is required. To view the Open Rehearsals Week schedule and sign up to attend, visit NJYS.org.

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NJYS CELEBRATES 45 YEARS

• By Mabel Pais

Wharton Arts celebrates the New Jersey Youth Symphony’s 45th Anniversary Season this year with an exciting Alumni Weekend, May 4-5, 2024, and 45th Anniversary Concert on Sunday, May 5 at 3:00 p.m. at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. Throughout the 2023-24 season, NJYS honors its vibrant history and bright future with premieres of new compositions and beloved music from the inaugural season in 1979. Alumni are warmly invited to perform alongside current students at the 2024 Playathon and spring concerts in May. For more information, go to NJYS.org.

Wharton Arts

Wharton Arts’ vision is for a transformative performing arts education in an inclusive community to be accessible for everyone.

Wharton Arts is New Jersey’s largest independent non-profit community performing arts education center serving over 2,000 students through a range of classes and ensembles.

Wharton Arts is located in Berkeley Heights, New Providence, and Paterson, NJ and reaches students from 12 counties. All of Wharton Arts’ extraordinary teaching artists, faculty members, and conductors hold degrees in their teaching specialty and have been vetted and trained to enable Wharton’s students to achieve their personal best. Learn more at whartonarts.org.

(Mabel Pais writes on The Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Spirituality, Education, Cuisine, Health & Wellness, and Business)