(NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ) --The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts will present two free virtual webinars featuring jazz singer, composer, and producer David Linx on Friday, April 9 and Curtis Institute of Music CEO & President Roberto Diaz on Monday, May 3. Both webinars will take place via Zoom from 7:00pm-8:00pm EST. To sign up to attend and more information, visit NJYS.org.
Wharton’s Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Helen H. Cha-Pyo will lead conversations with the guest artists, ranging from traditional jazz projects to those completely “out of the box” with Linx, Jazz Vocal Professor at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and 2017 Octave d’Honneur recipient, and an exploration of personal values that help lead to success, as well as navigating the future of classical music, with acclaimed violist and GRAMMY Award Winner Diaz.
Said Cha-Pyo, ““It’s important for young performing arts students to encounter professional artists who are at the top of their respective fields and yet are dedicating their time and talent to nurture the next generation of artists. David Linx and Roberto Diaz are exemplary artists who have committed themselves to the art of both performing and teaching.”
The New Jersey Youth Symphony, 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.
Now in its 42nd season, NJYS continues to achieve musical excellence through intensive instruction and high-level performance. Under the guidance of a talented team of conductors, coaches, and teaching artists, students are immersed in challenging repertoire, learning the art of ensemble playing, and exploring their potential in a supportive and inclusive environment. NJYS remains committed to programming works by diverse composers and regularly features 20th century African American and women composers such as Duke Ellington, George Walker, Yvonne Desportes, Emma Lou Diemer, Julia Perry, and Florence Price.
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 1,200 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 and the Performing Arts School.
