(NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ) -- The New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJYS) continues to celebrate its return to the concert stage for the 2021-22 season with three concerts on December 4 and 5 at Dolan Performance Hall, Annunciation Center at Saint Elizabeth University located at 2 Convent Road in Morristown. Presenting works spanning from the Romantic era to present day, the family-friendly concerts will showcase the youth orchestra program’s varied ensembles, from strings, flutes, and woodwinds to full orchestra and jazz. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors.
Appearing under the batons of Michelle Hatcher, Nevena Bojovic, and Natasha Loomis, respectively, the NJYS Primo Strings, Concertino Strings, Sinfonia, and Flute Ensembles will perform works by Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Valerie Coleman, Soon Hee Newbold, and more on Saturday, December 4 at 1:00pm. The NJYS Concertino Winds, Clarinet Ensemble, and CL4tet led by Bryan Rudderow and the NJYS Philharmonia led by Mark Gunderman will perform works by Brahms, Puccini, Emma Lou Diemer, and more on Saturday, December 4 at 5:00pm.
NJYS Jazz, featuring the award-winning Jazz Orchestra led by Dion Tucker, Big Band led by Gregory Williams, and Saxophone Ensemble led by Benjamin Kovacs, will delight audiences with the music of Ellington, Mingus, Miles Davis, and more on Sunday, December 5 at 3:00pm.
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.
Now in its 43rd 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 featured 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 1,500 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 and Performing Arts School. The mission of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts is to offer accessible, high quality performing arts education that sparks personal growth and builds inclusive communities.
