(NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ) -- The New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJYS) will perform in the captivating concert "Darkness to Light: Hanbit Trio J," presented in collaboration by Korea Blind Performance Group and Bella Music Foundation on Friday, June 16 at 8:00pm at the Kaufman Music Center’s Merkin Hall in New York City.

Hanbit Trio J (Jae Hyouk Lee, piano; Jisun Kim, violin; Minjoo Kim, cello) is an exceptional group of visually impaired musicians who belong to the renowned Korean music company of persons with visual disabilities, Hanbit Performing Arts Company. The ensemble’s accomplished soloists have honed their skills at prestigious institutions including the New England Conservatory and Manhattan School of Music and have garnered acclaim with their performances across the globe. The trio’s captivating performance of Mendelssohn's Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 49 in the first half will be followed by a stirring rendition of Beethoven's Triple Concerto in C Major, Op. 56 with the acclaimed NJYS Youth Symphony conducted by Helen H. Cha-Pyo, promising an unforgettable musical experience.

Tickets begin at $30 and are available for purchase online.

"We are honored to collaborate with the Korea Blind Performance Group and Bella Music Foundation in presenting this extraordinary concert featuring the incredibly talented Hanbit Trio J and the New Jersey Youth Symphony," said Helen H. Cha-Pyo, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of NJYS. “This promises to be an unforgettable musical experience for both performers and audience alike, showcasing the unifying power of music that transcends borders and brings people together from across the globe. We cannot wait to share this unique and powerful performance with our audiences."

Wharton Arts’ mission is to offer accessible, high quality performing arts education that sparks personal growth and builds inclusive communities.

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 nearly 2,000 students through a range of classes and ensembles. The 5 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Chorus, an auditioned choral ensemble program for students in grades 3–12, encourage a love and appreciation of choral music while nurturing personal growth and creative development. The 15 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Symphony, which serve over 500 students in grades 3–12 by audition, inspire young people to achieve musical excellence through high-level ensemble training and performance opportunities. Based in Paterson, the Paterson Music Project is an El Sistema-inspired program of Wharton Arts that uses music education as a vehicle for social action by empowering and inspiring young people to achieve their full potential through the community experience of ensemble learning and playing. From Pathways classes for young children to Lifelong Learning programs for adults, the Wharton Performing Arts School has a robust musical theater and drama program and offers both private and group classes for instruments and voice for all ages and all abilities. With the belief in the positive and unifying influence of music and that performing arts education should be accessible to all people regardless of their ability to pay, Wharton Arts offers need-based scholarships. 

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 our students to achieve their personal best.