(BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ) -- Wharton Arts, New Jersey's largest independent non-profit performing arts education center, announces its 2023-24 season dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in performing arts education. Over the course of the season, the nearly 2,000 Wharton Arts students and music lovers of all ages will inspire audiences through the power of collaboration and celebrating the strength that comes from creating together.

Said Artistic Director Helen H. Cha-Pyo, “We are thrilled to present a diverse lineup of events and performances showcasing remarkable talent within our community. I invite you to join us in experiencing the transformative power of performing arts in the 23-24 season at Wharton Arts. Together, we can create moments of beauty, connection, and inspiration that resonate for a lifetime.”

The Wharton Arts season kicks off with the first Salon Series concert featuring Tharanga Goonetilleke, soprano, and Ryan Bridge, piano, on Sunday, October 1 at 3:00pm in the Wharton Black Box Theater. Tickets to the Salon Series, intimate performances with esteemed faculty where the audience is seated on stage with the performers, include a wine and cheese reception and the chance to connect with the artists.

Wharton Arts celebrates the New Jersey Youth Symphony’s 45th Anniversary Season with an exciting Alumni Weekend, May 4-5, 2024 and 45th Anniversary Concert on Sunday, May 5 at 3:00pm 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. The 45th Season Opening Concert on Saturday, October 28 at 7:00pm takes place at the Patriots Theater at the War Memorial in Trenton. The NJYS Youth Symphony led by Helen H. Cha-Pyo and NJYS Youth Orchestra led by Simon Lipskar will perform works by Louise Farrenc, Jennifer Higdon, Giacomo Puccini, Ottorino Respighi, Jean Sibelius, and Dmitri Shostakovich.

During the month of December, Wharton Arts presents exciting concerts and events embodying the holiday spirit with the Wharton Players’ production of Beauty and the Beast Jr., New Jersey Youth Chorus’ Readings and Carols, the Holiday Kids-for-Kids Choral Festival by the Paterson Music Project Choir, and the All That Jazz Holiday Concert featuring the NJYS Youth Symphony and Jazz Orchestra. In addition to performances, Wharton Arts has planned an informative Parent Circle Series, offering insights into supporting student musicians. These discussions cover a range of topics, including preparing college applications and supporting neurodiverse children in their study of music.

For a complete listing of concerts and events and to purchase tickets, visit WhartonArts.org.

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.