(NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ) -- The New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJYS), a program of Wharton Arts, has announced that Vanessa Cabrera has been awarded the George Marriner Maull Career in Music Scholarship Award.
This $1,000 scholarship recognizes an exceptional graduating senior who has demonstrated outstanding musical achievement and is pursuing studies at a conservatory or university school of music. The award honors the legacy of Maestro George Marriner Maull and supports the next generation of emerging artists.
To qualify for the George Marriner Maull Career in Music Scholarship Award, applicants must be graduating high school seniors, current NJYS members in good standing for at least two consecutive years, and planning to enroll in a conservatory or school of music.
A French horn player and dedicated member of NJYS's Youth Symphony since 2022, Vanessa has distinguished herself through both her musicianship and leadership. Her accomplishments include participation in NJ All-State and Region ensembles, the NEC Summer Orchestra Institute (2024, 2025), and the Equity Arc Pathways Orchestra (2025, 2026).
After graduation from Morris Hills High School in Rockaway, NJ, Vanessa will continue her musical studies at the university level this fall with plans to attend the University of Michigan.
Reflecting on her experience with NJYS, Vanessa shared, "My time with NJYS has significantly deepened both my musicianship and my sense of responsibility as an artist. Performing demanding repertoire requires a level of focus and composure that pushed me outside of my comfort zone, but more importantly, it taught me to trust the musicians around me. Whether balancing within a brass section or contributing to the full orchestral sound, I learned that success is not defined by individual recognition, but by collective cohesion. Ultimately, my experience at NJYS has prepared me not only as a musician, but as a leader within a larger artistic community. It has taught me that music's true value lies in its ability to connect people, to amplify voices, and to create spaces where individuals feel seen and heard."
Said Artistic Director & Principal Conductor Helen H. Cha-Pyo, "I am thrilled to congratulate Vanessa on this well-deserved recognition. She represents the very best of what music education can nurture in a young person—artistry, discipline, empathy, belonging, and a deep sense of purpose. When passion meets purpose through music, it has the power to shape not only exceptional musicians, but thoughtful, engaged citizens. Vanessa embodies this beautifully, and we are so proud to have been part of her journey."
The New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJYS), a program of Wharton Arts, provides exceptional orchestral and ensemble training to young musicians in grades 2–12. Through a wide range of ensembles, performances, and educational opportunities, NJYS fosters musical excellence, collaboration, and a lifelong appreciation for the arts.
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 over 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 nearly 600 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.
