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Dear Student Musician,
We are eager to welcome you to our family of orchestras! The New Jersey Youth Symphony has been
fostering musical talent for 35 years and we encourage you to audition.
Our tiered family of orchestras range from beginner to advanced, and many students remain a part of
the organization for up to 10 years. NJYS is committed to providing the finest musical training and is
known for its high standard of excellence throughout the United States and internationally.
Students in grades 3 to 12 are welcome to audition for one of our 14 ensembles. You can read all
about the different groups in the upcoming pages.
This past year in celebration of our 35th Anniversary all 444 members of NJYS performed at the
acoustically perfect and architecturally stunning NJPAC in Newark. It was a day all the participants
will remember for a long time. In addition, the Youth Symphony, our most advanced ensemble, toured
to Salzburg and Prague and won First Place at the prestigious Summa Cum Laude Youth Festival and
Competition in Vienna, Austria during the summer of 2014. Incredible opportunities like these will
be available to our members in the years ahead.
NJYS members experience a dedicated faculty of excellent conductors and coaches, a
far-ranging artistic vision, a mutual desire to strive for excellence, and a sense of shared values. If this
speaks to you, we encourage you to join your like-minded peers in one of the amazing ensembles that
make up the New Jersey Youth Symphony!
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Grogan
Artistic Director
Karen Deschere
Executive Director
www.NJYS.org | 1
New Jersey Youth Symphony, the orchestral and
ensemble affiliate of Wharton Music Center, features fourteen ensembles open by audition
for students in grades 3–12. Its ensembles have appeared in such renowned concert halls as
Carnegie Hall, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and Musikverein in Vienna. Chamber
music, summer camp, and other programs led by highly qualified musicians and educators
draw students from around the state.
NJYS Audition Information
Registration
• Register for an audition online at www.NJYS.org by clicking on
the “Register” tab.
• Auditions for new students will be held on June 8, 2015.
• A non-refundable registration fee of $60 for an individual or
$80 for a family must be paid prior to registering for an audition.
• Auditions are scheduled by appointment based on grade and instrument.
• NJYS will contact students by email or telephone to schedule an audition.
• Refer to the NJYS website at www.NJYS.org for audition requirements.
• Acceptance to an NJYS ensemble will be announced by email.
• Students must register online at www.NJYS.org for their ensemble
no later than August 1, 2015.
• Additional auditions will be scheduled in August 2015 to fill any
available seats in NJYS ensembles.
Call 908-771-5544 for more information.
Payment Policies
• Sibling discounts are available. Tuition for the child in the most advanced ensemble is
at the full rate and tuition for each additional child in the same household is
discounted by 10%.
• Payment plans payable by pre-authorized credit card withdrawals are available.
• Financial Assistance is available. Complete the Financial Assistance Form available at
www.NJYS.org.
Our Mission: To provide the highest quality performing arts education to a wide range of
students in a supportive and inclusive environment, where striving for personal excellence
inspires and connects those we teach to the communities we serve.
This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey
State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of
the National Endowment for the Arts.
2 | www.NJYS.org
A
round the
Globe with NJYS
New Jersey Youth Symphony’s most advanced ensemble,
Youth Symphony, periodically offers its members the
opportunity to tour internationally, performing in some of the
great music halls of the world. Youth Symphony has traveled
to Romania, Hungary, Poland, Ireland, Scotland, Germany,
the Czech Republic, and Austria.
In July of 2014, Youth Symphony embarked on a European
tour of the Czech Republic and Austria where they were
awarded first place in the orchestral division of the Summa
Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival and
Competition in Vienna. NJYS joined 32 other ensembles
from around the world and was one of only three U.S.
ensembles to travel to Austria for the Festival. NJYS was the
only ensemble representing the state of New Jersey.
The Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival
has become one of the most prestigious youth festivals in the
world, bringing together the very best youth orchestras, choirs
and bands from 13 countries and five continents for five days
of fabulous music-making in Vienna. While at the Festival the
NJYS Youth Symphony not only participated in Summa Cum
Laude Festival’s prestigious competition held in the famed
Golden Hall of the Musikverein, but also attended interactive
orchestral workshops conducted by members of the Festival’s
orchestra jury at the University of Music in Vienna.
“This tour was important not just for the students of NJYS,
but for the entire state of New Jersey. It’s an opportunity to
showcase our talented youth on the international stage, many
of whom have already received accolades on the state and
national level, and reward their dedication and commitment
to excellence by allowing them the experience of being
ambassadors of goodwill through the arts. Not to mention that
it’s the fulfilment of a once-in-a-lifetime dream for many of
our young musicians to perform some of the greatest concert
halls in the world, Vienna’s Musikverein, Konzerthaus and
Prague’s Smetana Hall.”
—Jeffrey Grogan, Artistic Director
www.NJYS.org | 3
P
layathon
Over 400 young musicians from NJYS ensembles enjoy
this annual opportunity to perform as one orchestra
in our largest fundraising event. This extraordinary
concert takes place at The Mills at Jersey Gardens in
Elizabeth, NJ. A heart-warming and moving occasion,
many NJYS members describe it as their favorite
performance of the season. All NJYS students
participate in the Playathon with nearly six months
of fundraising efforts leading up to the event, fostering
teamwork and camaraderie which are both fundamental
principles of NJYS.
“Playing music with my favorite people in the world for
multiple audiences of devoted music lovers in foreign
lands defines the meaning of happiness.”
–Alex Wang,
Youth Symphony Concert Master 2012-2015
Visit NJYS.org to watch NJTV’s
State of the Arts feature on
New Jersey Youth Symphony.
4 | www.NJYS.org
C
hamber Music
Grades 3-12
Sundays 1:00-4:00 PM
Beginner-Advanced
Tuition $400
The New Jersey Youth Symphony chamber music program,
open to both NJYS and non-NJYS musicians, carefully
matches student ensembles through a placement process
led by an inspirational collective of professional chamber
musicians. The program begins in early October and lasts
eight weeks. Rehearsals are 90 minutes in length; 60
minutes are spent with an NJYS chamber music coach and
30 minutes are self-directed ensemble practice. A final
concert is presented at the end of the program.
NJYS sponsors three advanced chamber groups which
represent the organization at concerts and other special
events. The NJYS String Quartet, NJYS Woodwind Quintet,
and NJYS Brass Quintet are formed through an audition
process and include players from Youth Symphony. The 14
students named to these ensembles receive full scholarships
to the chamber music program and partial scholarships
toward their NJYS tuition. These ensembles are coached by
distinguished musicians from the Juilliard School and the
New York Philharmonic, among others.
O
rchestral Camp
Entering Grades 5-9
June 29-July 11, 2015
Tuition $990 by May 9, $1050 after May 9
NJYS Orchestral Camp is a great way for young musicians to
grow musically over the summer during this two-week camp
for students entering grades 5-9. Campers are given the
opportunity to hone their orchestral playing skills in various
ensemble settings while having fun and making new friends!
Orchestral Camp includes chamber music, camp orchestra,
and camp chorus. Music theory and instrument doubling are
explored as well as fun physical activities and games.
NJYS.org/orchestralcamp
www.NJYS.org | 5
A
Community Grows
with El Sistema
Members of the New Jersey Youth Symphony are
given the unique opportunity to serve as interns at Paterson
Music Project, where they not only help children realize
their potential and build better futures, but further the
mission of the New Jersey Youth Symphony through
strengthening the community and nurturing the next
generation of musicians and music lovers.
Based in Paterson, New Jersey, Paterson Music Project
(PMP) is an El Sistema-inspired program of Wharton Music
Center/New Jersey Youth Symphony that uses music as a
vehicle for social change by empowering and inspiring
children through the community experience of ensemble
learning and playing. Started in January 2013, PMP
provides an intense musical immersion for 70 third and
fourth grade students and pre-orchestra for 30 students
enrolled at the Community Charter School of Paterson.
Students study a primary instrument (violin, cello or viola)
and participate in six hours of group music instruction,
ensemble practice and private lessons weekly. Students
also study music theory, music history, aural training and
singing in musicianship classes. Students perform
frequently for the school and community. In January 2015,
Paterson Music Project partnered with Paterson Public
Schools to open a site at Public School 1. This new site
serves 75 first through fifth graders from P.S. 1 and P.S. 26.
Students in the after-school Instrumental String Program
learn violin, viola, and cello for six hours weekly. Younger
students participate in Pre-Orchestra, a preparatory
program which meets for two hours weekly. Pre-Orchestra
students sing, participate in paper orchestra, and play the
recorder and buckets.
patersonmusicproject.org
A short documentary video of
Paterson Music Project is available online.
6 | www.NJYS.org
Y
outh Symphony
NJYS’s most advanced ensemble draws highly talented musicians from around the state. Youth
Symphony periodically tours internationally, performing in some of the great music halls of the world
while serving as dynamic music ambassadors. In June 2015, Youth Symphony will perform at Carnegie
Hall. They appeared at the Musikverein in Vienna and have performed a repertoire that spans from
orchestral masterworks to newly composed pieces, including works commissioned for NJYS. Youth
Symphony provides its members with the opportunity to learn staples of the orchestral repertoire,
including Holst’s The Planets, Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Mahler’s Symphony No. 1,
Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis and Barber’s Medea’s Meditation and Dance of Vengeance,
among others. Youth Symphony partners with other performing arts organizations, including the New
Jersey Youth Chorus and New Jersey Ballet, working together with the understanding that the arts are a
collaborative and unifying force. Many Youth Symphony members continue their studies at top
conservatories around the country in pursuit of professional careers in music.
Grades 9-12 | Full Orchestra Advanced
Tuesdays 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Conductor: Jeffrey Grogan
Tuition: $1455
www.NJYS.org | 7
Y
outh Orchestra
Students experience the joy of bringing masterworks of the orchestral repertoire to life in this 80+
˘ to contemporary composers,
member full orchestra. Performing music from Beethoven to Dvorák
students learn to think and play as an orchestra while stimulating their passion for music. Energy is
high, and accomplishments are higher. A year in Youth Orchestra is filled with excitement, learning,
and music-making to inspire young musicians in every facet of their lives.
Grades 7-12 | Full Orchestra Advanced
Mondays 6:15-9:15 p.m.
Conductor: Simon Lipskar
Tuition: $1320
P
hilharmonia
An introduction to the symphonic experience, Philharmonia is the first
ensemble that combines all instrument families—brass, woodwinds,
strings and percussion—in a full symphony. Music explored includes
orchestral repertoire of great composers, arrangements of masterworks,
and music written especially for youth ensembles.
Grades 6-9 | Full Orchestra Intermediate
Wednesdays 6:15-8:30 p.m.
Conductor: Mark Gunderman
Tuition: $1215
For conductor bios, please visit www.NJYS.org
www.NJYS.org | 9
S
tring Ensembles
Sinfonia
An intermediate string orchestra that performs major string works, Sinfonia’s goal is to develop a more
mature sound in preparation for advancement into a full orchestra.
Grades 5-8 | Strings Intermediate
Tuesdays 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Conductor: Kristi Geronimo
Tuition: $1085
Junior Strings
Designed for the advancing string player, Junior Strings
focuses on refining orchestral fundamentals through the
study of string orchestra repertoire. Music theory, bowing
techniques, musicality, rehearsal techniques, performance
etiquette, and tuning are areas of focus in Junior Strings.
Grades 5-7 | Strings Beginner
Thursdays 6:15-8:00 p.m.
Conductor: Michelle Hatcher
Tuition: $985
Prep Strings
This introductory string orchestra sets the foundation for
success in future orchestral endeavors. Emphasis is placed
on developing skills such as basic orchestral rehearsal and
performance etiquette, following a conductor, bowing
techniques, musicality, and music theory fundamentals.
Grades 3-5 | Strings Beginner
Thursdays 4:30-6:00 p.m.
Conductor: Michelle Hatcher
Tuition: $985
10 | www.NJYS.org
F
lute Ensembles
Flute Choir
Nurturing and educational, Flute Choir provides students
with new ways to learn and grow as musicians in a
comfortably challenging environment. Students have the
opportunity to play the piccolo as well as alto and bass flute.
Grades 6-9 | Flutes Intermediate
Mondays 5:15-6:45 p.m.
Conductor: Diana Charos Reilly
Tuition: $985
Flute Forum
For advanced players, this ensemble presents artistic and technical challenges in a fun environment.
Students connect with peers who share their passion for ensemble playing and repertoire spanning
from the Middle Ages to present day. Students have the opportunity to play the piccolo as well as alto
and bass flute.
Grades 9-12 | Flutes Advanced
Mondays 6:45-8:00 p.m.
Conductor: Diana Charos Reilly
Tuition: $985
Fortissimo Flutes
This ensemble represents the best of the best from around the state, performing frequently in concerts
and interactive events that provide a dynamic musical experience for this highly selective group of
flutists. Fortissimo Flute members not only perform, but also act as mentors within the NJYS
community, inspiring younger students to strive for excellence and encouraging a lifelong love
of music.
Grades 10-12 | Flutes Advanced
Thursdays 8:00-9:15 p.m.
Conductor: Diana Charos Reilly
Tuition: $985
www.NJYS.org | 11
For conductor bios, please visit
www.NJYS.org
12 | www.NJYS.org
J
unior Wind
Ensemble
Focusing on the fundamentals of performance, including air
support, phrasing, sound production, tuning, and playing
as a cohesive unit, Junior Wind Ensemble hones basic
musicianship skills in an educational and fun setting.
Grades 4-8 | Winds & Brass Beginner-Intermediate
Wednesdays 5:00-6:30 p.m.
Conductor: Bryan Rudderow
Tuition: $910
C
larinet Ensemble
Exploring deeply the unique qualities of clarinet playing,
this ensemble performs everything from new commissions
to the landmarks of the Classical repertoire, challenging
and inspiring students to reach their full potential in
ensemble playing. Students have the opportunity to play
Eb Soprano, Alto, and Bass Clarinets.
Grades 8-12 | Clarinets Intermediate-Advanced
Wednesdays 6:45-8:15 p.m.
Conductor: Bryan Rudderow
Tuition: $935
www.NJYS.org | 13
P
ercussion Ensemble
This ensemble provides the opportunity for talented
percussionists to perform challenging literature with intensive
and personalized instruction in all percussion techniques. The
NJYS Percussion Ensemble performs at percussion festivals,
in concerts, and on tour. New works are frequently composed
for the group. All percussionists accepted into Philharmonia,
Youth Orchestra, and Youth Symphony also perform with
Percussion Ensemble.
Grades 7-12 | Percussion Intermediate-Advanced
Sundays 3:00-6:00 p.m. or 5:30-9:00 p.m.
Conductor: Dr. Kenneth Piascik
Tuition: $1195
New Jersey Youth Symphony
Orchestras and Ensembles
Rehearsals take place at
570 Central Avenue
New Providence, NJ
Audition Required. Visit www.NJYS.org or
Call 908-771-5544 for more information.
Visit NJYS.org to watch NJTV’s State of the
Arts feature on New Jersey Youth Symphony.
14 | www.NJYS.org
J
azz Combo
Performing music from the great BeBop masters, the NJYS Jazz Combo provides the opportunity for
advanced players to focus on improvisation, comping, and ensemble interplay. Guest artists coach and
perform with students in a collaborative environment.
Grades 9-12 | Jazz Intermediate-Advanced
Sundays 2:30-4:00 p.m.
Conductor: Dave Schumacher
Tuition: $1100
I
ntro to Jazz Workshop
Melodic and rhythmic improvisation, chord structure, form, accompanying skills, and ensemble
playing are just a few of the musical expanses explored in this workshop for beginning jazz students.
Guest artists work with students to reach a new understanding of the language of jazz. Open to all
instruments—strings, winds, brass, percussion, piano, and guitar. Prerequisite: Two years of
instrument study or by permission of the instructor.
Grades 6-10 | All Instruments Beginner-Intermediate
Sundays 1:00-2:30 p.m.
Conductor: Dave Schumacher
Tuition: $700
www.NJYS.org | 15
Teaches
Perserverance
Refines Time
Management &
Organizational
Skills
Benefits
of Playing
in a Youth
Orchestra
Builds
Discipline
Boosts
Team
Skills
Improves
Reading &
Comprehension
Skills
Promotes
Happiness
in Your Life
and Those
Around You
Fosters
Creativity
16 | www.NJYS.org
New Jersey Youth Symphony
Ensemble Name
Grades
Instruments
Playing Level
Preparatory Strings
3-5
Strings
Beginner
Junior Strings
5-7
Strings
Beginner
Sinfonia
5-8
Strings
Intermediate
Philharmonia
6-9
Full Orchestra
Intermediate
Youth Orchestra
7-12
Full Orchestra
Advanced
Youth Symphony
9-12
Full Orchestra
Advanced
Junior Wind Ensemble
4-8
Winds/Brass
Beginner-Intermediate
Clarinet Ensemble
8-12
Clarinets
Intermediate-Advanced
Flute Choir
6-9
Flutes
Intermediate
Flute Forum
9-12
Flutes
Advanced
Fortissimo Flutes
10-12
Flutes
Advanced
Percussion Ensemble
7-12
Percussion
Intermediate-Advanced
Intro to Jazz Workshop
6-10
All
Beginner-Intermediate
NJYS Jazz Combo
9-12
Jazz
Intermediate-Advanced
Chamber Music
3-12
All
Beginner-Advanced
Day
Time
Conductor
Cost
Thursdays
4:30-6:00 p.m.
Michelle Hatcher
$ 985
Thursdays
6:15-8:00 p.m.
Michelle Hatcher
$ 985
Tuesdays
5:00-7:00 p.m.
Kristi Geronimo
$ 1085
Wednesdays
6:15-8:30 p.m.
Mark Gunderman
$ 1215
Mondays
6:15-9:15 p.m.
Simon Lipskar
$ 1320
Tuesdays
6:30-9:30 p.m.
Jeffrey Grogan
$ 1455
Wednesdays
5:00-6:30 p.m.
Bryan Rudderow
$ 910
Wednesdays
6:45-8:15 p.m.
Bryan Rudderow
$ 935
Mondays
5:15-6:45 p.m.
Diana Charos Reilly
$ 985
Mondays
6:45-8:00 p.m.
Diana Charos Reilly
$ 985
Thursdays
8:00-9:15 p.m.
Diana Charos Reilly
$ 985
Sundays
3:00-6:00 or 5:30-9:00 p.m.
Dr. Kenneth Piascik
$ 1195
Sundays
1:00-2:30 p.m.
Dave Schumacher
$ 700
Sundays
2:30-4:00 p.m.
Dave Schumacher
$ 1100
Sundays
1:00-4:00 p.m.
Coaches As Assigned
$ 400
–Judith Greenstone, Millburn Township Schools
Instrumental Music Teacher
“NJYS is a fantastic organization that gives
students a wonderful variety of playing
opportunities. The students are motivated and
make amazing progress and new friends. It is an
organization that makes such a difference in
children's lives!”
Learn
More
and Get
Involved
Judith G. Wharton Music Center
60 Locust Avenue | Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922
www.NJYS.org 908-771-5544