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New Jersey Youth Symphony

Notes from the Train: Introducing Tim Hatcher

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Notes from the Train by Alice Hamlet | August 2018

Some of you know me as a faculty member at the Performing Arts School, one of a dying breed who live in the City and make the reverse commute by train to Berkeley Heights—and occasionally New Providence and Paterson—a post I have happily rendered since we were the Suburban Community Music Center in days of yore. Truth be told I have not perhaps always enjoyed commuting but let’s gloss over NJTransit (remember last summer when we were all taking ferries to and from Hoboken and stuff? Thanks, Amtrak!) as this blog isn’t about the pros and cons of public transportation. I’ll try to keep complaints about delays and spontaneously cancelled trains to a minimum.

As a member of Wharton’s administrative staff, I get a rare glimpse at the inner workings of an organization that has grown exponentially in a relatively short period of time…from adding a musical theater department to embracing the New Jersey Youth Symphony in 2012 and founding the Paterson Music Project in 2013. We’ve seen name changes, new logos, re-branding, and welcoming new artistic and administrative staff to The Family.

And speaking of family, I’m using my first Notes from the Train to introduce a new—but in some ways not new—member of the New Jersey Youth Symphony family. Last spring, NJYS hired Tim Hatcher as Assistant Manager of Orchestras to support the ever-growing youth orchestra and ensemble program in New Providence. Hatcher…hmm…those of you familiar with NJYS might recognize the name. Tim is the younger son of Miki Hatcher, conductor of Primo and Concertino Strings. Miki can be found every Thursday at 570 Central Avenue instructing some of the program’s youngest musicians in the art of orchestral playing. But back to Tim—a little background in his own words:

“I went to Hofstra University where I majored in Public Relations and minored in Fine Arts (Photography). I play cello and I sing. Fun fact: I am an alumnus of NJYS—after one year in kindergarten in 2000, I was in YS for 4 years in high school from 2008-2012. Before joining the NJYS team in June, I was working as Site Coordinator for the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. I jumped right in with the audition season at NJYS and it’s been a fun ride so far!”

Tim can be found at NJYS Mondays through Fridays and when asked what style and genre he sings, Tim responded, “Anything with a good jam to sing in the car!”

Favorite food: Hickory smoked dry rub ribs
What he’s listening to right now: Pray for the Wicked by Panic! At the Disco, and Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme by Simon and Garfunkel

When not commuting, Alice Hamlet is the Director of Marketing at the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts and is also on the faculty of the Performing Arts School, teaching cello and music theory.

Staff Spotlight: Stacy Beltran

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I began my career of bringing music to children ten years ago. I was given the opportunity to be the Assistant for the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra’s Education Department, while I was still a young Political Science major at Rutgers-Newark. It was there that I met Jeff Grogan, former NJYS Artistic Director, who asked me to join him at the New Jersey Youth Symphony.

For the last five seasons, it has been my privilege to call New Jersey Youth Symphony my home. As we look ahead to the program’s 40th Season, I am excited to see how we continue to grow with some of the state’s top young musicians.

At NJYS, our mission is to provide the highest quality of music 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.

It has been incredibly humbling to work with some truly talented conductors who inspire me every day. I am also so grateful to work with highly committed teams of parent volunteers. Their contributions greatly enhance the experience of all our young musicians. I remember being part of a different youth orchestra as a young violinist.  Looking back, I now have a new appreciation for all the time my parents spent driving me to rehearsals and staying to move chairs and stands.

My love for music makes me proud to be NJYS’s Manager of Orchestras and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

New Jersey Youth Symphony Violinist Wins Seat in Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra

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Meet violinist and New Providence resident, Kingston Ho, 16, who has won a coveted seat on the roster of young musicians in Carnegie Hall’s 2018 National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA). He is one of only five musicians from New Jersey to be selected for the highly competitive 100-member ensemble. A junior at the Academy for Allied Health Sciences in Scotch Plains, Kingston studies violin with New York Philharmonic’s Duoming Ba and serves as co-concertmaster for the New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJYS).

He is also a member of the NJYS String Quartet which is coached by Philip Setzer of the Emerson String Quartet and frequently performs throughout the Garden State. This summer will mark Kingston’s second year with NYO-USA. Last summer, he performed with the orchestra at Carnegie Hall and toured Mexico, Ecuador, and Colombia under the baton of Marin Alsop. In 2016, he was selected to be the concertmaster of the inaugural NYO2 orchestra. He was a semifinalist at the 2018 Johansen International Competition for Young String Players and held the position of concertmaster of the New Jersey All-State Orchestra from 2014-2016. As a soloist, Kingston has appeared at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and the Rose Theater at Lincoln Center. From 2015-2017, Kingston was the concertmaster of the InterSchool Orchestras of New York, a full scholarship youth orchestra.

Says Kingston, “To be a  part of NYO-USA again is very exciting. This year we will be working with conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and soloist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano, and we will perform at Carnegie Hall and other venues in Asia including Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Seoul, and Daejeon.”

When asked what he likes best about music, Kingston responded, “I enjoy chamber music because of the collaboration with other players and everyone has a part. I like playing with the New Jersey Youth Symphony because the level is very advanced and I am friends with many players in the orchestra. And NJYS is also very convenient as I can walk from home to rehearsals in several minutes!”

Each summer, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute brings together the brightest young players from across the country to form the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA), a free program for all participants. Following a comprehensive audition process and a three-week training residency with leading professional orchestra musicians, these remarkable teenagers embark on a tour to some of the great music capitals of the world, serving as dynamic music ambassadors. In 2018, the orchestra travels to Asia with conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, performing a new Carnegie Hall–commissioned work by Ted Hearne alongside works by Sibelius and Gershwin. The tour kicks off with the orchestra’s annual concert at Carnegie Hall, continuing with stops in Taipei, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul, and Daejeon. In 2019, NYO-USA returns to Europe with conductor Sir Antonio Pappano and mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato.

As part of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts, the New Jersey Youth Symphony has a rich history of fostering musical talent for nearly 40 years. Each of its 15 ensembles offers participants a different, yet fully rounded experience. The family of orchestras serves students from 3rd to 12th grades. NJYS is committed to providing the finest ensemble musical training led by our staff of experienced and renowned conductors, and is known for its high standard of excellence throughout the United States and internationally.