Paterson Music Project

WHARTON ARTS ANNOUNCES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts (WIPA) Board of Directors has announced the appointment of Peter H. Gistelinck as its new Executive Director, effective July 1, 2019. Gistelinck was unanimously approved by the WIPA Board of Directors following a six-month nationwide candidate search.

“WIPA is fortunate to be welcoming such a seasoned and accomplished arts executive in Peter Gistelinck to lead us in carrying forward our commitment to musical excellence for students in our communities. Peter’s passion for music education combined with his strong track record in guiding organizations will serve to take our already excellent programs to even higher levels of positive impact for all,” said Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts Board President Bob Hamburger.

Gistelinck joins WIPA from Kalamazoo where he was President and CEO of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra from 2014 through 2019. Prior to that, from 2006 through 2014, he was Executive Director of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. Before immigrating to the United States in 2006, Gistelinck was Director of Sales and Marketing and Co-Artistic Director for the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra in Belgium and General Manager of Business Affairs at one of France’s leading Baroque orchestras, Le Concert Spirituel in Paris.

Says Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts Artistic Director Helen Cha-Pyo, “It is rare to have an opportunity to work with such a well-rounded arts executive leader as Peter. I am excited to join my efforts with him in furthering our mission to create life-changing experiences for young people through performing arts education.”

“I am absolutely honored to have been chosen as the next leader of the renowned Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts,” said Gistelinck. “This institution, because of its commitment to diversity in the arts, outstanding leadership, and nationally-praised educational programs with sweeping community impact, is poised to become even more prominent in the field of performing arts education. I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to be part of this endeavor.” Read more…


Join us in welcoming Peter to the Wharton Arts family and help kick off the 2019-2020 season! CLICK HERE to donate. This past year we provided the highest quality music education to over 1,500 students…help us reach even more in the season to come. Thank you for your continued support!

 

Community Supports the New Jersey Youth Symphony’s 40th Anniversary

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Development Blog by Elizabeth Piercey | May 2019

What a magical experience! The New Jersey Youth Symphony performed an incredible concert followed by a great 40th Anniversary Gala at NJPAC this past weekend. This was an important fundraiser for the organization and could not have been possible without our supporters:

McCarter & English Attorneys at Law
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
KPMG LLP
Nokia Bell Labs
Helen M. & Norman D. Kurtz Foundation
Bela and Alice Szigethy
Judith and Lennard Wharton
Ruth Zowader and Philip Anderson
Bedrosian Industries
Ruth Charos
Inside Edge Consulting
Peapack Gladstone Bank
Plastic Surgery Center of New Jersey at Summit Medical Group
Lynne and John Rathgeber
St. Joseph’s Health
Bass & Lemer LLP
The Albert Kaufman Group at Morgan Stanley
Longstreet Development
Otterstedt Insurance Agency
Park Avenue Club
Susan and Lloyd Peterson
PSE&G
Dr. Ralph Wharton

We also thank our many individual supporters, as well as our Honorees WBGO Jazz 88.3 and Paterson Mayor André Sayegh; the unwavering dedication of the NJYS student families; the six choirs who joined us this evening and their directors; our soloists–Mia Pafumi, soprano, Theron Cromer, tenor, and John-Andrew Fernandez, baritone; The Paterson Music Project; and our many volunteers.

Here’s to another 40 years of outstanding music-making in New Jersey!

Please contact Pamela Palumbo at Pamela.Palumbo@WhartonArts.org if you would like to make a gift to support NJYS’s 40th anniversary season!

PMP and ESNJA make music together and meet a legend

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Paterson Music Project Blog: Voices of the Silk City by Danielle Lefebvre | May 2019

Last weekend, 31 students from the Paterson Music Project boarded a bus bound for Princeton University where we met with the El Sistema New Jersey Alliance (ESNJA) as well as programs from New York and Philadelphia. There were nearly 300 students in attendance. As students took their seats in the orchestra, old friends from ESNJA Camp and NJPAC concerts sparked excited conversations. For some students, it was their first time at an ESNJA event and they quickly began to meet new people. Once everyone settled in, the students rehearsed four pieces for orchestra and choir. After rehearsal, our students were given the opportunity to meet world-renowned conductor, Gustavo Dudamel! Students from each program were given a chance to interview him. They asked questions on topics from his musical career to inspirations, techniques, and the challenges of being a conductor. Dudamel then enthusiastically listened to the orchestra perform a few songs and gave his praise on their abilities and hard work. Students then went to lunch and sectionals before heading across the beautiful Princeton University Campus to Richardson Auditorium for a public concert. The ESNJA orchestra of 300 students took every inch of stage space – including the first four rows of audience seating! We ended our day on a high note with an amazing collaborative concert, said our goodbyes, and parted ways until next time. The Alliance brings us together through music and challenges us to be our best, all while creating incredible memories with new friends. Now the countdown begins for ESNJA Summer Camp at Princeton-Blairstown Center!