Wharton Arts
Located in Northern New Jersey
2026 New Jersey Flute Fair
November 15, 2026 at 10 am – 7 pm
New Jersey Youth Symphony, New Providence
Join us at the New Jersey Flute Society Fair as NJYS flute ensembles take the stage for an exciting performance!
Fortissimo Flutes, Flute Forum, and Flute Choir: Jenny Cline, Conductor
Wharton Arts Fall Fest
Friday, October 30 from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Wharton Performing Arts School
60 Locust Avenue, Berkeley Heights
FREE Event
Calling all goblins and ghouls! Wear your Halloween costume and join us for an instrument petting zoo, student performances, treats, and spooky festivities. Enjoy cider and donuts, games, arts and crafts, and a costume contest! The Wharton Arts Fall Fest is sure to be fun for the whole family.
4:30-6:30 PM Instrument Petting Zoo, Games, and more!
6:30 PM Costume Contest Winners Announced
7:00 PM Suzuki Halloween Playdown in the Wharton Black Box Theater
Questions? Call (908) 790-0700 or email info@whartonarts.org.
PAS Faculty Recital
October 4, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.
Plainfield Performing Arts Center, Plainfield, NJ
FREE Event
Experience the artistry of Wharton Arts’ talented Performing Arts School faculty in recital. Join us for an inspiring performance showcasing the exceptional musicianship of the educators who inspire our students every day.
Ryan Bridge, Piano
Cornelia Lotito, Mezzo-Soprano
Paige Porter, Soprano
This arts program is made possible in part by a 2026 HEART (History, Education, Arts Reaching Thousands) Grant from the Union County Board of County Commissioners.
Season of Joy!
December 13 at 7:00 pm
Main Stage at the Union County Performing Arts Center
FREE Admission
Click HERE for tickets
Featuring the NJYS Philharmonia and the Plainfield Symphony Orchestra, this heartwarming concert brings together musicians of all ages for an uplifting program filled with beloved seasonal classics, joyful traditions, and holiday cheer.
NJYS Philharmonia Mark Gunderman
Plainfield Symphony Orchestra Charles Prince, Music Director & Conductor
This concert is part of the Wharton Arts Free Concert Series at UCPAC, offering six free performances that celebrate music, culture, and community throughout the season.
Supported by funding through the NJEDA‘s A.R.T. – Phase II Grant Program.
Two Nutcrackers
December 13 at 2:00 pm
Main Stage at the Union County Performing Arts Center
FREE Admission
Click HERE for tickets
Experience a holiday tradition like you’ve never heard before! Two Nutcrackers brings together two unforgettable interpretations of the beloved classic, featuring the timeless elegance of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite alongside the vibrant jazz reimagining of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s The Nutcracker Suite. This festive concert celebrates the magic of the season through the rich traditions of both classical and jazz music, offering audiences two distinct musical journeys inspired by the same timeless story. The concert opens with the NJYS Youth Orchestra, performing works by Coleridge-Taylor, Rachmaninoff, Humperdinck, and more.
NJYS Youth Orchestra Oliver Hagen, Conductor
NJYS Jazz Orchestra Shamie Royston, Director
NJYS Youth Symphony Helen H. Cha-Pyo, Music Director & Conductor
This concert is part of the Wharton Arts Free Concert Series at UCPAC, offering six free performances that celebrate music, culture, and community throughout the season.
Supported by funding through the NJEDA‘s A.R.T. – Phase II Grant Program.
Gospel Music Festival Concert
December 12 at 5:00 p.m.
Main Stage at Union County Performing Arts Center
FREE admission
Click HERE for tickets
Join us for an unforgettable evening of inspiration, hope, and celebration at the Gospel Music Festival. The concert opens with Elevation, Delaware’s only professional vocal ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Arreon A. Harley-Emerson, whose innovative performances blend classical choral music with jazz, hip-hop, R&B, storytelling, and spoken word. In the second half, the New Jersey Youth Symphony and distinguished high school choruses from across New Jersey, under the baton of Helen H. Cha-Pyo, present André J. Thomas’s uplifting Mass: A Celebration of Love and Joy, a powerful work that celebrates faith, unity, hope, and the transformative power of music.
New Jersey Youth Symphony Helen H. Cha-Pyo, Music Director & Conductor
Elevation Dr. Arreon A. Harley-Emerson, Artistic Director
Cicely Tyson High School for the Arts Chorus Kyle Goyen, Director
J.P. Stevens High School Chorus Matthew Chi Lee & Regina McElroy, Directors
Somerville High School Chorus Daniel Malloy, Director
Rosa Parks High School for the Arts Chorus Lauren Sander-Wells, Director
This concert is part of the Wharton Arts Free Concert Series at UCPAC, offering six free performances that celebrate music, culture, and community throughout the season.
Supported by funding through the NJEDA‘s A.R.T. – Phase II Grant Program.
America250: Harmony Across Cultures
October 25 at 7:00 p.m.
Main Stage at Union County Performing Arts Center
FREE admission
Click HERE for tickets
Wharton Arts is pleased to present Plainfield Symphony Orchestra for a festive celebration of America250, featuring beloved American classics and works. Under the baton of Charles Prince, and joined by NJYS Youth Orchestra conducted by Oliver Hagen, the program includes music by Morton Gould, John Philip Sousa, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Edwin Franko Goldman and other celebrated American composers, culminating in a spirited combined performance that celebrates America’s enduring musical legacy.
NJYS Youth Orchestra Oliver Hagen, Conductor
Plainfield Symphony Orchestra Charles Prince, Music Director and Conductor
This concert is part of the Wharton Arts Free Concert Series at UCPAC, offering six free performances that celebrate music, culture, and community throughout the season.
Supported by funding through the NJEDA’s A.R.T. – Phase II Grant Program.
America250: Harmony Across Cultures
October 25 at 3:00 p.m.
Main Stage at Union County Performing Arts Center
FREE admission
Click HERE for tickets
Celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with an inspiring musical journey that honors the many cultures that have shaped our nation. Under the baton of Helen H. Cha-Pyo, the New Jersey Youth Symphony joins acclaimed guest artists, dancers, and musicians from diverse traditions to explore themes of heritage, identity, and unity through vibrant works by Leonard Bernstein, Raúl Abbad, John Barnes Chance, Edmar Castañeda, Reena Esmail, and Charles Ives.
NJYS Youth Symphony Helen H. Cha-Pyo, Music Director & Conductor
Inner City Dance Ensemble Nicholas Rodriguez, Artistic & Executive Director
Korean Traditional Music and Dance Center Yusun Kang, Artistic Director
Edmar Castaneda, EC Llanera harp
Mir Naqibul Islam, Tabla
Ema Mitrovic, Mezzo-Soprano
Meet & Greet in the UCPAC lobby immediately following the performance. Audience members will have the opportunity to meet many of our guest artists, including the dancers and soloists. The Korean dancers will also have their traditional percussion instruments available for audience members to see and explore.
This concert is part of the Wharton Arts Free Concert Series at UCPAC, offering six free performances that celebrate music, culture, and community throughout the season.
Supported by funding through the NJEDA’s A.R.T. – Phase II Grant Program.
America250: Harmony Across Cultures Education Concert
October 28 at 10:00 a.m.
Main Stage at Union County Performing Arts Center
FREE admission
Educators: CLICK HERE to reserve tickets for your students
For more information, contact info@NJYS.org or call (908) 771-5544
NJYS Youth Symphony
Helen H. Cha-Pyo, Music Director & Conductor
Take your students on an exciting, one-hour musical journey celebrating America’s 250th anniversary! Designed for students in grades 3–8, this engaging and interactive concert explores how music and dance from many cultures have shaped our nation and continue to bring people together. Under the baton of Helen H. Cha-Pyo, the New Jersey Youth Symphony joins acclaimed guest artists, dancers, and musicians in performances featuring works by Raúl Abbad, Leonard Bernstein, John Chance Barnes, Edmar Castañeda, Reena Esmail, Charles Ives, and more. Through lively audience interaction, storytelling, and live demonstrations, students will discover how music builds bridges across cultures and celebrates our shared humanity.
Presented in Partnership with the Union County Performing Arts Center
Supported by funding through the NJEDA’s A.R.T. – Phase II Grant Program.