New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra
The New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra “Bridges the Generations through Music” by providing orchestral education to musicians of all ages and skill levels in a nurturing but artistically challenging environment. Players, young and old, are able to move along the musical continuum from beginner to advanced, benefiting through their interactions with each other, while advancing toward the common goal of artistic excellence.
NJIO promotes the idea that music performance is beneficial to everyone by providing full orchestral concerts, outreach performances and special events in the central New Jersey community. These events are designed to share the joy of music for audiences of all ages and encourage participation by all.
Description:
The New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra (NJIO) is a unique organization where musicians young and old come together to experience the joy of making music together. Music Director Joe Gluck sees NJIO as a place where people can make creating music an integral part of their lives from childhood through adulthood. For young people, NJIO is not only a place to learn to appreciate and play orchestral music but also a place where they are surrounded by living examples of lifelong learning through the arts. For our older members, NJIO is a place where they can build their own individual musical skills while also getting the satisfaction of serving as a role model for the younger generation. NJIO seeks to blend a high vision of artistic excellence with a strong educational component, setting our artistic goals as high as possible while being as welcoming as possible to all ages and skill levels.
NJIO currently has three ensembles: the Nouveau String Orchestra, for beginning string players of all ages; the Symphony Orchestra, for more experienced players looking to build their skills and play more challenging repertoire; and the Outreach Ensemble, whose members perform at community venues such as senior citizen centers, nursing homes, libraries and community events. Each ensemble is designed to be musically challenging without being competitive.
The NJIO regular season starts in September and runs to May. This year we are preparing for three of concerts, Children’s concert in the fall, a winter concert in February and our 15th anniversary concert in the spring. A different music program is worked on and performed at each concert. The two Orchestras rehearse about 30 evenings in preparation for the free public performances. During the 2007-2008 season an informative pre-concert lecture by Joe Gluck was added to enhance the educational experience of the concerts and we are continuing those lectures this season.
NJIO’s unique mentorship program employs professional musicians playing alongside members at rehearsals and concerts. Working in conjunction with the conductor, these mentors provide more personalized instruction to the members of the orchestra. For the string players, they suggest specific fingerings and bowings to improve players’ technique. They also provide guidance on interpretation to improve the musicality of each piece, suggest practice methods to improve the playing of pieces, and lead sectional rehearsals several times each year.
NJIO members also mentor each other – younger members are paired with older members and work together on musical challenges. Sometimes it is the younger member – not the older member – with more musical skill and experience. Through such interactions our members experience mutual growth and understanding of not only the music but also the generations.
In September NJIO holds its annual Young Artists Baroque Concerto competition. The winner and runner-up is awarded a cash prize and performs at on of the NJIO concert that year
NJIO holds a chamber workshop for those interested in playing music in the summer. This program – An Introduction to Chamber Music- (funded in part by the ACMP Foundation) is focused on musicians interested in playing chamber music for the first time.
History:
NJIO was founded in 1994 by Lorraine Marks, a string specialist in the Cranford Public Schools, who was looking for a new way to provide performance opportunities for her students. At the same time, Ms. Marks was coping with the death of her mother and discovered that cello lessons helped her father deal with his grief. Ms. Marks placed advertisements in several community newspapers announcing an opportunity for musicians of all ages to come and play together. Over 60 people of all ages showed up for the first rehearsal. When Ms. Marks moved to Florida in 2003, NJIO hired Karen Pinoci for the 2003-2004 season. When Ms. Pinoci was unable to continue the next season for personal reasons, Todd Van Beveren stepped in to lead NJIO's artistic side for the next 3½ years. In January 2008, Joe Gluck succeeded Mr. Van Beveren. Each of these individuals, all of whom are accomplished musicians and educators, made a positive impact on the organization and helped NJIO grow into a larger and more artistically accomplished musical group while holding fast to the ideals of an intergenerational experience.
NJIO has had a wonderful history of performances. In addition to the regular community concerts, NJIO has performed at the United Nations, the Capital Building in Washington D.C., the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange, NJ, the Turtle Back Zoo for the New Jersey Zoological Society, the YM/WHA of Union, NJ, the City of Summit’s Fourth of July Celebration, Calvary Episcopal Church in Summit, and in the Plaza Fountain Concert Series of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. Special events have included a gala benefit concert at Kean University’s Wilkins Theatre, featuring internationally recognized composer, musician and musical satirist Peter Schickele and the music of P.D.Q. Bach, and a trip to Spain for an appearance and workshop at the International Day of Older Persons. NJIO is also featured in the documentary “The Open Road: America Looks at Aging,” which aired in 2005 on public television stations across the U.S. NJIO has been recognized as a model intergenerational program at the Creativity Matters conference sponsored by The National Center for Creative Aging and was consulted for the publication “Creativity Matters: The Arts and Aging Toolkit”. NJIO is featured in the just-released draft of “ArtsPlan NJ”, co-sponsored by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (NJSCA), ArtPRIDE Foundation and New Jersey Network Foundation (NJN).
NJIO has a long history of working with prominent New Jersey musicians and has featured such artists as the renowned jazz violinist John Blake; oboe virtuoso Oscar Petty; saxophonist, composer and pianist Mario Lombardo; the Latin Jazz Connection with Vincent Calabrese; soprano Angela Intili; New Jersey Symphony Orchestra violinist Joseph Gluck; pianist Rio Clemente and his Jazz Trio; violinist Jim Gaskill; harpsichordist Paul Somers; the Rahway Valley Jersey-Aires Barbershop Quartet; harmonica virtuoso Robert Paparozzi; Reggie Workman, renowned jazz bass man from the John Coltrane Quartet; Kamron Saniee, violin prodigy; opera singer Jamie Baer Peterson, cello soloist Cynthia Longley and composer and jazz keyboard artist Joe Kurasz. NJIO has presented special programs with Tony-Award nominated tenor Willy Falk, accompanied by Constantine Kitsopolous of the Chatham Opera. NJIO has also presented educational programs for its members and the general public. These have included a presentation by Kerry Keane, musical instrument specialist from Christie’s Auction House in New York featuring the “Hammer” Stradivarius violin, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra principal bassoonist Robert Wagner, New Jersey luthier Richard Gagliardi, and others.
In 1998 NJIO commissioned a piece of music by composer Benjamin Lees, Intermezzo for String Orchestra, which was premiered at our 1998 concert series. New Jersey composer Mario Lombardo composed several pieces for NJIO over the years such as Winter Frolic, Gavotte for Oboe and Strings and Music in Our Lives. And Joe Kurasz composed the song Intergenerational for the orchestra’s 1997 season.
Contact people:
Address:
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60 Locust AvenueBerkeley Heights, NJ 07922(See a map) |
Web Site: http://www.njio.org
Directions:
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From Garden State Parkway:
Take EXIT 142 and follow signs for 78 WEST (Follow direction FROM 78 WEST)
From 78 WEST Take EXIT 43 (New Providence/Berkeley Heights EXIT). Make slight RIGHT onto Diamond Hill Road. Turn LEFT on Mountain Avenue. Turn. . . (more) |
| Last updated on June 15, 2009 |
