Wharton Arts Unveils 2024-25 Season Focused on Joy and Community Connection Through Performing Arts

Wharton Arts has announced its 2024-25 season, positioning the organization's programming as a celebration of joy through the transformative power of the performing arts. This season holds significance as Wharton Arts serves as New Jersey's largest independent non-profit performing arts education center, reaching nearly 2,000 students across 12 counties. The announcement reflects a strategic commitment to creating meaningful connections and fostering creativity among young people and across generations, with implications for community engagement and arts accessibility throughout the state.

The season's programming includes the Signature Concert Series by the New Jersey Youth Symphony, featuring patriotic performances and collaborations with award-winning guest soloists. A notable event in this series is the Veterans Day Concert and A Concert for Peace with Violins of Hope, which will showcase talents including Jeffrey Biegel, Ranaan Meyer, and Asi Matathias. This programming matters because it demonstrates how arts organizations can address contemporary social themes while providing educational opportunities for young musicians. The New Jersey Youth Chorus will collaborate with Lyyra, the only professional six-voice women's a cappella group in the United States, creating intergenerational connections through vocal performance.

The Paterson Music Project will contribute to the season's diversity with a special Black History Month Celebration, commemorating the impact of various Black artists on music and culture. This event underscores Wharton Arts' commitment to inclusive and culturally rich programming that reflects the communities it serves. Theater enthusiasts can anticipate productions at the Performing Arts School, including Wharton Players' presentation of Alice in Wonderland JR and Wharton Community Players' staging of Next to Normal, a three-time Tony Award-winning show and recipient of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. These productions provide important educational pathways for young performers while offering community members access to professional-caliber theater.

Executive Director Gina Caruso emphasized the organization's goal of sharing the transformative power of the performing arts with the community, while Artistic Director Helen Cha-Pyo highlighted the season's theme of creating, experiencing, and sharing joy as a community through music and the performing arts. The organization's mission focuses on offering accessible, high-quality performing arts education that sparks personal growth and builds inclusive communities. With locations in Berkeley Heights, New Providence, and Paterson, NJ, Wharton Arts reaches students from 12 counties and offers need-based scholarships, reflecting its belief in the positive and unifying influence of music.

The institution encompasses four distinct programs: the New Jersey Youth Chorus, New Jersey Youth Symphony, Paterson Music Project, and Performing Arts School. Each program advances music and performing arts education and engagement in unique ways, contributing to Wharton Arts' vision of a future where transformative performing arts education in an inclusive community is accessible to all. As New Jersey's largest independent non-profit community performing arts education center, Wharton Arts continues to play a crucial role in nurturing talent, fostering creativity, and bringing the joy of music and theater to diverse communities across the state through this comprehensive season announcement.