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United Nations,
New York City, February, 1999 |
NJIO 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.
NJIO’s founder was succeeded by Karen Pinoci in 2003 and then in 2004
Todd van Beveren took over. 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. In 2009 NJIO celebrated its 15th anniversary with a
concert at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway featuring
cello soloists Andre Emelianoff and Hyewon Kim.
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NJIO in Spain |
NJIO
is 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 also featured in
the “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, guitarist Anton Del Forno 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.
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Lincoln Center, New York City |
In
1998 NJIO commissioned a piece by noted 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.
In 2008 NJIO was awarded a prestigious Citation of Excellence by the
New Jersey State Council on the Arts (NJSCA). In 2009 NJIO
received a three year General Operating Support Grant from the NJSCA.
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