2022-2023 Season Press Releases September 13, 2022 The New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra (NJIO) is pleased to announce the Kean-NJIO Orchestra, a community collaboration with Kean University Music Conservatory. Weekly rehearsals will be held at Kean University on Tuesday nights at 6pm, culminating in a concert performance in Kean’s world-class Enlow Recital Hall at the end of each semester. Anyone who is interested in joining this ensemble should contact mtolentino@njio.org for details about openings and registration requirements. “I am looking forward to exploring a varied, adventurous and inclusive repertoire with the new orchestra that will reflect the diverse nature of the community of musicians and audience we will serve” - Warren Cohen. September 4, 2022 NJIO is saddened to report that former NJIO Music Director and Trustee, symphonic violin player and teacher Joseph Gluck, 87, of Maplewood, passed away at home on July 28, 2022. Joe Gluck was an accomplished violinist, teacher, and conductor. He performed for many years with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra first violin section. Mr. Gluck served for several years on the NJIO Board of Trustees. In 2008 Mr. Gluck became the fourth Music Director of NJIO, a position he held through May 2011. Under his direction NJIO launched its Young Artist Concerto Competition and its Family Concert. NJIO also began its Summer Chamber Music Program during his tenure. All of these initiatives are still an important part of NJIO’s programs today. In 2009 NJIO celebrated its 15th Anniversary with a concert at the Union County Performing Arts Center under the direction of Mr. Gluck featuring an intergenerational cello duo. The New Jersey State Council on the Arts presented NJIO with a Citation of Excellence that year. In an interview in the New York Times from 2006, Mr. Gluck said he must “negotiate around musicians who rate themselves too highly, or too modestly. ‘I always try to encourage people to believe that if they are the strongest person in the group, it’s a wonderful opportunity to share their knowledge and expertise,’ he said.” This philosophy fit perfectly with NJIO’s mission of connecting people of all ages and abilities from diverse communities through music education and orchestral and chamber music performances. More information about Mr. Gluck, a planned celebration of his life on September 11, and how to make donations in his memory may be found at the Jacob Holle Funeral Home website. September 3, 2022 Today is the last day to take advantage of the Early Bird rates for the 2022-2023 season. Register today at njio.org. Our first rehearsal is on September 22. Hope to see you there! August 31, 2022 NJIO's Open House is tomorrow, Sept 1. 6:30-8:30 pm (doors open at 6:15) Join us to experience all of NJIO's ensembles! Bring your instrument and a stand, or just come to observe and meet some of our staff. Our new address is 36 Chatham Road, Summit. Please RSVP to mtolentino@njio.org for the open house. Our Early Bird rates end on Sept 3. Don't miss out on these significant savings! The regular season rehearsals begin Sept 22. Hope to see you soon! August 13, 2022 Mark your calendars! The New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra has an exciting concert year planned. The 2022-2023 season will include four concerts, all with free admission. (donations appreciated). Our season includes two Young Artist Concerto Winners. The Viotte violin concert no. 22 will be performed by first place winner Semin Chun. Chloe Lau will perform the Dittersdorf Harp concerto with strings. In addition, this year, the orchestras are preparing Symphony in c minor by Ukrainian-born composer Felix Blumenfeld, Mozart's Overture to the Marriage of Figaro, Brahms Symphony no. 1, and more! Our concerts will take place on November 6, December 18, March 26, and May 21. Visit njio.org for more details. We hope to see you there! August 4, 2022 Registration for the 2022-2023 season is now open. We are happy to announce that our rates have not increased. To further encourage our intergenerational goals, NJIO is now offering a new membership discount option for an adult and youth who register together. Our season rehearsals begin Sept 22. Register by August 31 to take advantage of NJIO EarlyBird rates! Visit our webpage for more details and to learn about our new membership options. We will be having an Open House on Sept 1. All are welcome! We have a great selection of music for all levels. If interested in attending, please email mtolentino@njio.org .

New Members: Outreach Ensemble requirements S tring players should be comfortable playing on all four strings in first position. Some pieces include third position. Rhythmic complexity includes 16th notes. Flute, oboes, and bassoons should be at an intermediate level and demonstrate some ability to blend with strings. All new members should attend at least 2 consecutive rehearsals before participating in a performance. The set list will be updated periodically. These are the pieces that will be rehearsed in rehearsal. The music can be found in the outreach music files. Outreach has many pieces in rotation but not all are rehearsed at the same time.

Home General Rehearsal & Concert Information Rehearsals Rehearsals will take place on Thursday evenings and will be held at 36 Chatham Road in Summit, NJ. (Please make note that there is a Short Hills address with the same street and number.) * Please bring a music stand. * Parking : There is plenty of parking on the street as well as a small lot that you can reach by turning into the driveway. If you park in the street there is a sidewalk to take you to the back entrance. Entering the building : Our entrance to the building is in the back. The large glass doors will remain locked at all times. We typically have someone stationed at the door but if no one is there, ring the doorbell to the right and someone will open the door. Building Info Concerts Concert Dress: all black. Skirts must be below the knee and sleeves must be below the elbow. If you are the parent of a youth member start looking for black clothing early because it can be difficult to find. On concert day we do a soundcheck/ mini dress rehearsal. Although the concert may start at 3pm (or 2 pm) we will ask you to arrive much earlier. We usually ask for noon or 1pm arrival. This gives us a chance to have all of the ensembles up on stage, review the music, and practice stage transitions. Please be prepared for an earlier start on concert day.

NJIO is committed to ensuring that its programs and concerts are accessible. mbsweet@njio.org NJIO performs in multiple venues throughout the state of New Jersey, and accessibility services vary by location. Please call NJIO at 908-603-7691 with any questions or requests, so that we can help you have the best concert experience possible. If you have an ADA concern, please email Mary Beth Sweet, the NJIO ADA coordinator, at mbsweet@njio.org All of our regular concert halls are wheelchair accessible and have wheelchair seating sections and designated parking (first come, first served). Please inform the lobby volunteers upon arrival for directions to wheelchair seating. Service animals are welcome at any performance; special seating arrangements are not required. Large print programs and comfort/sensory items to borrow are available at all our concerts. Visit the Concert Comfort Station in the concert lobby to borrow additional cushions, sound-reducing headphones, fidget toys, or coloring pages with crayons. Braille programs and Assistive listening devices are available with advance notice of at least two weeks. Please email Mary Beth Sweet at mbsweet@njio.org or call 908-603-7691 to provide advance notice. Musicians, please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss any assistance you may require.

New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra Administrative Staff Board of Trustees Warren Cohen Artistic Director and Symphony Conductor Emily Kane Orchestra Operations Manager ekane@njio.org More about Emily Regina Novicky Stage Manager Mary Beth Sweet Administrator mbsweet@njio.org Allison Russo Managing Director arusso@njio.org Millie Peterson Outreach Coordinator mpeterson@njio.org Susan Peterson, President | Read more Faith Feuerman, Vice President | Read more Alan Campell, Treasurer Cheryl Ryan, Secretary Warren Cohen, Artistic Director, ex officio Len Avdey Al Elefante Erin Lunsford Norton John F. Tabachnick, M.D. Robert Wagner Thomas Williams Sophia Rosahl Data & Operations Assistant srosahl@njio.org

Warren Cohen Artistic Director Symphony Orchestra Conductor A message from Warren, "The Artistic vision of NJIO involves allowing musicians at all levels of skill, experience, and age the possibility to participate in making music. More experienced and skilled players perform alongside those with less experience. Less experienced players are encouraged to challenge themselves to study, rehearse and play at higher levels as well. NJIO does not fit neatly into the category of a community orchestra or an educational institution, but it has characteristics of both. The emphasis is at least in part on learning through doing for less experienced players and learning through modeling and teaching for those who play at high amateur or professional level. In Symphony, it also offers the more experienced players a chance to play great repertoire, while encouraging those less experienced to be part of the wonderful envelope of sound created by a Symphony Orchestra." .. Performing Chaminade's Konzertstuck. Fall 2022 Biography Education Piano: Philip Cohen Conducting: Mark Elder, Gustav Meier, and Paul Vermel. English National Opera: 1991- 1992 Positions held include: Piano Accompanist for Honolulu City Ballet: 1978 - 1982 Conductor Hawaii Chamber Orchestra: 1994 - 1995 Music Director roles include: Kumu Kahua Theater: 1984- 1993 Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra: 1996 - 2005 Fine Arts String Orchestra: 2001-2010 Scottsdale Baroque Orchestra 2004-2010 MusicaNova: 2003 - current Compositions include: Concerto Grosso no. 2 Hypnagogic States Concerto Grosso no. 3 Second Movement: Scherzo - Rondo Records Conducting Richard Arnell, Symphonies 4 and 5. Con Brio Label. 2008 Awards 7 ASCAP awards for original composition 1999 ASCAP/American Symphony Orchestra League Award for Adventurous Programming

Crescent Ave Presbyterian Church 716 Watchung Ave. Plainfield, NJ Please park in the Back Lot off of First Place and enter through Assembly Room. Back Parking Lot Walk to the church: follow the path, go through the gate and enter the assembly room doors

Our History The New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra was born in 1994 from a string teacher's idea that musicians in different age groups could benefit from playing together. With 3 orchestras and over 100 volunteer musicians from various New Jersey communities, the NJIO has successfully bridged the generations through music. Our members have ranged in age from 5 to 93 years old. Since its founding, NJIO has consciously nurtured the belief that senior citizens can share their wisdom and become vital resources for children. By bringing youth and senior citizens together, it has promoted mutual growth and fostered understanding between generations. The genuine camaraderie prevalent at all its rehearsals and concerts emanates from the perfect union of the eagerness to learn and the ability to teach, as the young and the young at heart share music stands and experiences throughout the season. 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 and June 2013, Warren Cohen became the current Artistic Director and Conductor. 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. The orchestra traveled to Washington D.C. to perform to a standing-room only audience on the Millenium Stage of the Kennedy Center in 2013, followed shortly after by a visit from Michael and Jane Eisner in New Jersey, which resulted in being named one of the five nationwide finalists for the Eisner Prize for Intergenerational Excellence. 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 bassist from the John Coltrane Quartet; Kamron Saniee, violin prodigy; opera singer Jamie Baer Peterson, cello soloist Cynthia Longley, guitarist Anton Del Forno, composer and jazz keyboard artist Joe Kurasz and pianist Allison Brewster Franzetti. NJIO has presented special programs with Tony-Award nominated tenor Willy Falk, accompanied by Constantine Kitsopolous of the Chatham Opera and performed the concert of Les Miserable in a cooperative venture with Hillsborough High School. NJIO has also presents 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 New Jersey native Tracy Jacobson with the revolutionary wind quintet, WindSync, among others.

NJIO Spring Concert Sunday May 3rd @ 3PM Crescent Ave Presbyterian Church 716 Watchung Ave, Plainfield NJ 07060 Download the Concert Flyer Escape to an afternoon celebrating music that has inspired national pride for generations. The final concert in NJIO’s 32nd season, “National Spirit” culminates in Sibelius’s Symphony no.2— the glorious finale of this symphony will give you goosebumps! All three of our all-ages orchestras will transport you around the world with composers from Europe, Scandinavia, and Japan. Come as you as, leave with your spirits raised! All of NJIO’s concerts are free; no tickets are required. Download the Press Release NEW: Concert Comfort Station To make your concert experience more comfortable, NJIO now provides free items to borrow during the concert at our Concert Comfort Station, located in the concert lobby. Please see a volunteer at the Concert Comfort Station to borrow any of the following: Crayons and coloring pages Additional cushions Sound-reducing headphones Large-print program books Fidget toys Sponsors This concert is made possible by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Plainfield Foundation, funds from a 2026 HEART (History, Education, Arts Reaching Thousands) Grant from the Union County Board of Commissioners, and our season sponsors: the Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation, The Henry S. and Agnes M. Truzack Foundation, the Standish Foundation, and many other generous supporters. NJIO is a proud participating organization in the Families First Discovery Pass Program, a program of the NJ Departments of Health and Human Services. Help Keep Our Concerts Free for All We believe that live orchestral music should be accessible to everyone, which is why our concerts are always free to attend. However, to keep bringing you these incredible performances, we rely on the generosity of our community. A donation of just $10 per person at our concerts helps cover essential costs like venue rental, musician fees, and administrative support. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a difference and ensures that we can continue to share the joy of music with all generations. Support free live music for all

Outreach All NJIO Programs Bringing the joy of music to those who cannot easily attend our concerts. The outreach ensemble performs at senior centers, nursing facilities, and special events. Outreach performs about once a month.

Biography of our Managing Director. Allison Russo, Managing Director. Consultant, author, and educator Allison Russo has dedicated her career to creating more ethical and effective arts learning spaces. She has a BM from Ithaca College and an MM from Boston University, both in Music Education. As an elementary band teacher and non-profit arts leader, Allison has designed and delivered music programming to thousands of students and teachers. She has presented at state and regional conferences, colleges, and public schools on topics including ethical classroom culture, trauma-informed care, and gender equity in jazz education. Allison founded The Critical Good, an arts education consultancy in 2021, where she supports arts nonprofits in expanding and strengthening their education programs through evaluation, operations, and messaging. She published her first book, “Planning on Purpose: Creating a Values-Based Music Program” in 2023 as a step-by-step guide for music teachers to refresh their programs for a focus on equity and connection. She is also a graduate course facilitator for the Longy School of Music at Bard College, a collaborator with consulting firm WolfBrown, and freelance grant writer. She envisions a world where arts education is boundless, universally accessible, and joyful for all.

Information about NJIO's annual Youth Concerto Competition. Each spring the New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra holds its Young Artist Concerto Competition to select soloists for the following season. The competition is open to pianists and instrumental soloists in their junior year of high school and younger. Winners will perform with NJIO during the following season. A monetary award will be presented to the winners. Register Now! Audition FAQs Audition Guidelines Registration is now open and will close on April 29th, 2026 . Auditions will be held on May 13th, 2026 . Register Now! Previous Young Artist Winners 2025- Marcus Chong-Wah Wong, violin 2024- Matthew Ho, cello Elizabeth Poppy Song, violin 2023- Elie Kuan, cello (1st.) 2022- Semin Chun, violin (1st.) Chloe Lau, harp (2nd.) 2021- Cadee Lee, clarinet (1st.) 2020- COVID Cancellation 2019- Dylan Hamme, violin (1st.) 2018- Bethany Bobbs, cello (1st.) Na Yoon Koh, cello (2nd.) 2017- Daniel Seog, violin (1st.) Eilene Lee, violin (2nd.) 2016- Angela Zhou, piano (1st.) Sea Yoon, Violin (2nd.) 2015- Alyssa Kim, violin (1st.) Heechan Ku, cello (2nd.) 2014- Elizabeth Hendy, violin (1st.) Serena Huang, flute (2nd.) 2013- Zachary Mowitz, cello (1st.) Albert Cao, violin (2nd.) 2012- Noel Kim, violin (1st) Soyeong Park, violin (2nd.) 2011- Jessica Hone, cello (1st) NaYoung Yang, violin, (2nd.) 2010- Sophia Bacelar, cello (1st.) Alex Wang, violin (2nd.) 2009- Allegra Whiting (1st.) Yuji Sugimoto (2nd.) 2008- Lucia Nowik (1st.) Mariko Takashima (2nd.) Thank you to our Concerto Competition sponsor, Elefante Music!