Young Musicians Serenade the City This Holiday Season at NJPAC

Throughout the holiday season, students enrolled in Wells Fargo Jazz for Teens, one of the longest-running arts education programs at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), will entertain at concerts and events across Newark.

The students, who range in age from 12 to 18, will perform at the Newark Museum, the Newark Public Library, City Hall and a variety of other locations during December.

"Great jazz musicians 'make their bones' when they get to gig on a regular basis in a variety of settings, in front of audiences of all kinds," said John Schreiber, President and CEO of NJPAC - and a protégé of Newport Jazz Festival impresario George Wein.

"I'm thrilled that our Wells Fargo Jazz for Teens musicians will be advancing that great tradition throughout the holiday season."

Singers and instrumentalists will appear in various configurations throughout the series, in quartets, septets or vocal ensembles with accompaniment. Selections include hits from the American Songbook, jazz standards, Broadway tunes and holiday favorites.

The first concert will be the jazz program's Preparatory Division (younger students), performing at NJPAC's Center for Arts Education, 24 Rector St., at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2. Admission is free, but seating is limited.

Thereafter, the talented teens will take their show on the road, appearing at a number of private engagements in addition to concerts for the public. The schedule follows:

• The Second Sunday Jazz Brunch, Dec. 10, noon to 2 p.m., at the Newark Museum, 49 Washington St. The jazz program's vocalists, the Sarah Vaughan Ensemble, will perform with accompaniment. Reservation information is available through the Newark Museum.
• United Airlines' "Fantasy Flight" at Newark Liberty International Airport at the Terminal C Departure Gate. Students will play from 8 to 10 a.m. and parade through the terminals from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 13 to welcome families and children to the airline's party at the "North Pole." Wells Fargo Jazz for Teens' most advanced players, the George Wein Scholars Ensemble, perform at 1 p.m. The "Fantasy Flight" is United's annual treat for youngsters coping with poverty, illness or special needs. Media coverage is invited.
• The City Hall Tree Lighting Ceremony, 920 Broad St., also on Dec. 13. This free event at 4 p.m. will feature the George Wein Scholars Ensemble.
• "Jazz in the Stacks" at the Newark Public Library, from 5 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 20. The Sarah Vaughan Ensemble will play this concert at the library's main branch, 5 Washington St. Admission is free.
• "Jazz Jam Session" at Clement's Place, Rutgers University's "club" at 15 Washington St. The program's big band, the James Moody Jazz Orchestra, performs at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 21. The students will be joined by their instructor, saxophonist Mark Gross, NJPAC's director of jazz instruction. Free admission.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, N.J., has the most diverse programming and audience of any performing arts center in the country, and is the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey - where Great Performances and events enhance and transform lives every day.

NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the state's and the world's best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted more than 8 million visitors (including over 1.6 million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents.

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