New Jersey Youth Symphony to Present ENCHANTING MUSICAL STORYTELLING

“This concert marks the culmination of a dynamic season that has brought together outstanding young musicians from across the state to perform masterworks of the orchestral repertoire in a supportive and inclusive environment,” said Helen H. Cha-Pyo, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor. “From the vibrant rhythms and cultural richness of Gabriela Lena Frank’s Three Latin American Dances, to the expressive brilliance of our concerto competition winner Rowan Mendel, and the sweeping, timeless storytelling of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, this performance is a celebration of musical excellence, disciplined dedication, and the shared joy of making music together. It’s also a bittersweet moment as we honor the remarkable journey of our graduating seniors and the bright futures that await them.”
 
Rowan Mendel of Sparta has been playing cello for nine years and studies with Jonathan Spitz of the NJ Symphony and Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. He has also studied with Elad Kabilio at the Manhattan School of Music (MSM) and spent two summers in the MSM program. Recent summer programs have included the Castleman Quartet Program and the Cello Classics course in Tuscany, Italy, studying with Raphael Wallfisch. During the summer of 2024 he studied at Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute. In addition to the Sparta High School Honors Philharmonic, he has performed as Principal Cellist with the New Jersey Youth Symphony for the last three years and the Sussex County Youth Orchestra for the last seven years. In 2023 and 2024, Rowan performed in the North Jersey Group 1 Regional Orchestra as well as the NJ All-State Orchestra. He has traveled with the New Jersey Ambassadors of Music and performed in Sussex, England; Caen, France; and the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, France. Rowan is the recipient of the 2022 New Sussex Symphony Legacy Fund Scholarship Award and has been inducted into the Tri-M Music Honor Society. When not playing cello, Rowan enjoys soccer and is a National Chess Champion. He plans to continue his music studies in college.