Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts Celebrates Music Education Programs With 'West Side Story in Paterson' Gala
Broadway World
February 12, 2020
On Friday, March 6, the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts will celebrate its successful, life-changing music education programs with a special gala event entitled "West Side Story in Paterson" at the Westmount Country Club in Woodland Park. Jennifer and David S. Stone serve as Honorary Chairs of the event which features performances by students from the Paterson Music Project, the New Jersey Youth Symphony, and the Performing Arts School.
The gala is inspired by Steven Spielberg's remake of the classic movie which was partially filmed last summer in Paterson, the home of the Wharton Institute's Paterson Music Project. The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts will present its Lifetime Achievement Award to Jamie Bernstein, whose father, Leonard Bernstein, composed "West Side Story's" groundbreaking score. The evening will also feature a welcome by Paterson Mayor André Sayegh.
Author, narrator, and filmmaker Jamie Bernstein has transformed a lifetime of loving music into a career of sharing her knowledge and passion with others. Guests will receive a copy of her memoir, "Famous Father Girl: A Memoir of Growing Up Bernstein," published by HarperCollins. The book, published in 2018, gives a captivating perspective on growing up as a child of the world-acclaimed composer and conductor. An award-winning film director, Jamie also writes articles and poetry which have appeared in a variety of publications from Opera News to Town & Country. Her award-winning film documentary, "Crescendo: the Power of Music," follows children in West Philadelphia and Harlem participating in youth orchestras inspired by Venezuela's El Sistema, a program that uses music to transform the lives of children in underserved communities.
"I'm honored to be part of this grand celebration of music education with the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts," said Jamie Bernstein. "I know my father would have been thrilled to see the impact of programs such as the Paterson Music Project and the New Jersey Youth Symphony."