60 Locust Avenue
Berkeley Heights, NJ
908-790-0700
By Helen H. Cha-Pyo, Artistic Director
For over four decades, Wharton Arts has offered immersive performing arts experiences that foster a sense of belonging. The participants share a closeness that is discovered through a deep, shared appreciation for the arts. Countless arts enthusiasts of all ages have experienced the enchantment of New Jersey’s largest non-profit community performing arts education center. Nestled in the heart of Union County, Wharton Arts serves nearly 2,000 students annually through a range of programs designed to hone their performing arts skills while nurturing their humanity. The breadth of Wharton Arts’ offerings is unmatched in the Garden State. Its community transcends backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures. All are united through the universal language of the arts.
Wharton Arts is comprised of four distinct programs. Each program is dedicated to advancing arts education and engagement.
The New Jersey Youth Chorus is an auditioned choral ensemble program for students in grades 3–12. Its five ensembles encourage a love and appreciation of choral music while nurturing personal growth and creative development.
The fifteen ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Symphony are comprised of over 500 students in grades 3-12. Each student is awarded their position after auditioning for a spot with the Symphony. The program is designed to inspire young people to achieve musical excellence through high-level ensemble training and performance opportunities.
The Paterson Music Project is an El Sistema-inspired program at Wharton Arts that is based in Paterson. The Project uses music education as a vehicle for social action. It is designed to empower and inspire young people to achieve their full potential through the community experience of ensemble learning and playing.
The Performing Arts School is a robust musical theater and drama program offering both private and group classes for instruments and voice. From Pathways classes for young children to Lifelong Learning programs for adults, there is something for aspiring artists of all ages and abilities. Wharton Arts believes that the positive and unifying influence of music and an arts education should be accessible to all people regardless of ability to pay, so need-based scholarships are available.
Wharton Arts takes pride in helping art lovers of all ages develop artistically and personally through our programs. We are continually seeking new ways to help performing arts enthusiasts find their unique voices and emerge from our programs with a strong sense of purpose, possibility, and fulfillment.
Wharton Arts has locations in Berkeley Heights, New Providence, and Paterson with students from 12 counties. All of Wharton Arts’ extraordinary teaching artists, faculty members, and conductors hold degrees in their teaching specialty and have been vetted and trained to enable our students to achieve their personal best. Wharton Arts’ mission is to offer an accessible, high-quality performing arts education that sparks personal growth and builds inclusive communities. Wharton Arts wholeheartedly embraces the next generation of creative change-makers in New Jersey. Our alumni remain connected to our programs and their peers, creating a network that continues to benefit them long after they graduate from Wharton Arts.