Jeff Grogan and the New Jersey Youth Symphony have partnered with Music Celebrations International on several tours and festivals taking them from Washington, DC., Vienna, Prague, and Salzburg. In 2012, the New Jersey Youth Symphony toured Austria where they had the extraordinary opportunity to perform in Vienna’s famed Musikverein. Two years later, they returned to Austria to participate in the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival.
The New Jersey Youth Symphony extended their stay in Europe with a performance in one of Prague’s premier venues, Smetana Hall. Jeff Grogan had this to say about this “highlight” performance.
“For the concert at Smetana Hall in Prague, this was the highlight of my musical career. Of all of the student and professional groups I have conducted, this performance takes the cake. It was PACKED with a huge audience, literally not a single seat open in the hall. There was so much clapping from the audience that we had to walk on and off the stage at the end three times and keep coming back on for more applause! When I came out the third time and they started their encore, We had programmed a Czech piece, and literally ten seconds into it, the crowd starting cheering very loud as they recognized the music!”
In 2016, the New Jersey Youth Symphony participated in Music Celebrations International’s Capital Orchestra Festival, which featured a performance in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
In 2017, the New Jersey Youth Symphony will be returning to Austria with Music Celebrations International, to participate in the Summa Cum Laude International Music Festival in Vienna, and capping their tour with a performance in Budapest’s Bela Bartok Hall. We wish them the best as they continue to travel and share the joy of music with the world.
