– Youth orchestra will perform at Brookdale
The Bravura Youth Orchestra of central New Jersey will hold its year-end concert at 7 p.m. May 17 at the Performing Arts Center of Brookdale Community College, 765 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft.
The free concert will feature three winners of the 2015 Bravura Youth Young Artists Concerto Competition: Iris Kwak, Sabrina Park and Kaylee Wang.
Iris Kwak, 15, is a pianist from West Windsor. She has won prizes in the New Jersey Music Teachers Association competitions and she has performed as a soloist in Lincoln Center and Carnegie Weill Recital Hall. Iris will play the first movement of the Grieg Piano Concerto in A minor.
Violinist Sabrina Park from Colts Neck is a high school senior at the Ranney School, Tinton Falls. Sabrina has participated in music programs at the New England Music Camp and Meadowmount School of Music.
Sabrina was awarded first place at the Crescendo International Competition and Count Basie’s Competition for Young Violinists, and she has been a member of the New Jersey All-State Orchestra. Sabrina will perform the first movement of Saint-Saens Violin Concerto No. 3.
Kaylee Wang, a 14-year-old flutist from Marlboro, is a freshman at High Tech High School, Lincroft. Kaylee has won first prize in the New Jersey Music Teachers National Association winds competition and advanced to be one of five national finalists. Kaylee will perform the Fantasia by George Hue.
– Artists to hold workshops at benefit
Back on the Racks will host a weekend of art demonstrations, workshops and pop-up shopping from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 16 and 17 at its new Space to Create location at 659 Broadway, Long Branch.
The event is free and open to the public, and weekend sales will benefit the organization Puppy Mill Awareness Day (PMAD). A representative from PMAD will be on hand May 16.
Artists from Back on the Rack’s new Space to Create program will hold demonstrations to preview their upcoming adult and children’s art workshops. Demonstrations will include painting furniture and other objects. Guests can learn simple ways to explore their own creativity with projects inspired by everyday items.
Participating artists will include Mary-Lou Fiorillo, Laurie Ruggeri, Pat Ristaino Dutton, Arleen Swart and Carol Azhadi.
Fiorillo, known for “refunking” junk, is a furniture designer and teaches furniture-painting techniques to students at Back on the Racks.
Ruggeri paints furniture and other items for businesses. She runs an art camp at the Middletown Arts Center and is an instructor at Back on the Racks, where she leads art workshops.
Dutton is an herbalist gardener who holds workshops on the making and sampling of herbal products.
Swart is a landscape designer, horticulturist and owner of Sea Grass Design and Landscape, who leads workshops on gardening.
Azhadi is a nail artist who holds workshops on garden-themed art on clay pots, rocks and other objects.
For more information about the event, visit www.backontheracksnj.com.
For more information about PMAD, visit www.awarenessday.org.
– ‘Voices of Change’ to premiere May 21
The Red Bank Regional Visual and Performing Arts Academy will host the world premiere of the oratorio, “Voices of Change,” at 7 p.m. May 21 at Red Bank Regional High School, 101 Ridge Road, Little Silver.
Composed and conducted by the school’s music teacher, Kristopher Zook, the oratorio will feature several local high school and festival choirs, the Count Basie Theatre Central Jersey Youth Chorale and special solo performances by Metropolitan Opera singer Jeremy Galyon and Kean University voice professor Katherine Harris.
Tickets are $10 and will be available at the door or in advance by calling 732-842-8000, ext. 227.
Career fair for home health aides slated
Pilgrim Baptist Church of Red Bank has partnered with Always Best Care to host a Career Fair for certified home health aides from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. May 21 at 172 Shrewsbury Ave., Red Bank.
Applicants are asked to bring copies of all credentials, such as their license, insurance, social and PPD test. Certified home health aides are needed to provide hourly, live-in and overnight services for senior citizens in Monmouth and Middlesex counties.
For more details, contact Domenica at 732-483-4611.
– School to host workshop on dyslexia
The Jayne S. Carmody School at the Rumson Country Day School, in conjunction with Learning Ally, will present the interactive workshop, “Dyslexia: Making It Personal,” from 7-9 p.m. May 21 at 35 Bellevue Ave., Rumson.
Designed for teachers, administrators and parents, the interactive simulation will demonstrate the challenges and frustrations faced by people with dyslexia.
The event is free and open to the public. To register, visit go.learningally.org/rumson.
For more information about The Jayne S. Carmody School, visit www.rcds.org/carmodyschool.
– Program helps youth to learn, serve others
The Charles Lafitte Foundation’s (CLF) Kid’s Corner has a Champions of Change program, which helps children develop the power to change the world through community service, volunteerism and philanthropy.
The program teaches children how to run a book drive to benefit a non-profit organization of their choice. Youth learn to choose a non-profit beneficiary, find a location and collect and distribute books to the selected organization. The toolkit includes a sample letter to the non-profit beneficiary, permission letter, thank-you note and social-media graphics.
“I have seen the efforts of running a successful book drive firsthand, and I am extremely excited to share this program with kids across the country,” said Kyra Citron, director of CLF’s Kid’s Corner, in a press release.
Citron has run three book drives and collected a total of 10,000 books, which were donated to the Bridge of Books Foundation.
CLF’s Kid’s Corner is run by children for children and encourages them to not only have a voice, but also a role in helping better their communities. For more information, visit www.charleslafitte.org/kids-corner.
– Rowing club to hold open house May 16
Navesink River Rowing (NRR) will hold an open house from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. May 16 at its location at Maple Avenue and West Front Street in Red Bank.
The event is free and open to the public. Visitors can enjoy site tours, demonstrations on land, mini lessons on the water and register for adult learn-to-row classes, boat-use memberships and youth programs. Activities will run continuously during the open house, and NRR rowers of all ages and backgrounds will be on hand to share their experiences and answer questions.
For more information, call Maria at 732-784-3008 or visit www.navesinkriverrowing.shuttlepod.org.
– Aloft’ to be screened May 21 in Red Bank
RED BANK — Monmouth Arts will provide a sneak peek of the film, “Aloft,” at 7 p.m. May 21 at Bow Tie Cinema, Red Bank.
A reception will precede the screening from 5:30-6:45 p.m. at Gotham restaurant, 19 Broad St., Red Bank.
Written and directed by Claudia Llosa, the film stars Jennifer Connelly as Nana Kunning, who abandoned her son 20 years earlier when she was a struggling mother. When she becomes a famous artist and healer, she finds herself in an encounter with her son that makes both of them question their lives. The film has been shown at the Sundance and Tribeca film festivals.
Tickets to the reception and film are $40 for Monmouth Arts members and $50 for non-members. Film-only tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. For tickets, call 732-212-1890 or visit www.monmoutharts.org.
– Baroque-style concert slated for May 17
A quintet of soloists and a period orchestra featuring Baroque instruments will join the Monmouth Civic Chorus for the concert, “Vespers Fusion,” at 4 p.m. May 17 at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, 101 Chelsea Ave., Long Branch.
A 3:30 p.m. talk on the unique Baroque-style instruments utilized by the orchestra will precede the concert.
Led by Artistic Director Dr. Ryan Brandau, the concert will include sopranos Abigail Lennox and Melanie Russell, mezzo-soprano Luthien Brackett, tenor Steven Caldicott Wilson and baritone Scott Purcell.
The orchestra will use reconstructions of instruments that Mozart and Monteverdi would have used, such as Baroque violins, violas, cellos, a violone, portative organ, natural trumpet and sackbut.
Tickets are $30 for adults, $27 for seniors, $25 for individuals in a group of 10 or more and $5 for students. Tickets and information are available by calling 732-933-9333 or visiting www.monmouthcivicchorus.org.