2016

Helen Cha-Pyo has been named Artistic Director and New Jersey Youth Symphony
Conductor of The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts starting 2018-2019 Season. As one of the largest non-profit arts organizations in New Jersey, the Wharton Institute comprises New Jersey Youth Symphony, Paterson Music Project and Performing Arts School serving more than 1400 students in Union, Morris, Essex, Somerset and other surrounding counties.

 

For the past 15 years, Helen Cha-Pyo has inspired hundreds of young musicians to perform at the highest levels, resulting in Empire State Youth Orchestras being recognized as one of the nation’s premier music organizations for youth. As Music Director and conductor of the ESYO Youth Orchestra, Helen regularly programs a wide range of music embracing many different cultures. Her vision resulted in a $100,000 grant to partially fund a music festival that commissioned nine works (one for each ESYO ensemble), and winning three prestigious ASCAP awards. She has conducted the orchestra in outstanding concert halls including Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, the Massry Center for the Arts, EMPAC, Tanglewood’s Ozawa Hall, and Carnegie Hall. She has led the orchestra on three international tours: to Europe in 2008, and to China and South Korea in 2012, and to Portugal in 2016. Helen’s vision was instrumental in the founding of ESYO CHIME in 2015, a music education program dedicated to serving underprivileged youth.

 

From 1996 to 2002, Helen served as artistic director and conductor of the Riverside Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir and associate director of music at The Riverside Church in New York City. A committed music educator, she pioneered the Riverside Music Educational Program, which served thousands of New York City public school children. As artistic director for the Kenya Jirani Choir and Harlem Jirani Ensemble of the Jirani Cultural Organization from 2009 - 2012, Helen traveled regularly to Kenya and Korea to oversee artistic activities. In 2011, she toured Korea with Kenya Jirani Choir.

 

Born in Seoul, Helen immigrated to the US when she was 12. She studied piano and organ in the Pre-College Program at The Juilliard School. She holds a Bachelor of Music in organ performance from Oberlin Conservatory and a Master of Music in conducting and organ performance from the Eastman School of Music. She is a frequent guest conductor for All State and Regional Festival Orchestras as well as summer festivals including Kinhaven School (VT) and Arco Youth Orchestra Festival (NJ). She resides in New Jersey with her husband Daniel and two sons, Christopher and Michael.