Berks County Scholastic Music Festival to Take Place at Kutztown University

January 12, 2022
Outdoor photo of Schaeffer at night.

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Students representing school districts across Berks County will perform as part of the Music Educators of Berks County's Senior County Festival Jan. 18-22, at Schaeffer Auditorium. More than 300 of the top 10th-12th grade musicians will convene to make music as part of the festival, which is co-presented by Berks Arts and KU Presents!

Participating students have been selected through an audition process to participate in one of three ensembles: honors orchestra, honors chorus and honors band. Each ensemble will be on campus for a full day during the week to rehearse and learn, capped with a public performance at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 22.

The purpose of Music Educators of Berks County (MEBC) is to further the development of music education in the public schools of Berks County through mutual helpfulness to teachers and students and utilizing all possible resources.Top of Form

Berks Arts is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire, engage, and unite the community through arts education, presentation and collaboration. In addition to presenting large festivals including the Berks Jazz Fest and Reading Blues Fest, Berks Arts also supports local artists and organizations as a Regional Partner for Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.

"We are thrilled for the opportunity to collaborate with KU Presents! in such a meaningful way to support MEBC and all of music education in our region," said Justin Heimbecker, executive director of Berks Arts. "We are grateful for teachers, students and families for their commitment to music and music education and look forward to inspiring performances from hundreds of impressive student performers."

KU Presents! is the center of cultural life at Kutztown University and the regional community through producing and presenting innovative and engaging live performances by professional touring artists from around the globe.

"Educational outreach has always been an important component of our curated offerings," said KU Presents! director Bryan Zellmer. "With the recent creation of the Kutztown University Arts Society and their P.L.A.Y. initiative (Promoting the Love of Arts in Youth), we have a reenergized focus to provide valuable experiences for K-12 students. This new collaboration with the MEBC and Berks Arts falls perfectly in line with this commitment and our own mission."

KU's Schaeffer Auditorium is exceptionally equipped to facilitate the production needs for the festival. KU is a designated All Steinway School and employs highly experienced staff who regularly produce successful events of this nature. KU has an internationally award-winning music department, whose outstanding music education majors are considered among the best in the country.