Clinton Township Newsletter, Clinton New Jersey, May 2013 Issue
Issue link: https://siegelphotography.uberflip.com/i/682347
8 J u n e 2 0 1 6 www.ClintonTwpNewsletter.com h u n t e r d o n a C a d e m y o F t h e a r t s C e l e b r a t e s 3 5 t h a n n i v e r s a r y w i t h g r a n d r e - o P e n i n g a n d r i b b o n C u t t i n g ! A familiar name to many county families, Hunterdon Academy of the Arts is celebrating its 35th Anniversary with a Grand Re-Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on June 9, from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. The event is scheduled to take place at the school's Flemington facility (4 Minneakoning Road) and the general public is cordially invited to attend! The Grand Re-Opening and Ribbon Cutting will be performed by Christopher Phelan, President and C.E.O. of the Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce. Attendees and visitors will receive free give-aways featuring the school's newly designed logo! Light musical entertainment and hors d'oeuvres will be provided as well. The Ceremony represents the culmination of the school's 35th Anniversary Celebration Week. From June 6 through June 9, the general public is invited to visit the school and enter a special raffle. The Winner of the Grand Prize--one year of free 30-minute weekly music lessons--will be drawn by Mr. Phelan as part of the Grand Re-Opening Ceremony on June 9. Established in 1981 as "Cooper Music Studio," the school was founded by Bob and Donna Cooper, two passionate advocates of early childhood music education. Cooper Music became Hunterdon Academy of the Arts in 2007 when the school was purchased by Valentina Jotovic and her husband, Antonius Bittmann. Ms. Jotovic serves as the school's C.E.O., while Dr. Bittmann maintains a full-time career at Rutgers University. Prior to his current appointment as Associate Vice President of Online Programs, Bittmann was Chair of the Music Department and subsequently, Associate Dean of the Mason Gross School of the Arts. "Our instruction is customized to the needs, learning preferences and goals of each individual student and we go to great lengths to deliver on this promise," says C.E.O. Valentina Jotovic, a professional musician with a Master's Degree in Flute Performance from Rutgers University. Inspired and nourished by this special environment, a growing number of students excel in music competitions, winning prizes and opportunities to perform in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. While the majority of HAA students are children and teenagers, Jotovic is pleased to note that the number of adults attending the program is on the rise. "We're extremely proud of all our students, whether they join our programs for enjoyment and relaxation or the thrills and excitement of competitive stage performance." Under Jotovic's and Bittmann's leadership, Hunterdon Academy of the Arts has been thriving. In fact, HAA was recently voted Best Music School in Hunterdon by the Hunterdon Happening List. To accommodate growing demand for its services, HAA has greatly diversified its programs. In addition to taking music lessons on a wide variety of musical instruments, students have the opportunity to participate in vocal ensembles and bands and, as of late, acting classes. The flourishing performing arts school currently maintains two campus locations – in Flemington and Lebanon--with a combined total of over 600 Music and Acting students of all ages and levels of ability. It has received multiple awards and distinctions, including, twice, Musikgarten's "Exemplary Program Award" for the school's strong commitment to the Musikgarten philosophy and early childhood music education. Moreover, HAA is also affiliated with the prestigious Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, having been recognized as a Founding School and Assessment Center of The Royal Conservatory Music Development Program. For more information about Hunterdon Academy of the Arts, call: 908.782.4943, or visit: www.HunterdonAcademyOfTheArts.com. 44 Main Street Clinton, NJ 08809 908.735.4244 madetoorder.net "When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years." ~ Mark Twain, "Old Times on the Mississippi" Atlantic Monthly, 1874