Montclair Early Music has found the pandemic an opportunity for growth. It is proud to announce highly qualified additions to its board of directors to further its mission to promote interest in early music (before 1750), the recorder and other period instruments, and provide an opportunity for people of all levels to play socially or perform music as part of an ensemble.
To make these plans a reality, Markus Gottschlich, Bernard Schoenfeld, Christopher Bleeke and Wilma Hurwitz have joined the board, bringing with them their special musical and communication talents.
Gottschlich is an Austrian-born pianist, composer and Steinway artist who has led a number of nonprofits in the cross-section of music and education, including the Miami Beach Jazz Festival, Jazz Academy Miami, the New Mexico Jazz Workshop and most recently Jazz House Kids and the Montclair Jazz Festival. Apart from performing, writing commissioned works and music for film, Markus is a sought-after educator and curator of music series and festivals.
Schoenfeld, a member of the board since 2019, has been appointed chairman. He is retired from many years working in various capacities for a major New York financial institution. His positions included senior economist, portfolio manager and investment consultant to major public, corporate and Taft-Hartley pension funds as well as noted foundations.
Schoenfeld’s love of the recorder and early music inspired him to join Montclair Early Music. Learning the recorder as a child, he went on as an undergraduate to perform as a soloist, accompanied by harpsichord or guitar and as a member of the University of Maryland Madrigal Singers. Over the last several years he has performed with various amateur groups playing Israeli folk music on recorder, guitar, flute or percussion.
Bleeke works as an elementary music teacher for Belleville public schools. He graduated summa cum laude from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers in New Brunswick. Along with conducting his choirs, he enjoys teaching his third and fourth grade students to play recorder and has been a strong supporter of Montclair Early Music’s Elementary School Recorder Contest. Several of his students have been winners of the contest.
Hurwitz, a Montclair-based public relations/marketing consultant, was invited to join the board this year after successfully publicizing Montclair Early Music’s October 2020 outdoor performance of “A French Masque” featuring special performance by four fourth grade medieval recorder students in Montclair and Bloomfield schools. Her “French Masque” publicity program secured MEM’s recognition by key local media (Montclair Local and Montclair Times) as well as citations in the websites of the Montclair Board of Education and Township of Bloomfield Schools. Wilma brings 15-plus years of success leveraging the visibility and expertise of Fortune 500 companies, top universities, community colleges, local governments and nonprofit institutions.
MEM has openings on its board for an accountant and someone with development background. Contact juliennepape@gmail.com.
Wilma Hurwitz and Julienne Pape
Montclair Early Music
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