Joris Teepe & the New York comes to Groningen Program

Joris Teepe. Photo: De Werf

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) is excited to announce the winners of the fifth annual Groningen Award. The 2011 recipients are bassist Ian Kenselaar of Maplewood and vocalist Brittany Henderson of Newark.

The Groningen Award provides two current students in NJPAC’s acclaimed Wachovia Jazz For Teens (WJFT) program with a trip to the “New York comes to Groningen” program at the Prince Claus Conservatory in Groningen, the Netherlands.

NJPAC's Wachovia Jazz for Teens bass instructor Joris Teepe, as chairman of the jazz department at the Prince Claus Conservatory, implemented and continues to oversee the “New York comes to Groningen” program, a unique approach to undergraduate jazz education that emphasizes professional mentoring, diverse music styles and strong focus on performance. The outstanding faculty of this program includes NJPAC's WJFT Music Director Don Braden.