Spring 2024 Events

Unity Ensemble is a vocal group dedicated to the performance of choral music from the African and African-American genres. Founded and directed by Dr. Maredia Warren, the Ensemble is recognized for its versatile and spirited repertoire which includes a wide range of styles including contemporary gospel music, arranged spirituals, spirituals from the oral traditions, and vocal jazz. The Unity Ensemble is especially recognized for its performance of traditional music from Southern Africa.

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Dr. Maredia Warren, Director of the Unity Ensemble, is a Professor of Music Education in the Department of Music, Dance, and Theatre at New Jersey City University.  An active choral director and clinician at the national and state levels, she has conducted several honor choruses including the New Jersey All-State Mixed Chorus, the New Jersey All-State Women’s Chorus, the Massachusetts ACDA Women’s Honor Choir, the All Cape and Islands Honor Chorus, and numerous Regional and County Choruses. Dr. Warren’s international choral and music education activities have included performing tours, study, and workshops in West Africa, South Africa, Australia, Canada, China, Cuba, and Europe. She is an active member of NAFME, ACDA, OAKE, and AOSA. 

The NJCU Jazz Ensemble welcomes you to an exciting evening of Big Band music for listeners of all ages! The concert will feature the Jazz Ensemble built by NJCU’s own jazz department, and will also feature our special guest, NJCU Alumnus (’03), and one of today’s most in-demand trumpeters, Freddie Hendrix. The music will span the full history of jazz and showcase music from the great groups of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Thad Jones, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and many more. Under the direction of Nathan Eklund, the ensemble will deliver a powerful, dynamic evening you won’t forget!

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Freddie Hendrix Biography:

Over the past two decades, the 3-time Grammy-winning, dynamic jazz trumpeter Freddie Hendrix has become one of the most in-demand trumpeters in jazz and beyond. Also an accomplished composer and educator, the Teaneck, NJ native’s skill and versatility have resulted in him working with a wide array of performers that include 3 Dizzy Gillespie Ensembles, the Christian McBride Big Band, the Roy Hargrove Big Band, Billy Harper Quintet, the Baylor Project, 2 Elio Villafranca Projects, Fred Wesley and the JB’s, the late great Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and Alicia Keys amongst countless others. 

Freddie Hendrix is a graduate of the esteemed Jazz programs at William Paterson University and New Jersey City University. Obtaining both Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Jazz Studies and Performance, Hendrix also shares his knowledge and passion for music as an educator. Currently, he serves on occasion as a guest artist/clinician for Melissa Walker’s Jazz House Kids Jazz Program in Montclair, NJ, and substitute Ensemble Instructor at William Paterson University. Former professorship positions have been served on the faculty for the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford, CT, The New School in NYC, Princeton University, and Hanzehoge School Prins Claus Conservatorium in Groningen, The Netherlands. 

Freddie Hendrix’s expertise as a performer extends over 50 countries. He has a discography of over 100 recordings as a sideman, 2 live performances for former President Barack Obama at The White House in Washington, DC, and is well documented on multiple televised productions for the PBS, ABC, and CBS television corporations. 

Whether leading his own groups or lending his talents as a lead or section player in much larger ensembles, Freddie Hendrix continues to flourish as one of the most exciting trumpet voices on the music scene. 

This multi-dimensional Ensemble was founded by percussionist David-Daoud Williams. The Ensemble is heavily grounded in the innovated jazz loft scene of the 1970s. Their sound is Jazz with a world beat! Paying homage to the all-important African roots ofJazz, the Ensemble has had many collaborations with Jazz legends; such as Archie Shepp, Randy Weston, Pharoah Sanders, Leon Thomas Lonnie Liston Smith, Rosana Vitro (former NJCU Professor,) Eddie Henderson, Kenny Barron, Jann Parker, Eddie Jefferson, Ted Curson, & Joe Lee Wilson to name a few. The Ensemble also has long European connection performing regularly in the cultural scenes of Paris, Berlin, Pori, Finland, etc. Including many international partnerships with great musician worldwide.  Spirit of Life Ensemble performed as the Monday Night Big Band at “Sweet Baxil Jazz Club” (1995 – 2001) a renowned New York City music maca. This performance is presented as part of the NJCU residency of the master visual artist and former NJCU Professor & Emeritus Ben Jones. 

The Caroline L. Guarini Department of Music, Dance and Theatre presents "A Spring Choral Concert" featuring the NJCU Concert Chorale directed by Dr. Robert Prowse. The concert will take place on Sunday, April 28 at 3:00 pm in the Margaret Williams Theatre on NJCU's Main Campus. The featured work will be Gabriel Fauré's "Requiem", performed with orchestra. Fauré's Requiem contains some of his most beautiful and comforting music. It is a favorite of choirs and audiences around the world. The choir will also perform music by Randal Thompson, Morten Lauridsen, and A.R. Rahman. 

The Caroline L. Guarini Department of Music, Dance, and Theatre presents the operetta "Iolanthe" with words by W.S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. Performances will take place on Saturday, May 4 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, May 5 at 3:00 pm in Rossey Hall 105. Directed by Dr. Robert Prowse, the cast includes current music majors and NJCU alumni, accompanied by orchestra.

"Iolanthe", sung in English, is a comic tale of Fairies and Nobles vying for power in Victorian England. The story centers around Iolanthe, a fairy who has been banished for marrying a mortal, her son Strephon, who is half fairy and half mortal, his fiancée Phyllis, and her guardian, the Lord Chancellor of England. As in all Gilbert and Sullivan operas, there are lots of absurd situations and plot twists and, of course, a happy ending.

The Pop R’n’B Ensemble is the creation of the NJCU Music Business program. It is dedicated to performing classic “pop” with a focus on rhythm & blues music from the pens of 20th-century tunesmiths whose work ruled the airwaves from the 1960s to the present day.