Crushing Classical

It's incredible to speak with Helen Cha-Pyo because she is so filled with joy and wisdom.  Her optimism about the next generation of humans is inspiring, as is her mission and story. This is a feel-good episode if I've ever recorded one!  What is YOUR artistic mission statement? You'll want to lean into this question as you listen to Helen's story! Helen H. Cha-Pyo, the current Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts, leads an organization that serves nearly 2,000 students from 12 New Jersey counties. Her impactful leadership spans across four key programs: the Wharton Performing Arts School, New Jersey Youth Symphony, New Jersey Youth Chorus, and the Paterson Music Project. In her role as the Principal Conductor of the New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJYS), she has led tours to Italy and France, championing the performance of works by women and BIPOC composers, effectively amplifying the voices of underrepresented composers. Under her guidance, NJYS had the disti