The Walter Engel Festival of Young Performers provides an opportunity for some of the finest young musicians in Northern New Jersey to share their music in a non-competitive environment. Soloists and ensembles, both instrumental and vocal are invited to perform in this Festival that honors the role of music in the lives of young people. The concerts are free and open to the public.
FYP has held more than 62 concerts since 1991.
FYP has awarded more than 56 college scholarships since it's inception.
FYP has sponsored numerous outreach performances in many Northern NJ communities.
The Festival was created to honor Walter Engel who had an active classical music career. He never forgot the role of music in his own development and worked over the years with musicians young and not -so-young in the New Jersey Philharmonic, The Ridgewood Chamber Orchestra, All-State and Regional youth orchestras. His inspiration and greatest joy was his work with young people in music. A life changing illness led Walter into a new life, filled with music, poetry and art. He composed, wrote about music, consulted with performers on the art of music and continued to inspire young people in their pursuit of music study and performance and in return, was inspired by them. For several years he painted using his wheelchair as his paintbrush. His artwork was on display at seven shows including such venues as Johnson & Johnson Headquarters and the United Nations. A portion of each painting sold goes toward funding the FYP scholarships.
The annual Walter Engel Festival of Young Performers is also made possible by performance fees and tax-deductible donations by music lovers. The festival concerts and scholarships are organized solely by volunteers from the musical community of Northern NJ.
