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Juilliard honors students will headline a 7 pm Saturday classical music concert at Trinity Episcopal Church on Asbury Avenue, being held in support of a local youth choir making the transition into becoming an independent nonprofit.

The Azure Quartet, comprised of violinists Brenden Zak and K.J McDonald, violist Hannah Geisinger, and cellist Yisei Li, are members of the highly competitive Chamber Honors program at New York City performing arts institution.

They will perform Mozart’s String Quartet No. 19, Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8, and Ravel’s String Quartet in F.

“Part of the honors program requires that we organize live performances,” said Zak, 20, who began playing the violin at age four. The second year student is an Ocean Township resident whose family are members of the Trinity congregation. “I know from experience that it’s a beautiful space and a wonderful community.”

That community has included the Trinity Choristers youth choir, now transitioning into the Choir School of Asbury Park – an independent classical music community choir.

“We are focused in classical music but that is not to say we won’t be including gospel or hip hop pieces,” Choir Director Diane Caruso said. “We want to fill the niche of classical music. In doing my research I did not find a choir [outside of church choirs] with the focus on classical music that we will have.”

And with the goal of offering professional training to area youth in grades 2 through 12, the choir uses the Royal School of Church Music [RSCM] curriculum called Voice for Life. That program’s focus is on age-appropriate vocal training, sight-singing, and music theory.

“We have always attracted children from the community,” Caruso said. “They have never had to be a part of Trinity to belong.”

With the transition, Caruso said she hopes to attract more students.

“We’ve always been a multicultural, multi-ethnic and diverse group,” she said. “We are open to all, regardless of their background, orientation, faith or tradition. The only requirement is that you want to be here.”

Caruso said they do not hold auditions for the mere fact that she believes everyone has the ability to sing.

In existence for over 12 years, the youth choir has been featured on New 12; and performed in Boston, New Haven, Princeton, New York City, Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Trenton. In July they participated in a weeklong residency at Guildford Cathedral, in  Guildford, England.

Participants have received guitar and drum lessons, and collaborated with artists from Lakehouse Music Academy and worked with Monmouth University students through the institution’s master’s of social work, education and music programs.

Caruso said for the time being the choir will remain at Trinity Episcopal Church on Asbury Avenue, where their community building program also facilitates homework help, math tutoring, mentoring, SAT prep, free instrumental and voice lessons, and access to computers. They meet after school on Mondays and Thursday until 6 p.m. and have a communal dinner on Mondays where the students help prepare the meals.

The plan will be to expand to three days a week next fall and to add a second location somewhere on the westside, she said.

In the interim, the new Choir School of Asbury Park will launch with a June 19 to July 3 summer camp, culminating with a performance at the Springwood Avenue Park Summer Concert Series.  The camp is open to students from Asbury Park, Neptune, and other surrounding communities.

The free-will benefit Azure Quartet concert will be held 7 p.m. Saturday at Trinity Episcopal Church, located at 503 Asbury Ave. For more about the Choir School of Asbury Park, visit their website and Facebook page.

[Photos courtesy of the Choir School of Asbury Park]

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