On April 28, 2022, at a special awards ceremony held at the Pennington Court Center of Hope, The Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey presented the 2022 Cynthia Platt Scholarship to Keys 2 Success before a packed audience of parents, volunteers, Board, and community members!
The Cynthia Platt Scholarship, established in 2012 through a generous bequest from Ms. Platt, is awarded through a competitive process to students to help propel them in their music education journey. The award honors the legacy of Ms. Platt, who relentlessly supported music education and helped create opportunities for students. The key feature of this award is the coveted opportunity to perform as a soloist with the orchestra.
Keys 2 Success is no stranger to the Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey. Last year, the two organizations combined forces in a historic collaboration to perform a piece co-composed by Maestro Robert Butts, the orchestra director, and Elijah Souels, a Keys 2 Success faculty. This event inspired the BONJ committee to award the Cynthia Platt scholarship, for the first time, to an entire ensemble rather than to an individual. “With what Keys 2 Success is doing to bring music lessons to youth in the most underserved areas in Newark, and the Baroque Orchestra’s commitment to bring diverse communities together to make music, it was a fairly obvious decision,” remarked Maestro Butts regarding the decision to award Keys 2 Success.
Pennington Court Center of Hope Coordinators Duefane Parker, Lucia Rivera, and the supervisor of the city of Newark Centers of Hope, Qadriyyah Holden, warmly welcomed the audience. Maestro Butts and the President of the Baroque Orchestra, Jo Ann Bates, spoke about the history of our collaboration and the significance of the award. Regina Barboza, Director of Development and Strategic Initiatives for Newark Arts, spoke passionately about the value of partnerships. “It is crucially important for the children’s development and self-determination to bring arts access to all five wards of Newark.” The awards ceremony concluded with K2S students performing two short pieces and a presentation of the giant check!
“We hope the award will inspire young musicians to continue their music education through high school and college years,” Ms. Bates concluded. Maestro Butts agreed, adding, “We want to be a force for good - helping young musicians realize their full potential.”
