BridgeMusik Holds First Gala

On March 30th, local nonprofit BridgeMusik will hold their first Gala at Roost Restaurant in Sparkill. Krystof and Tanya Witek, the founders of BridgeMusik, began the non-profit to fill the gap in music education and performance they found in Rockland. The two wanted to have a space and performance opportunities where school-aged students could learn and collaborate with musical professionals without having to fork over a down payment or commute into New York City to do so.

Krystof and Tanya have dedicated their life to the power of music – Krystof performs on Broadway with the Lion King Orchestra, as well as the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra at Lincoln Center. He has his Bachelor Master and Doctorate degrees from The Juilliard School. Tanya is a member of the New York City Ballet Orchestra and the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra at Lincoln Center, and has also received her Master and Doctoral Degrees from Juilliard. Their lives spin on the axis of music, and their goal is to share the power of music with younger generations.

As part of their mission to make music more accessible to the county, the gala, like many of the ensembles performances, will be free to attend .

BridgeMusik has held over 80 public events around Rockland, and this year they are excited to partner with public libraries and Meals on Wheels. From August 3rd to August 17th, Rockland will be filled with the tunes of both classical and jazz music for the 8th Annual Summer Music Festival. Within the span of one rehearsal week and two performance weeks, young performers will have the opportunity to rehearse and play with professional musicians, granting them the ability to learn and grow at an accelerated rate.

Unlike many other music programs, BridgeMusik strives to ensure that finances are not a barrier to entry. “About half of our students receive scholarships to participate. We don’t turn any students away from our festival,” said Krystof. The upcoming gala will help to boost BridgeMusik’s scholarship fund, as well as helping provide stipends for the college interns who assist in running the festival. Last year, these” College Fellows”, as Krystof affectionately called them, came from The Juilliard School as young mentors for the students. This year, BridgeMusik is looking forward to having students from the Montclair State University joining their College Fellows group.

BridgeMusik has no auditions for their students and welcomes musicians from ages seven all the way through college. “We allow students from various levels of proficiency to join us, and we tailor the program for students from different levels to [be able to] enjoy it…An asset of BridgeMusik is that we’re not admitting only the most advanced students to our program.” This allows students who have a passion for music to be involved and continue pursuing their passion without the strains of auditioning. Krystof mentioned that many of their students have gone on to study music in university and to compete in musical competitions, but that all of their students leave with confidence in themselves and their abilities.

For the students involved in the summer festival, the opportunity to work alongside professional musicians is what truly sets this experience apart. The child musicians aren’t just being instructed by the adults – they are playing right alongside them. The children receive an inside look as to how a professional musician plays, rehearses, and behaves in a rehearsal room. They gain confidence in their ability to prepare for a performance swiftly and effectively, and are emboldened by their experience rubbing elbows with musicians from New York City Ballet Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and professors from NYU, Juilliard and more.

The BridgeMusik Gala will include a cocktail reception followed by a three course dinner. It will feature performances by both Krystof and Tanya Witek, BridgeMusik students and guest artists. The guest of honor and renowned flutist Carol Wincenc will be performing, and a new composition commissioned by BridgeMusik in honor of Wincenc will debut during the Gala.

Registration for youth musicians eager to participate in BridgeMusik’s 8th Annual Summer Music Festival is open now. Learn more about the festival and purchase gala tickets at bridgemusik.com