BLOOMFIELD, NJ -- The
Bloomfield Federation of Music turns 75 this year, and intends to ramp up its
public concerts for the milestone. This year, the Federation has secured
funding from Investors Bank, via the Bloomfield Department of Parks, Recreation
and Cultural Affairs.
Founded in 1943, the Bloomfield
Federation of Music is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, a collective of five
musical ensembles — the Civic Band, Chorale, Mandolin Orchestra, Symphony
Orchestra, and Youth Band — that serves musicians of all ages and experience
levels, presenting up to 20 concerts each year. As of now, at least eight
performances are scheduled through June, alone.
“The BFM’s goal is to promote awareness of and involvement in various types of music, for and by people of all ages, throughout the year. Instrument repairs, rental space cost, and printed materials all cost money, so we are extremely grateful to Investors Bank, and Director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Michael Sceurman, for helping us get funding to help us continue putting on excellent performances to be enjoyed by the greater-Bloomfield community,” said
Patrick Burns, President of the BFM. “This $5,000 grant will be divided
equally among our five ensembles so each group utilizes the funding which best
suits their need.”
Specifically, the Civic Band plans
to hire 3-4 guest soloists throughout the year; the Chorale will hire
accompanist perform and concerts; the Mandolins Orchestra will arrange
workshops with guest artists and commissioning original arrangements; the
Symphony will hire soloists and fill-in players, and the Youth Band hopes to
hire a guest conductor/composer for a June concert.
The Symphony Orchestra was founded
in 1932, The Chorus (now Chorale) in 1936, The Civic Band: 1946, the Mandolin
Orchestra was founded in the 1950s, and the Youth Band was founded in 1986.
“The Bloomfield Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department is proud to support the BFM throughout the year, including practice space, and grant funding whenever we can,” said
Director Michael Sceurman. “The BFM provides great opportunities for
residents to hear high quality performances for free or for a nominal donation,
and these types of cultural activities are crucially important to keeping
Bloomfield a haven for the arts. I would like to thank Investors Bank for their
promotional support of the Bloomfield Federation of Music, and invite other
local businesses to support the BFM’s efforts to bring quality artistic and
educational programming to our community."
The BFM’s 75th Anniversary Gala is
taking place Sunday, May 2 at 7:00pm at Chandelier, 340 Franklin Ave.,
Belleville. World renowned viola player Brett Deubner will play with the
Symphony Orchestra Sunday, March 17, 3:00pm at Bloomfield Middle School.
Investors Bank, headquartered in
Short Hills, New Jersey, is a full-service community bank that
has been serving customers since
1926. In 2005, the bank created the Investors Foundation to support the
communities Investors Bank serves. Investors Foundation supports initiatives in
the arts, youth development, health and human services, education and
affordable housing.
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