MONTCLAIR, NJ — The Montclair Orchestra will henceforth be known as the APEX Ensemble. Founded five years ago to provide an unprecedented learning environment for top music conservatory students through training and performance alongside professional mentors from some of the world’s leading orchestras, the ensemble has won accolades for its “pinpoint coordination, mature musical insight and irresistible esprit that would be the envy of many a big-city symphony,” a la the New York Classical Review. Accompanied by a new logo and visual identity, the organization’s change of name reflects its growing scope and aspirations, which now transcend its geographic roots. The APEX Ensemble is scheduled to give its next concert on Nov. 5, marking its first appearance under the new name.
“While we remain committed to the Montclair community and the audiences that have faithfully supported us from the beginning, we have grown to a point where a single geographic location is no longer sufficient to fully convey our goals and aspirations as an organization,” Music Director David Chan, who also serves as concertmaster of New York’s Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, said. “Rebranding ourselves as the APEX Ensemble opens up the true possibilities of our mission, which aims for the pinnacle of artistic achievement through mentoring gifted musicians of the next generation.”
“APEX Ensemble represents everything that our organization aspires to be: the highest level of opportunity for the next generation of orchestral musicians,” founder and President Andre Weker said. “This new identity also sets the framework for new, forward-thinking programs, starting with youth programs in the coming year that will broaden the pipeline for diverse young musicians developing a lifelong passion for music.”
For more information, visit https://www.apexensemble.org/.