Our Mission
Since the founding of The Encore Orchestra of New Jersey, our goal has been to provide audiences with quality performances of a varied repertoire of musical genres at venues throughout the state. Our musicians' training and experience range from newly established professionals from some of the best universities and conservatories in the country to veteran instrumentalists with international, Broadway, opera and symphonic credits.
Our History
Through tragedy comes greatness. When our founder, Vincent Novellino, suffered the loss of his beloved aunt, he immediately felt a need to honor her memory and knew that the best way for him to do this was through his gift of music. He enlisted the help of dear friend and co-founder, Ilene Greenbaum, and together they organized the Judith Novellino Memorial Concert in January 2011.
Vincent's Aunt Judith spent many years as a beloved member of the faculty at Morris Catholic High School. To honor her name in the most appropriate way possible, the orchestra's first performance was dedicated to the celebration of her life. The proceeds from this performance were donated to the Judith Novellino Memorial Fund at Morris Catholic High School. This ongoing fund is created to provide aid for the continued education of students in need.
In September of that year, the orchestra performed their second benefit concert in honor of the 10th anniversary of 9/11. All proceeds from this performance were donated to the New York based Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Well over 100 professional performing artists donated their time and talent to make the two concerts a reality. The reaction from the musicians involved in both concerts prompted the founding of The Encore Orchestra of New Jersey in 2012.
The orchestra is committed to honoring the legacy of its initial mission by performing at least one benefit concert a year.
Our Founders
Ilene Greenbaum, Co-founder/music director
Ilene Greenbaum is a recognized music director and conductor in the New Jersey orchestral and musical theater world, and jas been working in the industry for close to 40 years. Her work has earned multiple nominations and awards from the New Jersey Association of Community Theatres (NJACT), where she was twice awarded NJACT's Perry Award for Outstanding Music Direction and was the first inductee into the Association's "Hall of Fame" for her longstanding and illustrious career as a music director.
Greenbaum was the founder and resident music director of the JCC Metrowest Musical Theatre Company throughout its existence, and her career has included work with numerous other theatre companies. She served as resident music director for the New Jersey Youth Theatre and their collaborative productions with the New Jersey Performing Arts Center at NJPAC and other touring venues in New Jersey and New York for 13 years. She is a founder and the Executive Director of the acclaimed New Jersey theatre company, Pleasant Valley Productions, where she has music directed all of their productions since their inception in 2012.
For the past 12 years, she has served as conductor of The Garden State Ballet Company's annual production of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, which has become an Encore Orchestra yearly performance.
In 2010, Greenbaum co-founded The Encore Orchestra of New Jersey along with her colleague and Concertmaster, Vincent Novellino. She conducted two major benefit concerts with current Encore musicians prior to the orchestra's official inception, and has conducted all of their performances since.
Board of Trustees
Vincent Novellino, President & Treasurer
Ilene Greenbaum, Vice-President
Amy Ingram, Secretary
Matthew Alpaugh
Willy Falk
Louis Kosma
Gerald Novellino