The All Wayne String Orchestra invites the community to enjoy an afternoon of festive holiday and winter music on Thursday, December 11 at 4:30 PM at the Knippenberg Center for Education at Laurelwood Arboretum, 725 Pines Lake Drive West in Wayne. The program will also showcase the newly formed M.A.R.S. Trio, with the orchestra’s music director, Aron Topielski, performing works for strings alongside Ron Gardner and Mackenzie Miller.
Students in the orchestra come from all Wayne middle and high schools. They rehearse weekly to deepen their skills and fuel their passion for string music. These young musicians embrace the beauty of playing the violin, viola, cello, and double bass—demonstrating dedication, patience, and great imagination. “Finding common purpose in making music together, Wayne students aspire to higher goals. Through performance, we strive to develop character and an understanding of people and culture,” Topielski said. “We greatly value this opportunity to let music be the instrument for creating, sharing, and engaging our community.”
Topielski is director of instrumental music at Packanack and JFK elementary schools and leads the After-School Strings Program in Wayne. A lifelong champion of string music, he is equally at home in classical, jazz, rock, and dance genres. Before moving into education, he pursued a PhD in music theory at the University of Chicago.
The M.A.R.S. Trio grew out of informal sessions between Topielski, Gardner, and Miller, where collaborative energy quickly sparked a shared vision: to spread their enthusiasm for strings through community outreach and to help mentor the next generation of musicians.
Gardner serves as director of band and chorus at Ryerson and JFK schools in Wayne and is a cello/bass instructor with the Wharton Arts Paterson Music Project. Miller, a violist and oboist, directs the Symphonic Band, String Orchestra, and Percussion Ensemble at Hunterdon Central Regional High School in New Jersey.
This free concert is sponsored by Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum, the nonprofit volunteer organization that helps manage the 30-acre arboretum in partnership with Wayne Township. The organization’s mission is to preserve Laurelwood Arboretum as an oasis for the enjoyment of nature and to provide opportunities for environmental awareness through educational programs, community involvement and outreach activities. Membership and donations support the park’s maintenance, operations and public programs. For additional information, go to www.laurelwoodarboretum.org
