Critically acclaimed audience favorite Bishop of Jazz, Rio Clemente, will appear at the Watchung Arts Center on Sunday, May 7th at 3PM . A native of Morristown, NJ, Clemente is New Jersey’s own jewel of the jazz world. He is a member of the Morristown Hall of Fame, has been named Outstanding Professional Artist of the Year by the Arts Council of the Morris Area, New Jersey Monthly Magazine has named him among its “Top 40 New Jersians” and the New Jersey Jazz Society has named him Musician of the Year. Anyone who has listened to Rio Clemente play piano, comes away in awe. This master pianist mixes a strong classical background with a rich knowledge of jazz history, then adds an amazing sense of creativity and interpretation intertwined with classical themes. The result is music that is different from others, and nearly always produces a standing ovation and cries for “more.” When reviewers stumble for words to describe his work, it’s because words fail to convey the rich depth of character, nimble facility of play and ease with which his music is crafted and performed. Rio’s career began with a BMI scholarship for musical theatre and subsequent studies at

Praised for their “stirring performances of rare repertory” (Fanfare Magazine), Shelest Piano Duo is a husband and wife team of Anna and Dmitri Shelest that takes their roots to the music school in Ukraine. At their official Carnegie Hall debut in February 2018, their CD Release of Ukrainian Rhapsody brought the renewed attention to the music of their homeland. Since then, the CD has been featured as the Album of the Week on a number of radio stations nationwide (KUSC Los Angeles, WCRB Boston, etc.) Having been classmates since middle school, the Duo began performing together after their marriage in the US. Their inventive programs brought them to a broad array of venues from concert stages to state functions, and, in words of Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon “realized diplomacy through music.”