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Dr Marvin von Deck

Music Director Emeritus

     The North Jersey Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1961 as the Tenafly Community Orchestra under the auspices of the Tenafly Public Schools’ Adult Education Program, acquired its present name in 1980 to reflect the greater geographical range of both its musicians and audience. In 2001 the Orchestra was invited to become part of the Fair Lawn Community School program. Though supported in part by the Community School, it operates as an independent 501(c)(3) organization.

     The goal of the orchestra has always been to offer a performance and educational opportunity for its non-professional and professional members and to offer convenient, reasonably priced and enjoyable high quality performances to the community-at-large. It also provides aspiring young artists with solo performance opportunities, giving them a “leg up” as they pursue a professional career. For example, violinist Rachel Lee, a graduate of a joint program at Harvard University and The New England Conservatory of Music, performed with us at age 9 while a student at the Juilliard School Pre-College Division.  Kathryn Salfelder, composer and conductor and a graduate of the New England Conservatory and Yale University, performed with us when she was a student at Fair Lawn High School. She was the recipient of the 2012 ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award. 

     The Symphony has a very rewarding relationship with the Calderone School of Music in East Hanover, NJ. Both student and faculty musicians from the school have performed with us.
​     With the conclusion of the orchestra's 2023-2024 season Dr. von Deck retired as the orchestra's music director and principal conductor.  

​    Throughout its 2024-2025 season the NJSO will feature guest conductors as it continues its search for a new music director and principal conductor.