(Courtesy of Kaplen JCC on the Palisades) On Sunday, February 9, 4-6 p.m., the Thurnauer School of Music will celebrate 30 years of presenting its annual Gift of Music Gala Benefit Concert. This year’s concert will feature Sharon Isbin, multi-Grammy Award-winning guitarist, who will be joined by various Thurnauer student ensembles. The concert will honor Bernie Koster and James C. Ackerman with the Gift of Music Visionary Award and Dianne Flagello with the Distinguished Music Educator Award. The gala will be held at the Bergen County Academies Auditorium, 200 Hackensack Avenue, Hackensack.

The goal of the concert each year is to celebrate the school’s remarkable achievements, while raising critical scholarship funds for children in the community who wish to study music, but whose families lack the financial resources. Thurnauer prides itself on bringing a world-class conservatory education to the community at large and recognizes how a specialized education of this kind can inspire and shape lives.

“I believe that every child should have the opportunity to make music,” said Dorothy Kaplan Roffman, founding director of the JCC Thurnauer School of Music. “We are incredibly grateful to the artists, donors and volunteers who help us to raise the critically important funds that allow us to offer scholarships.”

For more information on the concert or to learn about sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jccotp.org/gom, contact Nina Bachrach at [email protected] or call 201-408-1406. Cost is $25 students (under 18); $50 adults; $90 premiere seating; and $250 VIP, which includes premiere seating and post-concert meet-the-artists reception.