Awards Night Celebrates John Ernesto, Community Leaders

Berks Arts will hold its annual Awards Night on the eve of 33rd annual Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest, Thursday, April 4th in the DoubleTree by Hilton Grand Ballroom.

Doors open at 6 p.m. with a special performance by the Chuck Loeb Memorial Scholarship recipients, the So What Trio. The awards ceremony will begin at 7 p.m., followed by a Gerald Veasley & Friends Jam.

In addition to the presentation of the Frank Scott Award, the Pagoda Awards, the John Ernesto Volunteer of the Year Awards, and The Art of Jazz Awards, this evening’s celebration will honor the long and impactful career of festival artistic director John Ernesto as he retires at the conclusion of the 2024 Berks Jazz Fest.

Ernesto’s leadership of the festival began in 1992 and has resulted in its expansion from three days to 10 days. Under his direction, Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest has put Berks County on the map, as its reputation for excellence has drawn visitors from all over the country and even from abroad.

Through the years, Ernesto has curated the festival to include many subgenres of jazz, including blues, Latin, contemporary, big band, straight-ahead and more, as well as jazz-related genres like gospel and rockabilly. His close relationships with jazz musicians have resulted in a core community of performers who return again and again, and he has always looked for new, younger artists on their way up. He will be missed by the entire jazz community, but he has more than earned his retirement with the hours he has devoted to this labor of love.

“The name John Ernesto has been synonymous with Berks Jazz Fest for many, many years. John’s impact on the festival, the organization, and our entire arts community is incalculable. As we near the end of a strategic, multi-year transition plan, it is a credit to John and his legacy that the Berks Jazz Fest, Reading Blues Fest and many other programs and initiatives here at Berks Arts are in a position to not only survive, but to thrive for generations to come. It is impossible to convey the depth of our gratitude to John, but we will give it our best!”

-Justin Heimbecker, Berks Arts Executive Director

The Frank Scott Award, which honors notable Berks County musicians, will be presented to Dr. Willis Rapp, for his contributions to music education and his leadership of the Reading Pops Orchestra (often featured in Jazz Fest concerts) and other ensembles. Dr. Rapp has served on the faculty of Millersville University, Southeastern Louisiana University, Iowa State University, and Kutztown University, where he retired in 2013 with the distinction of Professor Emeritus. Since 2000, Dr. Rapp has served as conductor of the Reading Pops Orchestra and has guest conducted, performed as a recitalist, and appeared as a clinician in 28 states and three provinces in Canada.

In 2007 Dr. Rapp was the recipient of the Kutztown University Faculty Research Award, and in 2009 he was honored with the Arthur and Isabel Wiesenberger Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching. He co-founded the Wells-Rapp Center for Mallet Percussion Research, which opened on the KU campus in 2023.

The Pagoda Awards honor local individuals and organizations who have had an exceptional impact on the arts in our community. Two will be given this year: to the Rev. Dr. Harry Serio, for community leadership and commitment, and to Joel Richard Gori, for excellence in the arts.

Serio, a retired UCC minister, educator, Biblical archaeologist, and author, has also been very active in supporting the arts. He has served on the boards of directors of the Berks Arts Council, Lehigh Valley Arts Council, and the New Arts Program. He was president of the Berks Arts Council from 1993 to 1995, and a member of the Berks Jazz Fest since its beginning, serving as Festival Chairman from 1993 to 2000, and he helped create the annual Pagoda Award.

Gori is the artistic director of the Metamorphosis Performing Company, which creates and tours interactive, issue-oriented programs. He has been a rostered movement-theater artist with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts for over 30 years. He founded the Reading Theater Project in 2003 and is a member of their creative team. He is a theater teaching artist at Yocum Institute for Arts Education, where he also directs plays and performs. He has spent his career providing opportunities for artists to collaborate and create new work, and has directed operas for Berks Opera Company, including an exceptional performance of Gounod’s “Faust.”

A limited number of tickets for what will surely be a memorable evening are available for $99; all ticket proceeds from this event will go toward the creation of the John Ernesto getJazzed Education Fund, to be managed by Reading Musical Foundation.

To purchase tickets to Berks Arts Awards Night, please click here.

To make a donation to the John Ernesto getJazzed Education Fund, please click here.