Victoria Csatay Wins the Governor's Award

Victoria Csatay of River Vale, a junior at Pascack Valley High School, to receive the 2021 Governor's Award

Victoria Csatay was selected to be the 2021 winner of the Governor's Award for the Arts in Music Education by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC).

The New Jersey Governor’s Awards in Arts Education, the state’s most prestigious celebration of excellence and achievement in the arts.

Qualified applicants from across the state apply for the award and only a select handful of individuals are chosen to receive the award.

Mark Gross said, “I have had the privilege to teach witness the continual musical growth of Victoria Csatay for the last 3 years. Victoria exemplifies the tenacity and discipline of a future star. Being the granddaughter of Jazz royalty, Eddie Bert jazz trombonist, excellence is in her blood. This Governor’s Award is well earned and just the beginning of a bright young star.”

- Mark Gross Director of Jazz Education, NJPAC

Our 2021 winners represent passion and resilience through the many challenges that the past two years have posed.

Victoria Csatay, a student at Pascack Valley High School and a winner of the Exceptional Promise in Music Award from New Jersey Performing Arts Center explains,

“I know this year has been very tough, but I have to say it was probably my favorite year. [...] I was a part of the NJPAC Jazz for Teens program this year. We had great instruction, we had fabulous classes, we had guest speakers who would not have been able to come if it had been far away, I was able to meet students from all over the world instead of just students from here in NJ. [...] Music this year was very, very important to me because there was so much tension...music was an outlet to get through those tough times, speak on what had to be spoken on, and relax.”

Victoria offers advice for future awards recipients and generations of young artists advising them to, “use music as an outlet, use it to speak your truth, and don’t be lazy. If you want to get something done, get it done.”

Csatay will receive this award in a virtual ceremony on May 22, 2021 at 5pm with the Red carpet at 3 pm. The ceremony will celebrate the winners: 98 students and 17 adult leaders who have demonstrated excellence in and dedication to arts education.

The virtual awards will be hosted by Louis Mofsie, director of the globally recognized Thunderbird American Indian Dancers. It will feature special alumni guest speakers, a visual arts exhibit and performances from past and present winners that demonstrate how artists in all disciplines have persevered through the throughout the pandemic.

Director of the Governor’s Awards program Priscilla Hopkins-Smith reflects on this year’s virtual celebration:
“Forty-one years ago, we set out on a mission to publicly recognize a select group of students and
adult leaders for their achievements in arts education. The goal was to increase public awareness of the... highlevel of excellence in arts education in New Jersey and the state organizations that support and recognize high-quality arts education. Through this pandemic, the arts have created a sense of community and inspiration as we deal with not only a health crisis, but a continued social justice crisis. Our students have reminded us time and time again that through the arts we can heal, transform and envision a new, just world. We are so elated to once again virtually honor these students and leaders for their vision...

...passion, and resilience.

For a full list of nominees and details about the upcoming virtual event please visit www.njgaae.org and follow on twitter @NJGAAE and Instagram @NJGovAwardsArtsEd.

This year’s awards are sponsored by the Grunin Foundation. This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a founding agency of Arts Ed NJ.
The Governor’s Awards event is a partnership of the Arts Ed NJ, the Department of Education, Art Pride New Jersey Foundation, the Department of State and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Ad- ditional support is provided by: Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics; Art Educators of New Jersey; Art Administrators of New Jersey; Dance New Jersey; New Jersey Council of Teachers of English; New Jersey Speech and Debate League; New Jersey Music Educators Association; New Jersey Performing Arts Center; Speech and Theatre Association of New Jersey, and New Jersey Thespians.