ROBERT WICHLAN

    A soloist, teacher, accompanist and choral director, Robert Wichlan plays a vital role in the musical life of both Hoboken and Elizabeth, New Jersey.

    With both AA and Music Ed degrees from LaSalette College (Altamont, New York) and  Webster University (St. Louis, Missouri), Mr. Wichlan has been the Vocal Music Director at Elizabeth High School in Elizabeth, New Jersey, for twelve years, where he has taught piano, voice, chorus, music literature and theory. Over the past forty years he has maintained private teaching studios in New Jersey, New York and Missouri.  He has been concurrently active as not only a soloist, but also as a coach, accompanist and in ensemble concerts. Several of his students have gone on to major in piano performance, music therapy and voice. One of his high school student was the winner in the classical vocal section of the New Jersey 1991 Talent Expo and performed at the Garden State Arts Center before an audience of over 5000 persons. A video of the event can be viewed by clicking on this link - "Showcase Of Stars".  Mr. Wichlan is the accompanist.   In St. Louis, Missouri, Mr. Wichlan studied piano with Harold Zabrack, a renowned pianist and composer and has coached piano with the renowned pianist, Ana Maria Trenchi Bottazzi.

    Mr. Wichlan's 175 member Elizabeth High School Chorus has appeared on New Jersey Cable television in the "National Celebration of George Washington's Birthday" and in the first "Astronaut Commemorative Concert". A nine-year-old piano student of Mr. Wichlan was chosen one of four in the "Smart Set", a national recognition in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat for outstanding young people. Serving several years as music critic-at-large for the Hoboken Reporter, Mr. Wichlan has a published interview in the Piano Guild Notes, a national magazine. He has been active in the "Sound Tapestry of Hoboken" (a high caliber regional vocal organization) both as an accompanist and as a member of the board.

    In 1990, Mr. Wichlan was assistant Program Director of the "Moscow-New York Soviet-American Youth Festival of Music" and was represented by a student at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall in an annual "Germaine Pinault School of Music" concert.