WEST ORANGE, NJ - The annual Music Faculty Concert held at Liberty Middle School on Feb. 5 not only celebrated the talents of the West Orange music staff, but its founder, retiring Fine Arts Supervisor Lou Quagliato.

Quagliato is retiring after a storied 24-year career. He began the Music Faculty concert to give the community the opportunity to enjoy the skills of the immensely talented music teachers and staff in West Orange.

Chorus teacher John Hellyer emceed the evening, which featured musical songs and instrumental performances in a wide array of genres from pop to jazz to classical.  A highlight of the evening was Liberty Middle School Band teacher Ryan Krewer's original composition, "Q." The appreciative crowd gave Quagliato and the Faculty Jazz Band a standing ovation as Quagliato was presented with flowers. As his wife and grandchildren came forward to retrieve them, a glimpse of Quagliato's reasons for retirement became clearer.

In addition to retired faculty performing during the concert, several retired principals, teachers, board members, and long-time retired superintendent Jerry Tarnoff, who hired Quagliato, were in attendance. Donations were accepted at the door for scholarships to be awarded to graduating seniors pursuing music degrees.

"I remember all the jobs I applied to to be  an administrator, and I wasn't getting any of these jobs," said Quagliato, "and this fantastic job came up in West Orange, and it's been an incredible journey for the last 24 years."

SEE THE PROGRAM, AND THE LIST OF PERFORMERS HERE.

SEE ALL THE PHOTOS FROM THE FACULTY CONCERT HERE.

SEE CLIPS OF THE PERFORMANCES BELOW. (A full-length performance video will be posted at a later date.)

Music faculty

Lou Quagliato and the Faculty Jazz Band

Emcee John Hellyer presents flowers to Lou Quagliato