Wendy Webster Ardizzone
About Wendy
Wendy Webster Ardizzone earned her Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance in 1965 from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she studied piano with Jack Radunsky and Emil Danenburg, viola with William Berman, chamber music with Jack Fraser, and Dalcroze Eurhythmics with Inda Howland. Collaborative piano wasn’t offered for credit at that time, but Wendy was able to gain extensive experience at Oberlin, serving as accompanist for many professors, including Peter Howard (cello), Robert Willoughby (flute), Stuart Canin (violin), George Waln (clarinet) and Jacques Possell, (double bass). She still draws on the fantastic coaching she received preparing for Student and Senior Recital performances.
Wendy’s interest in teaching young children led her to do graduate work in Early Childhood Education at Tufts University, where she studied music for preschoolers with Beatrice Spaulding from 1966-1967. During the years her three children were young she was a home day care provider. After moving to Worcester in 1977, she resumed piano and chamber music studies privately with Victor Rosenbaum and her study of Eurhythmics at the Longy School of Music with Lisa Parker and Anne Farber. She taught on the Piano faculty of thePerforming Arts School of Worcester from 1978 to 1985 and served as Summer Director, Student and Faculty Recital Coordinator, and Interim Music Director.
Professionally, Wendy has collaborated in performances with many musicians, including Leone Buyse, flute; Michael Webster, clarinet; Arturo Delmoni, violin; Kevin McGinty, piano; Beth Pearson, cello and the late George Seaman, cello. In 1989, she made the decision to devote her focus and energy to Joy of Music, which was growing by leaps and bounds, instead of accepting offers to become a full-time accompanist that would have included concertizing and traveling.
Wendy founded the Joy of Music Program in 1986. As the school grew, she gradually passed her music & movement, recorder, and piano teaching on to other JOMP teachers. By 2020 she had also passed along her administrative tasks except for grant writing and donor relations, which remained her full time focus until this year. Wendy has loved collaborating with faculty members and students at JOMP. During her 36 years as JOMP’s Director, they kept her in touch with the joy of music and inspired her grant writing and other administrative activities!
Wendy was the 2002 recipient of the YWCA of Central Massachusetts’ Katharine Erskine Award in the Arts and Humanities. She is a Corporator for Music Worcester and the YWCA of Central Mass. The school was honored by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette as the 2005 recipient of their Visions Award for Cultural Enrichment.