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Future of Westminster Choir College discussed during meeting in Princeton

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Rider University may be formulating a plan to move Westminster Choir College from Princeton to its Lawrence Township campus, but “there is a long road between here and there.”

That was the message delivered by attorney Bruce Afran, who offered an update on the legal battle to keep Westminster Choir College in Princeton. He spoke at a special meeting Sept. 10 at the Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton.

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More than 100 people filled the assembly room at the church on Nassau Street, including a contingent of nearly a dozen Westminster Choir College students. The attendees ranged from faculty members to alumni to other supporters.

In the wake of its failed attempt to sell the Westminster Choir College to a Chinese entity in July, Rider University announced plans to relocate the music conservatory from Princeton to its Lawrence Township campus next year.

Meanwhile, Afran has filed a lawsuit in Mercer County Superior Court to block the move. He filed the lawsuit on behalf of the complainants – Rider University and Westminster Choir College faculty and the Westminster Foundation, which is a nonprofit group that is not affiliated with either Rider University or Westminster Choir College.

Rider University has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, but Afran told the attendees that he is confident that the judge will not grant the motion. And if the judge does grant the motion, Afran said he will appeal the decision.

Afran said he believes that Rider University eventually will realize that moving the choir college to its Lawrence Township campus is not feasible. The university has not announced plans to build new facilities for the choir college – and even if it did, it would be many years before buildings can be approved and constructed, he said.

Afran also advised attendees not to pay attention to rumors, which he said are designed to “weaken” one party’s resolve. One rumor is that the Town of Princeton may buy the campus, but the town does not appear to be interested, he said.

When he was asked whether Princeton University would be interested in buying the choir college and the campus, Afran said it is unlikely to happen because they have different missions.

Princeton University has a music department for students who want to study music and the liberal arts, but Westminster Choir College is a conservatory – a professional music school, he said.

It is possible, however, that a consortium of schools could be formed that would be interested in acquiring Westminster Choir College and its campus, Afran said.

While Rider University and Westminster Choir College have been at loggerheads, enrollment at the choir college has been declining year over year.

Some attendees expressed concern that Rider University’s decision to require prospective music students to audition at the Lawrence Township campus may discourage some high school students from applying.

But Jordan Klotz, who is a freshman at Westminster Choir College, told the attendees that he decided to enroll because students in the Westminster Symphonic Choir perform with the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

“That was one of the main draws for me,” Klotz said.

Klotz admitted he had some reservations while the proposed sale to the Chinese company was pending, but he felt a “communal obligation” to enroll at Westminster Choir College.

If no one enrolled, the conservatory would die, he said. High school students who are considering enrolling at Westminster Choir College should be encouraged to do so, he said.

There are people who care about Westminster Choir College and its future, and that’s why he was willing to take the risk to enroll, Klotz said.

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