New Jersey Symphony Hosts Evening with Brahms and Chopin

New Jersey Symphony will present three performances of Brahms and Chopin with Christoph König conducting. The performances will take place Thursday, February 20, 2025, at 1:30 pm, at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark; Saturday, February 22, 2025, at 8 pm, at Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank; and Sunday, February 23, 2025, at 3 pm, at State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick.

The program opens with Can You See? by New Jersey Symphony’s new Resident Artistic Partner Allison Loggins-Hull. In 2021, Loggins-Hull was commissioned to write the piece for the New Jersey Symphony Chamber Players. This weekend’s performances mark the East Coast premiere of Hull’s expanded version for full orchestra.

The program continues with Frédéric Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1, a favorite around the world. Tony Siqi Yun, the 23-year-old Canadian-born pianist who was Gold Medalist at the First China International Music Competition (2019) and recipient of the Rheingau Music Festival’s 2023 Lotto-Förderpreis, is set to appear in this part of the program as soloist. Yun made his debut with the Symphony last year at the 2024 Lunar New Year Celebration Concert. The second half of the program features Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 1. Following its premiere in 1876, Brahms’ First quickly garnered the nickname “Beethoven's Tenth,” particularly for the fourth movement’s simple hymn-like melody that reminded some listeners of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” To this day, it remains beloved by concertgoers for its emotional power.

A Classical Conversation will take place on Sunday, February 23, at 2 pm at State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick before the performance. Concertgoers will be able to learn more about the music from Symphony musicians, guest artists, and other engaging insiders.

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