The New Jersey Symphony Presents STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK IN CONCERT

The New Jersey Symphony will present the Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert featuring screenings of the complete film with Oscar-winning composer John Williams' musical score performed live to the film. The concert will be led by acclaimed conductor Constantine Kitsopoulos.

Since the release of the first Star Wars movie over 40 years ago, the Star Wars saga has had a seismic impact on both cinema and culture, inspiring audiences around the world with its mythic storytelling, captivating characters, groundbreaking special effects and iconic musical scores composed by Williams.

Fans will be able to experience the scope and grandeur of this beloved film in a live symphonic concert experience when the Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back debuts on May 18-21.

Legendary composer Williams is well known for scoring all eight of the Star Wars saga films to date, beginning with 1977's Star Wars: A New Hope for which he earned an Academy Award for Best Original Score. His scores for The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi were each nominated for Best Original Score.

Williams has won five Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, seven British Academy Film Awards, five Emmy Awards and 23 Grammy Awards. With 51 Academy Award nominations, Williams is the Academy's most nominated living person and the second most-nominated individual in history, after Walt Disney. In 2005, the American Film Institute selected Williams' score to 1977's Star Wars: A New Hope as the greatest American film score of all time. The soundtrack to A New Hope also was preserved by the Library of Congress in the National Recording Registry, for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Williams was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl's Hall of Fame in 2000, and he received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004, the National Medal of Arts in 2009, and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2016. Williams has composed the scores for eight of the top 20 highest-grossing films at the U.S. box office (adjusted for inflation).

STAR WARS: EMPIRE STRIKES BACK IN CONCERT

Thursday, May 18, 7:30 pm | May Performing Arts Center in Morristown

Friday, May 19, 8 pm | Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank

Saturday, May 20, 8 pm | New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark

Sunday, May 21, 3 pm | State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick

Constantine Kitsopoulos conductor

New Jersey Symphony

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is produced under license by Disney Concerts in association with 20th Century Fox and Warner/Chappell Music.

STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. © & TM

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