NJSO And DreamPlay Films Present TRANSCEND: An NJSO Concert Film

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and DreamPlay Films present TRANSCEND: An NJSO Concert Film-a two-part film born of the challenges of the pandemic and inspired by the people braving it.

TRANSCEND marries the first two NJSO concert films conducted by Music Director Xian Zhang for a director's cut that features all-new footage, sound design and more, presented in 4K Ultra HD. The film is directed by award-winning, Newark-raised filmmaker Yuri Alves and produced by DreamPlay Films, part of Newark-based DreamPlay Media.

TRANSCEND premieres on March 24 at 7:30 pm at www.njsymphony.org/transcend and on the NJSO's YouTube and Facebook channels.

Director Yuri Alves says: "I hope this marriage of music and film empowers us to hear, see and feel beauty beyond the shared pain of the pandemic. It is a call for reflection and for appreciation of what we value most. TRANSCEND aims to honor the music, the musicians and the people of New Jersey, while stirring the collective soul in the audience."

The film features Zhang and the NJSO performing works by Daniel Bernard Roumain, Mahler, Mozart, Michael Abels, Still, Puccini, Coleridge-Taylor and Dvořák, recorded on stage at NJPAC in Newark during October in performances first released in NJSO concert films in November and January.

Alves and the DreamPlay Films team captured the performances live with a highly immersive and uniquely intimate camera approach, while filming on ultra-high-definition RED cinema cameras. Longtime NJSO audio engineer and multiple Grammy Award winner Tim Martyn recorded and mixed the concert audio.

The additional footage for TRANSCEND was captured entirely in the Newark/New York City metro area during the winter months of 2020 and 2021. The images reflect a world reeling from disruption while bearing witness to the everyday cycles and momentum in nature and urban society.

This film, which will be available on demand after the premiere, is part of NJSO Virtual 20-21, the Orchestra's digital season. For more information, visit njsymphony.org/virtual.

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