NJSO & PSEG Foundation to Bring Chamber Concerts to Elizabeth

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra chamber ensembles are giving performances throughout the City of Elizabeth in a community concert series sponsored by the PSEG Foundation.

Public concerts include Peter and the Wolf at Community Access Unlimited on Thursday, May 11, and a "Hispanic Roots" concert as part of the Snyder Academy of Elizabethtown's Cuban Voices event on Wednesday, June 7.

The series, made possible through a multiyear partnership between the NJSO and PSEG Foundation to celebrate diversity within communities and provide unique cultural experiences, also includes private concerts at senior citizen centers.

"It is with great pleasure that I welcome the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra to the City of Elizabeth for this series of cultural concerts," says Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage. "I would like to thank the PSEG Foundation, as well as the NJSO, for choosing Elizabeth as one of its locations. I know that our seniors and local organizations will enjoy these incredible music performances, all while learning more about the musical styles of the different cultures that surround them every day."

The Peter and the Wolf concert on May 11 at 6 pm at Community Access Unlimited features a woodwind quintet performing the classic Prokofiev tale that has introduced generations of children to the world of classical music. The quintet will be preceded by a performance by the CAU Rocks Band, a collaboration between CAU's Academy of Continuing Education, which provides continuing education opportunities for adults with disabilities, and the Kean University music department. The band comprises both CAU members and Kean University music majors, who serve as mentors to the CAU members.

Community Access Unlimited is a statewide nonprofit providing support programs and services to adults with disabilities, as well as youth served under the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to enable them to live independently in the community. For more information, visit www.caunj.org.

A string quartet performs the music of some of Latin America's most distinguished composers on June 7 at 7 pm at The Snyder Academy of Elizabethtown as part of the launch event for Cuban Voices, an oral history project that will record, preserve and disseminate the stories of the '59ers, the Cuban immigrants who came to Elizabeth in the aftermath of the Cuban Revolution. The event also includes the presentation of an oral history recording; remarks by Clara Fernandez, Maria Elena Bordas and Melinda Allen-Grote; and Cuban treats. To register to attend the free event, RSVP to Elliot Dee at Elliot@acadenj.org.

The mission of The Snyder Academy is to serve the people of Elizabeth and New Jersey as a vibrant center for culture, education, history, and economic and social advancement. With partnerships established with local artists, a theater-in-residence, various performing arts organizations and many local nonprofits and businesses, the Snyder Academy has emerged as a dynamic center of the community, building on its 350-year history as a community common ground. For more information, visit www.acadenj.org.

String quartets perform for senior citizens in the Elizabeth community in two upcoming private concerts: "Broadway Bound," a program featuring hits from classic and modern musicals, at Stephen Sampson Senior Center on Monday, May 15, at 12 pm and "Una Festa Musicale Italiana," a musical tour of Italy, at Peterstown Community Center on Thursday, May 18, at 12:30 pm. These programs follow a "Hispanic Roots" performance at O'Donnell Dempsey Senior Citizen Center in February.

"These concerts are coming back by popular demand," says Alonzo Jones, program coordinator for the City of Elizabeth's Office on Aging. "First and foremost, they're entertaining, and it's a joy to see the smiles on the faces of the seniors."

"The NJSO enriches the lives of the people of New Jersey through musical excellence," NJSO President & CEO Gabriel van Aalst says. "The PSEG Foundation shares our commitment to serving people of all ages and demographics, and we are proud to partner to offer this diverse concert series in the City of Elizabeth."

"We are proud to partner with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra to bring classical music to Elizabeth. These chamber concerts connect families with unique cultural experiences," says PSEG Foundation President Ellen Lambert.

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra embodies that vitality through its statewide presence and critically acclaimed performances, education partnerships and unparalleled access to music and the Orchestra's superb musicians.

The NJSO welcomes new Music Director Xian Zhang in the 2016-17 season. The Orchestra presents classical, pops and family programs, as well as outdoor summer concerts and special events. Embracing its legacy as a statewide orchestra, the NJSO is the resident orchestra of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark and regularly performs at the State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick, Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, Richardson Auditorium in Princeton, Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown and bergenPAC in Englewood. Partnerships with New Jersey arts organizations, universities and civic organizations remain a key element of the Orchestra's statewide identity.

In addition to its lauded artistic programming, the NJSO presents a suite of education and community engagement programs that promote meaningful, lifelong engagement with live music. Programs include school-time Concerts for Young People performances, NJSO Youth Orchestras family of student ensembles and El Sistema-inspired NJSO CHAMPS (Character, Achievement and Music Project). NJSO musicians annually perform original chamber music programs at nearly 200 community events in a variety of settings through the NJSO's REACH (Resources for Education and Community Harmony) program. The Orchestra's ECE programs annually serve more than 60,000 New Jerseyans in nearly 21 counties.

For more information about the NJSO, visit www.njsymphony.org or email information@njsymphony.org. Tickets are available for purchase by phone at 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476) or on the Orchestra's website.

The PSEG Foundation (501c3) is the philanthropic arm of Public Service Enterprise Group (NYSE:PEG). The Foundation generally supports and invests in programs in three areas: community and the environment, education and safety. The Foundation provides grants to organizations in communities served by PSEG and its subsidiaries. PSEG (NYSE: PEG) is a diversified energy company based in Newark, NJ. PSEG has three main subsidiaries: PSE&G, NJ's largest and oldest combined gas and electric delivery company, PSEG Power, a merchant power generation company, and PSEG Long Island, operator of the Long Island Power Authority's transmission and distribution system.

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