The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Xian Zhang announce the Orchestra's classical, pops and family programs for the 2017-18 season, Zhang's second as the Orchestra's critically acclaimed artistic leader. The NJSO brings a diverse range of compelling programs to six venues across the Garden State, with highlights including classical masterworks, a Winter Festival celebrating foreign artists and composers who found creative inspiration on America's welcoming shores, film-with-orchestra presentations of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and music- and comedy-filled performances with Tony Award-winning star Jason Alexander.
Fulfilling its mission as a statewide orchestra, the NJSO performs subscription concerts in Newark, New Brunswick, Princeton, Morristown, Red Bank and Englewood, with 14 weeks of subscription classical programs, five pops weekends and two family programs, as well as special concerts.
Zhang's programming for her second season as NJSO Music Director seeks to deepen her connection with the Orchestra-a relationship press have praised since the conductor's first appearance on New Jersey stages. The artistic leader expands upon her vision for the Orchestra by incorporating a diverse range of voices, from Bach's complete Brandenburg Concertos to works by contemporary Chinese and Finnish composers. She continues to shape the NJSO's sonic identity through core repertoire, with multiple works by Beethoven and Russian masters.
Underscoring her belief in bringing new works to NJSO audiences, Zhang conducts not only a world premiere by American composer Richard Danielpour, but also standard works of the canon from Respighi and Prokofiev that the Orchestra has not previously performed.
2018 WINTER FESTIVAL: AMERICA, INSPIRING
The "America, Inspiring" Winter Festival-the season's incarnation of the Orchestra's signature artistic event-celebrates foreign artists and composers whose experiences connect them to the nation's legacy as a source of inspiration and beacon of ideals for people from all over the world.
Zhang's own experiences in the United States, first as a conducting student and now as a dual Chinese-American citizen, inspired the Festival. She says: "We will be celebrating composers who came to America and found their musical voices flourishing, just like I did when I came to study music in the United States. I look forward to conducting a piece from the very first program I performed with the NJSO in January 2010-Respighi's Pines of Rome."
Three weeks of January programs highlight the myriad ways America has inspired not only those who call it home but also those who have visited its welcoming shores. The influence of American jazz runs through Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major and Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances; Czech composer Martin? pays homage his adopted home in Thunderbolt P-47, heard in its NJSO premiere. The Festival closes with Dvo?ák's "New World" Symphony-an embodiment of America's embrace of creativity.
Leveraging the power of art to transcend differences, a series of NJSO Accents and special Winter Festival events explore, through multiple art forms, the immigrant experience and how foreign artists have illustrated American inspiration in their work.
The Festival's first program features a pair of NJSO premieres: Zhang conducts Respighi's Fountains of Rome and Chinese-American composer Chen Yi's Ge Xu.
WORLD PREMIERE, WORKS NEW TO THE NJSO, COMPELLING VOICES
Fountains of Rome and Ge Xu are just two of the works the NJSO performs for the first time. In March, the Orchestra presents the world premiere of Richard Danielpour's Carnival of the Ancients for Piano and Orchestra, featuring pianist Sara Daneshpour. The performances mark the sixth Danielpour work the NJSO has premiered since 1993. The season features other works that will be new to NJSO audiences: Kernis' Musica celestis, Martin?'s Thunderbolt P-47, Fagerlund's Isola and Prokofiev's Sixth Symphony.
Exploring diverse musical voices, Zhang has crafted programs that demonstrate a strong affinity between artists and music. Lahti Symphony Orchestra Principal Conductor and Sibelius Festival Artistic Director Dima Slobodeniouk has recorded Finnish composer Fagerlund's Isola; the conductor leads the work's NJSO premiere, along with Sibelius' Fifth Symphony. British conductor and Baroque specialist Nicholas McGegan leads Suite No. 2 in D Major from Handel's Water Music.
NJSO Concertmaster Eric Wyrick explores performance practices from Baroque to contemporary as he leads his NJSO colleagues in Bach's complete Brandenburg Concertos. In a program of unusual textures, the Montclair State University Singers perform two intimate a cappella works paired with Mozart's epic Requiem.
INSPIRED PRESENTATIONS OF CORE REPERTOIRE
Zhang and the NJSO open the season with a pair of masterpieces. Celebrated pianist and MacArthur "Genius" Fellow Jeremy Denk joins the Orchestra for Beethoven's "Emperor" Piano Concerto. Zhang pairs Beethoven's iconic concerto and Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus with Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique, recognizing the latter composer's admiration for the former.
In a blockbuster season finale, Zhang conducts Mahler's monumental First Symphony (the Music Director's first NJSO performances of the composer's work) and welcomes lauded violinist Gil Shaham back to New Jersey stages for Brahms' Violin Concerto. In celebration of the role of Bernstein in bringing Mahler's music to mass audiences-and of the 100th anniversary of the American composer's birth-Zhang opens the program with the Overture to Candide.
Zhang conducts 10 programs in the 2017-18 season, including the Orchestra's annual performances of Handel's Messiah. The conductor has electrified in her first season as NJSO Music Director, bringing "not just skill but also heart" (The Star-Ledger) to her performances. The New York Times praises Zhang for both her skills at the podium and her chemistry with the Orchestra: "[Zhang] showed complete command of these scores and a deep feeling for them ... [The performance] spoke to meticulous preparation by Ms. Zhang, but also to a certain freedom and risk-taking on the part of the players that suggested an enthusiastic and confident response to her direction."
Other highlights include Beethoven's Fifth and Sixth ("Pastoral") Symphonies and First Piano Concertos; Mozart's Requiem; Brahms' First Symphony; Bach's complete Brandenburg Concertos; Prokofiev's Third Piano Concerto; Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and Vocalise and Mendelssohn's "Reformation" Symphony.
GUEST ARTISTS
The NJSO welcomes an international roster of guest artists in the 2017-18 season, including violinists Gil Shaham, Chloë Hanslip and Ning Feng and pianists Jeremy Denk, Stephen Hough, Robert Levin, Conrad Tao, George Li, Sara Daneshpour and Montclair native Terrence Wilson. Guest conductors include Nicholas McGegan, Dima Slobodeniouk, Andrew Constantine and Rune Bergmann.
The Orchestra highlights its own musicians in a program of Bach's complete Brandenburg Concertos, led by Concertmaster Eric Wyrick, in May. In March, Wyrick, Principal Cello Jonathan Spitz, Principal Oboe Robert Ingliss and Principal Bassoon Robert Wagner perform Haydn's Sinfonia concertante.
GALA OPENING NIGHT CELEBRATION
Special Opening Night Celebration Gala festivities surround Zhang and the NJSO's October 7 performance of works by Beethoven and Berlioz, including Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto with acclaimed pianist Jeremy Denk. Gala packages include a pre-concert cocktail party and post-concert dinner with Zhang, NJSO musicians and special guests at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark.
POPS
The NJSO's five-concert pops series in Newark and New Brunswick includes concerts of song and comedy with Tony Award-winning star Jason Alexander; screenings of E.T. the Extraterrestrial with live orchestral accompaniment; a program of Latin jazz with the Mambo Kings; music of iconic sci-fi films hosted by "Star Trek: The Next Generation" star Marina Sirtis; and performances of radio hits by Abba, Simon & Garfunkel, Chicago and more. The NJSO also performs the Mambo Kings and E.T. The Extraterrestrial programs in Red Bank.
FAMILY
NJSO Education & Community Engagement Conductor Jeffrey Grogan leads engaging family programs in the Victoria Theater at NJPAC in Newark; each concert has two showtimes and features special pre-concert events designed to bring young concertgoers closer to the music and music makers.
COLLABORATIONS
The NJSO partners with the Montclair State University Singers for Handel's Messiah and Mozart's Requiem; the Orchestra also welcomes soloists from the Curtis Institute of Music for the Requiem performance. The Orchestra presents programs in collaboration with NJPAC, State Theatre New Jersey and McCarter Theatre.
NJSO EDWARD T. CONE COMPOSITION INSTITUTE
The Orchestra continues the NJSO Edward T. Cone Composition Institute-a partnership between the Edward T. Cone Foundation, Princeton University and the NJSO-in July 2017. Promising emerging composers will have their work rehearsed by the NJSO and guest conductor JoAnn Falletta, participate in masterclasses with Institute Director Steven Mackey and receive feedback from NJSO musicians. The Institute will provide sessions with industry leaders in publishing, licensing, promotion and music preparation to give participants a foundation for a successful career in composition. It concludes with an NJSO performance of the participants' works.
TICKETS
Subscriptions are now on sale for the 2017-18 season. Full information on ticket packages for each series and venue is available at www.njsymphony.org/subscribe; subscriptions are available for purchase online or by phone at 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476). Single tickets will go on sale in August.
PRESS KIT
The full 2017-18 press kit-including the season schedule, high-resolution photos and more-is available atwww.njsymphony.org/presskit.
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: 2017-18 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Leveraging the power of art to transcend differences, NJSO Accents and special Winter Festival events explore, through multiple art forms, the immigrant experience and how foreign artists have illustrated American inspiration in their work.
Week I - America, Inspiring: Respighi & Prokofiev. Just as American concertgoers of another era cheered Prokofiev and Respighi, audiences are raining accolades on 21-year-old Chinese pianist George Li, silver medalist in the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition, and NJSO's Xian Zhang. Featuring the NJSO premieres of Chen Yi's Ge Xu and Respighi's Fountains of Rome, as well as Respighi's Pines of Rome and Prokofiev's Third Piano Concerto. Jan 11-14.
Week II - America, Inspiring: Ravel & Rachmaninoff. The searing energy of jazz, the speed and power of a fighter plane - these emblems of American ingenuity captured the imagination of Ravel and Martin?. Internationally acclaimed pianist Terrence Wilson, a Montclair resident, dazzles in Ravel's colorful Piano Concerto in G Major. Featuring Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances and the NJSO premiere of Martin?'s Thunderbolt P-47. Jan 19-21.
Week III - America, Inspiring: Dvo?ák's "New World" Symphony. Hear the piece that embodies and inspired the Winter Festival: Dvo?ák's Ninth. Chloë Hanslip, praised by BBC Music Magazine for her "panache, poise and laser-like accuracy," will shine in Austrian émigré Korngold's resplendent violin concerto. Featuring Britten's Simple Symphony. Jan 26-28.
www.njsymphony.org/winterfestival
GUEST AND FEATURED ARTISTS
The NJSO welcomes world-class soloists-superstars, rising young virtuosos and gifted players from the Orchestra itself-to headline its concert programs.
Guest artists:
· Jeremy Denk "truly made the piano sing," The Telegraph writes, while The Boston Globe praises his "ceaseless invention." The pianist opens the NJSO season with Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto.Oct 7-8.
· The New York Times praises the "brilliant" Gil Shaham for his "flawless precision and gleeful command." The NJSO audience favorite scales the heights of Brahms' Violin Concerto in the season finale. June 7-10.
· "The calm authority and probing insight that Alban Gerhardt brings to his performances make him one of the finest cellists around," The Guardian writes. Gerhardt joins the NJSO for Tchaikovsky'sVariations on a Rococo Theme. Oct 12-15.
· 22-year-old rising star Conrad Tao is "a stunning soloist," The Philadelphia Inqiurer writes of the pianist who performs Bartók's Third Piano Concerto. Nov 2-5.
· Stephen Hough-whom The Times of London calls "one of the greatest living pianists"-brings virtuosic fireworks to Tchaikovsky's kaleidoscopic Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Nov 30-Dec 3.
· Chloë Hanslip, praised by BBC Music Magazine for her "panache, poise and laser-like accuracy," performs Austrian émigré Korngold's violin concerto during the Winter Festival. Jan 26-28.
· Pianist Sara Daneshpour, cited by The Washington Post for creating "transfixing poetry," gives the world premiere of Danielpour's Carnival of the Ancients for Piano and Orchestra. Mar 9-11.
· NPR writes, "A performer's ability to spontaneously summon an improvisation requires a combination of discipline and fantasy, as well as a willingness to share and communicate with the audience in a magical way," in a feature on pianist Robert Levin, who performs both his own improvisations-created from themes submitted by audience members-and Beethoven's First Piano Concerto. Apr 20-22.
· Conductor Dima Slobodeniouk "performed perfectly, acting with great precision but strong enough expression to communicate even the subtlest nuances to the orchestra," European Culture News writes. The conductor leads a pair of Finnish works-Sibelius' Fifth Symphony and the NJSO premiere of Fagerlund's Isola-as well as Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto. May 3-6.
· "A huge standing ovation ended this incredible evening which I will never, ever forget," Broadway World writes of Tony Award-winning star Jason Alexander's program of great music from the theater, comedy and audience interaction. "If you get a chance to see Alexander in person, do not miss him. It was one of the best concerts I've ever seen." Apr 14-15.
NJSO artists:
· Concertmaster Eric Wyrick, Principal Cello Jonathan Spitz, Principal Oboe Robert Ingliss and Principal Bassoon Robert Wagner perform Haydn's Sinfonia concertante. Mar 9-11.
· Wyrick leads his NJSO colleagues in performances of Bach's complete Brandenburg Concertos, exploring performance practices from Baroque to contemporary. May 17-20.
NJSO POPS
The NJSO performs a five-concert pops series on Saturday evenings at NJPAC in Newark and, in collaboration with the State Theatre New Jersey, on Sunday afternoons at the State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick. The Orchestra presents two pops concerts on Friday evenings at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank.
NJSO FAMILY SERIES
The young and the young at heart will enjoy discovering the instruments of the orchestra, great stories told through music and rich orchestral repertoire featured in this magical and interactive series, which the NJSO presents on Saturday afternoons in the Victoria Theater at NJPAC in Newark. The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey presents the NJSO Family Series.
Pre-Concert Adventures-specially created interactive programs perfect for the whole family-are an opportunity to learn more about the music, participate in fun activities and play games in the NJPAC lobby an hour before each concert.
NON-SUBSCRIPTION CONCERTS
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Named "a vital, artistically significant musical organization" by The Wall Street Journal, 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.
Music Director Xian Zhang-a "dynamic podium presence" The New York Times has praised for her "technical abilities, musicianship and maturity"-continues her acclaimed leadership of the NJSO in the 2017-18 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 New Jersey Symphony Orchestra's programs are made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, along with many other foundations, corporations and individual donors.
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