JOANN FALLETTA

conductor

American conductor and soloist join forces to capture the essence of our homeland with works by two American composers. Copland’s Appalachian Spring evokes an ideal America—one of open fields, endless possibilities and freedom. Barber’s Violin Concerto shows both sides of the composer: delicate and refined, but also stormy and complex. Kodály and Dvořák round out the program and paint a vivid picture of their homelands with brushstrokes of lively folk dances, Slavic rhythms and gypsy melodies.

Sponsored by Herbert and Evelyn Axelrod

* Classical conversations with guest conductors begin one hour before the concert and are free to all ticket holders.

NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

JEFF GROGAN conductor

Join the NJSO in an exciting musical safari. Saint-Saëns’s Carnival of the Animals will take you on a musical trip through the animal kingdom that includes the beloved cello reflection “The Swan.” Find out how the Orchestra can make lions, elephants, tortoises and more come to life. Can you guess all the animals as you hear them?

PRE-CONCERT ADVENTURE: Join us in the lobby an hour before each concert for special interactive programs! Learn more about the music, participate in fun activities, play games and meet NJSO musicians—it’s perfect for the whole family.

Hailed as “the epitome of the Pops Conductor/Performer” by The Washington Post, Peter Nero conducts a program of your favorite romantic songs in his characteristically invigorating style. With 67 albums to his name, the engaging two-time Grammy Award winner brings his creativity to classics from Rodgers & Hammerstein to Porter and Berlin for a thrilling pops performance.

Friends, Romans, New Jerseyans—lend us your ears for a musical tour through the Bard’s most romantic works. With Valentine’s Day in the air, this is the perfect opportunity to treat your sweetheart to an evening of music from Romeo & Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Works by Mendelssohn, Prokofiev and Berlioz illuminate these tales of love in different styles, each highlighting a different musical point of view. As Shakespeare himself proclaimed, “If music be the food of love, play on!”

BISS PLAYS BEETHOVEN

VIENNA: OLD & NEW

Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto was more expansive and dramatic than any piano concerto Vienna had previously heard—a true statement of the composer’s desire to produce ever-grander works for the piano. Enjoy conductor Gerard Schwarz’s own arrangements of two Viennese classics. Webern’s contemplative Langsamer Satz stands in contrast to Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier Suite, which reflects the elegance, humor and romance of 18th-century Vienna with spirited themes and robust waltzes.

* Classical conversations with guest conductors begin one hour before the concert and are free to all ticket holders.