Season Events

Coleman starts the season with a whisper, then a gorgeous melody rises evoking the power and sweetness of Umoja, the Swahili word for unity. The whole orchestra takes it up and you’re on the edge of your seat with this joyous, full-throated cry for community.

A wedding present for his bride, Still’s Out of the Silence, brought out of silence by Aaron Diehl and the New Jersey Symphony, is a gentle and ethereal little hymn written in the depths of the Great Depression. Still’s wife said of it: “Only in meditation does one discover beauties remote from the problems of Earth.”

Ellington created this lush musical portrait of a “new world where there would be no war, no greed—where love was unconditional.” What better way to start the season than with the Aaron Diehl Trio and the genius of jazz, Sir Duke!

A Czech visitor to America, Dvořák sought out and loved the songs of Indigenous and Black people. Blending their inspiration with his imagination, he created one of the most beloved concert works of all time.

When needing an example of “genius,” look no further than this astounding product of a 17-year-old boy. Here are the lovers, the silliness and the quicksilver humor of Shakespeare’s comedy delivered in a dozen minutes of utter brilliance.

The violin leads the drama from the first bar of Mendelssohn’s masterpiece, but here too are moments of hold-your-breath beauty. These shimmer like moonlight on water when played by Joshua Bell, one of the world’s finest violinists.

He could stir up musical storm clouds like a god, but Beethoven also could part them to let the most brilliant sunlight warm the soul. The Fourth is the composer at his sunniest, and Joshua Bell, violin still in hand, leads the New Jersey Symphony from the concertmaster’s seat.

Still wrote this in the 1920s to depict the struggles of his fellow African Americans, ultimately aiming to show “the triumph of a people over their sorrows through fervent prayer.” Tenderness and toughness mark this moving testament to resilience.

In this nation of immigrants, we all have our stories. Inspired by in-depth source research, interviews with generations of immigrants, and melodies from many countries, composer Rob Kapilow has crafted an instant classic of compelling music for chorus and orchestra.

The musical that gave the world “New York, New York,” On the Town was a hit from its wartime premiere. The story of three sailors on leave in Manhattan is filled with Bernstein’s signature restless energy, and made huge waves of its own in the 1940s with a racially diverse cast.

The tragedy of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet set on Manhattan’s fire escapes and sidewalks. These Symphonic Dances from West Side Story are a fountain of songs you love, from “Tonight” to “Maria” and the manic shout of “Mambo!”

The New Yorker called this 2010 orchestral suite “joyous and electric.” Thomas’ concert-opener is perfectly titled and a superb way to help you shake off late winter.

Your first time to hear the oboe d’amore? This duskier cousin of the modern oboe has a soulful, sweet sound that Bach adored and placed at the center of this piece of reverence and reflection.

Medieval monks had more on their minds than scripture–women, beer and the ever-turning wheel of fate most prominent. Orff set their words to dramatically colorful music in his iconic Carmina Burana.

A little suite for winds meant as background music to a Viennese party. Mozart never did anything halfway, though, and this Serenade is a jewel box holding his most touching melodies.

Finally getting its due, this French-Creole composer’s violin writing is a high-water mark of 18th-century grace. And there is no more graceful violinist to make these lines sing than the soulful Gil Shaham.

Every bar bristles with brilliance, leaps of melody and delicious new harmonies. Bach wrote hundreds of pieces, but none more beautiful than this, seemingly tailor-fit for the gifts of our guest Gil Shaham.

In the century before recorded sound, Mozart made dinner music like this. But every minute of this serenade for strings is so full of unbridled joy—no wonder it is his greatest hit.

Liszt was a fire-breather of a composer, perhaps inspired by the Greek god himself who gave humans fire. His Prometheus lets the orchestra tell the riveting ancient story of theft, punishment, and triumph.

Newark’s own Tyshawn Sorey has a dozen surprises up his sleeve in his new work, especially as he makes superstar soloist Jennifer Koh “disappear” into the orchestra. The effect is singularly haunting and beautiful.

The composer of four magnificent symphonies, Brahms also wrote reams of gorgeous chamber pieces. His Piano Quartet is arranged so vividly for orchestra that it could be Brahms' Fifth.

The New Jersey Symphony premieres an all-new commission from Resident Artistic Catalyst Daniel Bernard Roumain. A master storyteller, DBR will continue to wow New Jersey audiences with his genre-bending music.

Gershwin’s landmark opera spun off so many great tunes – “Summertime,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So” and a dozen others will have you singing your way into summer.

Proving he was way more than a one-hit wonder after his Rhapsody in Blue, Gershwin poured the energy of Manhattan on a Saturday night into this sparkler for piano and orchestra. Superstar Daniil Trifonov wraps up our season with a bang.