Gil Shaham Plays Dvořák
New Jersey Symphony Classical
Xian Zhang conductor
Gil Shaham violin
New Jersey Symphony
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Johannes Brahms Symphony No. 3
Dvořák called this symphony Brahms’ most beautiful. A deeply personal work, its autumnal harmonies embody the composer’s personal motto, “free, but happy.” Orchestral musicians regularly call Brahms the most satisfying composer to play—with this masterpiece, it’s easy to hear why.
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Antonín Dvořák Violin Concerto
Full of folk flavor and rustic rhythms, Dvořák’s only violin concerto is fiendishly difficult. “A virtuoso and a player of deeply intense sincerity” (The New York Times), Gil Shaham makes it sound easy.
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Antonín Dvořák Carnival Overture
A musical celebration of life and all its joys and possibilities, this delightful bonbon of an overture is the perfect dessert at the end of our program.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl in Concert
New Jersey Symphony at the Movies
Lawrence Loh conductor
New Jersey Symphony
This fantasy swashbuckler film follows pirate Jack Sparrow and the blacksmith Will Turner as they attempt to rescue the kidnapped Elizabeth Swann. The trio encounters Captain Barbossa and the Black Pearl crew who are afflicted by a supernatural curse. Klaus Badelt’s score—performed live to picture by the New Jersey Symphony—thrums with excitement and adventure.
Batman Returns in Concert
35th Anniversary Concert | New Jersey Symphony at the Movies
New Jersey Symphony
Grab your superhero cape and come out to see Batman Returns in Concert (PG-13). Watch Tim Burton’s Oscar-nominated film on the big screen, accompanied by the New Jersey Symphony performing Danny Elfman’s phenomenal score. It’s a madcap adventure as Batman battles The Penguin and meets his match in Catwoman. The cast is stacked with greats: Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Danny DeVito and Christopher Walken. We’ll meet you in Gotham City!
Joshua Bell Leads Beethoven
Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Passing
Joshua Bell conductor & violin
New Jersey Symphony
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Ludwig van Beethoven Coriolan Overture
Beethoven captures turmoil and drama like few other composers. In this harrowing overture to a play set in Ancient Rome, hear the march to battle and the plea for peace in conflict with one another. Which wins out? Join us and see.
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Ludwig van Beethoven Violin Concerto
As if playing this difficult and profound work wasn’t enough, Joshua Bell also conducts from the soloist position. Among Beethoven’s most transcendent works, the violin soars and sings through the full range of human emotion.
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Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 7
Richard Wagner called this symphony “the apotheosis of the dance.” Its slow movement was memorably used in the Oscar-winning film The King’s Speech. Over 200 years later, Beethoven’s masterpiece still moves and inspires.
Mahler’s Fifth Symphony
Gabriel Cabezas Performs the World Premiere of Allison Loggins-Hull’s New Concerto
Christoph König conductor
Gabriel Cabezas cello
New Jersey Symphony
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Allison Loggins-Hull Cello Concerto (World Premiere, New Jersey Symphony Commission)
You never know what will happen at a world premiere! Be part of history when the first notes of Resident Artistic Partner Allison Loggins-Hull’s new Cello Concerto resound in the hands of Gabriel Cabezas, a “prolific soloist with an ear for the new” (The Washington Post).
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Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 5
This 1902 masterpiece topped the streaming charts in 2023 when it was featured in the Academy Award-nominated film Tár. It’s a journey from darkness to light, sometimes terrifying, sometimes tender—always epic.
Xian Zhang
Conducts Mozart
Principal Timpanist Gregory LaRosa Takes the Spotlight
Xian Zhang conductor
Gregory LaRosa timpani
New Jersey Symphony
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 29
Written when he was just 18 (and had already composed 28 symphonies!), this work from a boy genius has a brilliant maturity and is full of elan, wit, and the quintessential Mozartian spirit that continues to inspire.
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Joseph Pereira Timpani Concerto (East Coast Premiere, New Jersey Symphony Co-Commission)
Drumroll please! Principal Timpanist Gregory LaRosa joins his colleagues as soloist for the first time in this brand-new work, written just for him.
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter”
Mozart’s final symphony reaches levels of cosmic brilliance, especially in the thrilling finale about which the 19th-century commentator Aleksandr Ulïbïshev wrote, “One must hear this music to believe it possible.”
Neruda Songs and Poulenc’s Gloria
New Jersey Symphony Classical
Ludovic Morlot conductor
Liv Redpath soprano
J’Nai Bridges mezzo-soprano
Montclair State University Chorale | Heather J. Buchanan, director
New Jersey Symphony
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Peter Lieberson Neruda Songs
Written as a gift for his wife, the acclaimed mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Peter Lieberson’s Neruda Songs takes poetry of extraordinary beauty and makes it even more rapturous.
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Francis Poulenc Gloria
A joyous choral celebration, Poulenc’s music is both playful and exuberant—guaranteed to release endorphins!
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Maurice Ravel Suite No. 2 from Daphnis and Chloé
Ravel’s most ravishing piece (and that’s saying quite a lot!), Daphnis and Chloé is an orchestral tour de force, giving every musician a true instrumental work out.
Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony
Gabriela Montero Performs Her “Latin” Piano Concerto
Xian Zhang conductor
Gabriela Montero piano
New Jersey Symphony
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Jean Sibelius Karelia Overture
Sibelius’ music is quintessentially Finnish, with a warmth easily found beneath its initial chill. One of his first published works, this overture brims with nationalistic spirit and folksy charm.
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Gabriela Montero Piano Concerto No. 1, “Latin”
A Venezuelan piano phenom brings pyrotechnics to her own concerto, a celebration of Latin America in her own words, “a chiaroscuro reflection on who we are as a continent, dark and light.”
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Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”
The New Jersey Symphony won a GRAMMY for its brilliant recording of this work under previous Music Director Zdeněk Mácal. Now hear Xian Zhang’s thrilling interpretation of this masterpiece, a musical postcard from Dvořák’s American travels, including the famous tune “Goin’ Home” hauntingly rendered by the English horn.
Xian Zhang
Conducts Tchaikovsky
Featuring the East Coast Premiere of Steven Mackey’s Concerto for Orchestra
Xian Zhang conductor
New Jersey Symphony
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Steven Mackey Concerto for Orchestra (East Coast Premiere, New Jersey Symphony Co-Commission)
Electric guitarist, alpine skier, and Professor of Music at Princeton University, Steven Mackey is a true local legend and Renaissance man. His music is whimsical, rhythmic, joyful, and always unpredictable. Be among the first to hear his latest creation, written especially for the virtuosity of the New Jersey Symphony musicians.
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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4
Xian Zhang’s Tchaikovsky performances have become the stuff of legend—she wrings every ounce of passion and drama from this well-loved score.
Discover Tchaikovsky
New Jersey Symphony Family Concert
Xian Zhang conductor
New Jersey Symphony
Tchaikovsky was a great musical storyteller. Learn about the structure of his Fourth Symphony and what to listen for, from string plucking to folk songs, and a wide range of emotions expressed by different instruments.
Star Wars: A New Hope
in Concert
50th Anniversary Celebration | New Jersey Symphony at the Movies
New Jersey Symphony
Luke Skywalker begins a journey that will change the galaxy in Star Wars: A New Hope. Nineteen years after the formation of the Empire, Luke is thrust into the struggle of the Rebel Alliance when he meets Obi-Wan Kenobi, who has lived for years in seclusion on the desert planet of Tatooine. Obi-Wan begins Luke’s Jedi training as Luke joins him on a daring mission to rescue the beautiful Rebel leader Princess Leia from the clutches of Darth Vader and the evil Empire.
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the film that started it all in concert, with the New Jersey Symphony performing John Williams’ Oscar-winning score live to the complete film.
Ravel’s Boléro
with Xian Zhang
Season Finale | New Jersey Symphony Classical
Xian Zhang conductor
Pablo Sáinz Villegas guitar
New Jersey Symphony
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Leonard Bernstein Overture to Candide
Full of glitter and gaiety, Bernstein’s effervescent overture exudes joy and optimism—the best of all possible worlds.
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Joaquín Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez
The pinnacle of the guitar repertoire, Rodrigo’s beloved concerto transports the listener to the heart of historic Spain, capturing, in the composer’s words, “the fragrance of magnolias, the singing of birds, and the gushing of fountains.”
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Alberto Ginastera Four Dances from Estancia
Argentina’s leading composer, Alberto Ginastera, wrote Estancia soon after he met Aaron Copland. This extraordinary ballet score is full of folk character, driving rhythms, and a final dance that is among the most ecstatic moments in the orchestral repertoire.
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Maurice Ravel Boléro
From the nearly imperceptible tap of a snare drum to its exhilarating climax, the slow burn crescendo of Boléro grabs hold of audiences and refuses to let go. There’s nothing like hearing it live!