New Scores: The Cone Composition Institute Concert
Part of the Edward T. Cone Composition Institute
Eric Jacobsen conductor
Steven Mackey institute director and host
New Jersey Symphony
Witness the future of classical music in-the-making as the New Jersey Symphony performs works by four emerging composers selected for the Edward T. Cone Composition Institute. Institute Director Steven Mackey hosts the culminating concert, as Eric Jacobsen takes the podium.
Performed in Princeton
Hollywood Hits: From West Side Story to Spirited Away
A Celebration of the Best Orchestral Music in Cinema
Keitaro Harada conductor
New Jersey Symphony
Lights, camera, action! Rising-star conductor Keitaro Harada leads a program of thrilling orchestral music from classic movies. Movie-musicals West Side Story and An American in Paris, with their timeless tunes, are heard alongside Joe Hisaishi’s score to the Studio Ghibli masterpiece Spirited Away. Don’t miss this festive performance with music that dazzles and delights—the perfect way to celebrate the start of the season.
Performed in Red Bank and Newark
Beethoven’s “Emperor”
& Schubert’s “Great”
Opening Weekend | New Jersey Symphony Classical
Xian Zhang conductor
George Li piano
New Jersey Symphony
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Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor”
New Jersey favorite George Li returns with Beethoven’s final and most epic piano concerto, a work of uncommon power and passion, both heroic in scope and striking in its intimacy.
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Franz Schubert Symphony No. 9 in C Major, “The Great”
Schubert was classical music’s original tunesmith—his melodies rival Paul McCartney, Richard Rodgers, and even Taylor Swift. His songful gift is heard to maximum effect in the “heavenly lengths” of his final symphony, never performed during his lifetime.
Performed in Princeton, Newark and New Brunswick
Rick Steves’ Europe:
A Symphonic Journey
A Musical Journey of Rick Steves’ Travels Through Europe and its History
Rick Steves host
New Jersey Symphony
Usually you’ll find Rick Steves touring the great destinations of Europe. Now you can join him on a different journey: A Symphonic Journey. In this unique concert, Rick Steves teams up with the New Jersey Symphony for a performance that combines Europe’s most stirring Romantic-era anthems with beautiful high-definition cinematography and Rick’s insights into European history.
Performed in Morristown and New Brunswick
Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances
Part of the TD James Moody Jazz Festival
Eric Jacobsen conductor
Christian McBride double bass
Chris Komer horn
New Jersey Symphony
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Claude Debussy Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
A languid flute solo opens a portal into another world, with Debussy’s shimmering orchestral colors as vivid as any Monet painting.
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George Duke Dark Wood: Bass Concerto for Christian McBride
Hear the Garden State’s own jazz master in a work tailor-made for his unique groove and virtuosity as he solos with the New Jersey Symphony for the first time.
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Christian McBride Fried Bacon
Christian McBride’s first work for symphony orchestra, Fried Bacon was originally written for and premiered by Chris Komer, New Jersey Symphony Principal Horn extraordinaire, in 2022. The world premiere brought the house down and we can’t wait to play it again.
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Sergei Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances
An elegiac melody, a Dies Irae quote, a saxophone solo, and the tolling of church bells are among the many extraordinary effects in Rachmaninoff’s final work, written in exile from a Russia to which he’d never return, and which would never be the same.
Performed in Newark and Red Bank
Handel’s Messiah
New Jersey Symphony Holiday Tradition
Kedrick Armstrong conductor
Jessica Rivera soprano
Kelley O’Connor mezzo-soprano
Martin Bakari tenor
Adam Lau bass-baritone
Montclair State University Singers | Heather J. Buchanan, director
New Jersey Symphony
“For unto us a Child is born.” Our glorious holiday tradition returns with this iconic masterpiece, a classical rendition of the greatest story ever told. The majestic music—including the triumphant “Hallelujah Chorus”—rekindles the spirit of the holidays for first-time listeners and those who return each season.
Performed in Princeton and Newark
Mozart & Ravel
New Jersey Symphony Classical
Valentina Peleggi conductor
Blake Pouliot violin
New Jersey Symphony
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Anna Clyne Masquerade
Originally written for the Last Night of the Proms, English composer Anna Clyne conveys a sense of “occasion and celebration.” Or, as the Berkshire Eagle put it, “Masquerade has the style and sound of an old English music hall, a little like the nostalgic sounds on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Violin Concerto No. 5, “Turkish”
At just 19 years old, Mozart wrote this virtuosic and sparkling concerto for himself to play (even though it wasn’t his primary instrument!). Canadian phenom Blake Pouliot brings his signature stage presence to this equally thrilling and elegant masterpiece.
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Maurice Ravel Mother Goose Suite
The New York Times recently said “Ravel wrote nothing more magical, and perhaps nothing so moving” as the final movement of this extraordinary suite—ostensibly for children, but with a complexity and emotional depth as profound as any work of art.
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Samuel Barber Symphony No. 1
In just 20 minutes and one movement, Barber’s first symphony packs a punch well beyond its relatively short length. The first American symphony to be played at the Salzburg Festival, Barber’s singular emotional voice, which would later produce Adagio for Strings, shines through every bar.
Performed in Princeton, Red Bank and Morristown
Rhapsody on a
Theme of Paganini
New Jersey Symphony Classical
Xian Zhang conductor
Tony Siqi Yun piano
New Jersey Symphony
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Richard Wagner Overture to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Long before The Voice, Wagner created the original drama about a singing competition with his only comedy, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. This rousing overture prominently features the “Prize Song” which wins the whole contest—a real catchy tune!
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Sergei Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Rachmaninoff’s final work for piano and orchestra, this masterpiece of invention transforms a seemingly simple melody 24 different times, taking full advantage of the expressive and technical possibilities of the piano. Rachmaninoff himself was the soloist at the world premiere—hear the next best thing as “true poet of the keyboard” (Pianist magazine) Tony Siqi Yun navigates every twist and turn.
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Alexander Zemlinsky The Mermaid
Travel “Under the Sea” with Alexander Zemlinsky for his shimmering musical retelling of the legendary Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. While a relative rarity, Xian Zhang has long championed this work, reveling in its romantic sweep and glittering orchestrations—you’ll wonder why it took so long for this piece to be “Part of Your World.”
Performed in Newark and New Brunswick
Discover Rachmaninoff
New Jersey Symphony Family Concert
Xian Zhang conductor
Tony Siqi Yun piano
New Jersey Symphony
What is a rhapsody, and who was Paganini? Unlock the mystery of the musical puzzle in this roller coaster ride for piano and orchestra, demonstrated by the extraordinary talent of Tony Siqi Yun.
Performed in Newark
2027 Lunar New Year Celebration
Celebration of the Year of the Goat
Naomi Woo conductor
Sophia Liu piano
New Jersey Symphony
Naomi Woo, Assistant Conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra, leads a festive evening that unites symphonic works, choral music, and dance. Experience amazing talent, vibrant energy, and a grand spectacle designed to delight audiences of all ages—a joyous celebration of renewal and community.
Performed in Newark
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.
Performed in Newark, Red Bank and Morristown
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.



