New Jersey Symphony presents free outdoor summer concerts

May 1, 2023

NEWARK, NJ—The New Jersey Symphony presents free outdoor concerts in Newark, Jersey City, Toms River, South Amboy and Red Bank and will also perform at the Giralda Music and Arts Festival in Madison. 

The family-friendly program features John Williams’ theme from Jurassic Park, selections from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, William Grant Still’s Festive Overture and more. New this season, the New Jersey Symphony will perform in Liberty State Park in Jersey City and Raritan Bay Waterfront Park in South Amboy. 

The Symphony will also return to Marine Park in Red Bank, as well as Ocean County College in Toms River and Essex County Branch Brook concert in Newark. The Essex County Branch Brook Park concert includes fireworks. 

The Chamber Players of the New Jersey Symphony are scheduled to perform a series of chamber music concerts at Hamilton Park in Jersey City. These concerts are free of charge and will feature a variety of repertoire, including a celebration of the best of Bollywood's Hindi-language film genre and an exhilarating program curated by the orchestra's Resident Artistic Catalyst, Daniel Bernard Roumain.

Free concerts take place:

  • Tuesday, June 27, 8 pm at Ocean County College in Toms River
  • Wednesday, June 28, 7:30 pm at Raritan Bay Waterfront Park in South Amboy
  • Friday, June 30, 7:30 pm at Essex County Branch Brook Park in Newark (includes fireworks!)
  • Saturday, July 1, 8 pm at Marine Park in Red Bank
  • Sunday, July 2, 7:30 pm at Liberty State Park in Jersey City

Free Chamber Series at Hamilton Park in Jersey City

  • Thursday, July 13, 7 pm: Sounds of Summer with Nimbus Dance
  • Thursday, July 27, 7 pm: The Music of Bollywood with Kulture Kool
  • Thursday, August 10, 7 pm: A Summer Evening with DBR

The Symphony will perform at the Giralda Music and Arts Festival in Madison on Sunday, June 25 at 6 pm. Tickets go on sale in May.

Clarinetist Timothy Lien, winner of the New Jersey Symphony Youth Orchestra’s 2023 Henry Lewis Concerto Competition, joins the Symphony for the first movement of Ludwig Spohr’s Clarinet Concerto In C Minor, Op.26. for the Giralda Farms, Branch Brook Park, Marine Park and Liberty State Park concerts. José Luis Domínguez, the New Jersey Symphony Youth Orchestra Artistic Director, conducts. 

All New Jersey Symphony performances follow safety measures in partnership with the venues and based on the guidance provided by the CDC and the State of New Jersey.

The Symphony will perform at the Giralda Music and Arts Festival in Madison on Saturday, June 25 at 6 pm. Tickets go on sale in May.

Clarinetist Timothy Lien, winner of the New Jersey Symphony Youth Orchestra’s 2023 Henry Lewis Concerto Competition, joins the Symphony for the first movement of Ludwig Spohr’s Clarinet Concerto In C Minor, Op.26. for the Giralda Farms, Branch Brook Park, Marine Park and Liberty State Park concerts. José Luis Domínguez, the New Jersey Symphony Youth Orchestra Artistic Director, conducts. 

All New Jersey Symphony performances follow safety measures in partnership with the venues and based on the guidance provided by the CDC and the State of New Jersey.

More information is available at njsymphony.org/summer and njsymphony.org/chamberseries.

Summer Parks Concerts

Sunday, June 25, 6 pm | Giralda Farms in Madison
Tuesday, June 27, 8 pm | Ocean County College in Toms River 
Wednesday, June 28, 7:30 pm | Raritan Bay Waterfront Park in South Amboy
Friday, June 30, 7:30 pm | Branch Brook Park in Newark
Saturday, July 1, 8 pm | Marine Park in Red Bank 
Sunday, July 2, 7:30 pm | Liberty State Park in Jersey City

The New Jersey Symphony’s appearance at the Giralda Music & Arts Festival is presented by Morris Arts.

The Ocean County College concert is sponsored by the Ocean County College Foundation.

The Raritan Bay concert is sponsored by Middlesex County and is presented in collaboration with the Arts Institute of Middlesex County.

The Branch Brook Park concert is sponsored by the County of Essex—part of the 2023 Essex County Free Summer Music Series.

The Marine Park concert is presented by Red Bank RiverCenter.

The Liberty State Park concert is supported by Mayor Steven M. Fulop, the Jersey City Municipal Council, and the Office of Cultural Affairs. Supported with public funds from the Arts and Culture Trust Fund.

Chamber Series Concerts

Thursday, July 13, 7 pm | Hamilton Park in Jersey City
Thursday, July 27, 7 pm | Hamilton Park in Jersey City
Thursday, August 10, 7 pm | Hamilton Park in Jersey City

The New Jersey Symphony Chamber Series is a partnership between Hamilton Park & New Jersey Symphony. The Sounds of Summer and Music of Bollywood concerts are generously sponsored by the PSEG Foundation.

Bank of America is proud to support the New Jersey Symphony Resident Artistic Catalyst.

New Jersey Symphony

The Emmy and Grammy Award-winning New Jersey Symphony, celebrating its Centennial Season in 2022–23, is redefining what it means to be a nationally leading, relevant orchestra in the 21st century. We are renewing our deeply rooted commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion by championing new, and often local, artists; engaging audiences for whom the inspiring depth and breadth of classical music will be new; and incorporating the broadest possible representation in all aspects of our organization—all to better reflect and serve our vibrant communities. Since 2021, Music Director Xian Zhang has worked together with composer, violinist, educator and social-justice advocate Daniel Bernard Roumain, the orchestra’s resident artistic catalyst, to offer programming that connects with diverse communities in Newark and throughout New Jersey. 

Internationally renowned Chinese-American conductor Xian Zhang began her tenure as the New Jersey Symphony’s current Music Director in 2016. Since her arrival at the New Jersey Symphony, Zhang has revitalized programming with an industry-leading commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in mainstage concerts. The centennial season opened in October with concerts featuring Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto with soloist Yefim Bronfman; Jessie Montgomery’s Banner; Nimbus Dance performing original choreography to Copland’s Appalachian Spring Suite; Strauss’ Burleske for Piano and Orchestra with soloist Michelle Cann; Brahms’ Fourth Symphony; and Dorothy Chang’s Northern Star. The centennial season will conclude in June 2023 with Zhang leading the orchestra and violinist Joshua Bell in Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1, Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and a commissioned world premiere by Daniel Bernard Roumain.

For more information about the New Jersey Symphony, visit www.njsymphony.org or email information@njsymphony.org. Tickets are available for purchase by phone 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476) or on the Orchestra’s website.

Press Contacts

New Jersey Symphony / Local Press
Sarah Hornblower, New Jersey Symphony, Interim Director of Marketing & Communications
973.735.1715 | shornblower@njsymphony.org

Geoffrey Anderson, New Jersey Symphony, Vice President of Marketing & External Affairs
973.735.1713 | ganderson@njsymphony.org 

Kirshbaum Associates / National & Classical Music Press
Beverly Greenfield, Kirshbaum Associates, Director of Public Relations
bgreenfield@kirshbaumassociates.com 

Shirley Kirshbaum, Kirshbaum Associates, President
917.331.1888 | skirshbaum@kirshbaumassociates.com

www.njsymphony.org/pressroom

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