Raise your glass and join us for Xian Zhang’s third Opening Night Celebration with the NJSO. We will be celebrating the joys of giving, diversity and the remarkable community in which we live, while honoring two outstanding community members—Nariman Farvardin, President of Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, and Florence Johnson, NJSO Community Relations Liaison.

JOHN J. MILLER conductor
LORRAINE ERNEST soprano
ELIZABETH PERRYMAN soprano
THEODORE CHLETSOS tenor
JORGE OCASIO bass-baritone
ARCHDIOCESAN FESTIVAL CHOIR and CATHEDRAL CHOIRS
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

This year's biennial Archdiocesan Choral Festival features a massed choir of singers and soloists accompanied by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra in a performance of the monumental Great Mass in C Minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mysteriously left unfinished by Mozart, it nonetheless reflects his genius, counting Pope Francis among its fans.

Don’t miss the season finale concert of the NJSO Youth Orchestras, featuring the program’s four ensembles, as well as a dazzling performance by the 2018 Henry Lewis Concerto Competition winner! Honor this year’s senior class and celebrate musicianship, friendship and fun.

Relive the magic of your favorite wizard in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban™— in Concert. Based on the third installment of J.K. Rowling’s classic saga, fans of all ages can now experience the thrilling tale as Harry soars across the big screen accompanied by the music of a live symphony orchestra. From the moment Harry uses the Marauder’s Map to when the Patronus Charm bursts from his wand, you’ll be transported back into the world you love.

JEFFREY SCHINDLER conductor
MSU VOCAL ACCORD
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Join the NJSO Chamber Players for an intimate deep-dive into the diverse world of immigrant and refugee composers. From the evocative colors of Tan Dun to the rhythmic and folk-oriented drive of Bartók to the glorious melodies of Dvořák’s “American” Quartet, hear how America has inspired masterpieces for the string quartet.

TAN DUN Eight Colors for String Quartet
BARTÓK String Quartet No. 2
DVOŘÁK String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, Op. 96, “American”

Discover the talented young musicians of the NJSO Youth Orchestras. Enjoy this annual wintertime celebration featuring the four ensembles of the Youth Orchestras performing classical masterworks and some festive surprises.

The Youth Orchestras are part of the NJSO Academy.

The Harry Potter™ film series is one of those once-in-a-lifetime cultural phenomena that continues to delight millions of fans around the world. This concert will feature the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra performing every note from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone™. Audiences will be able to relive the magic of the film in high-definition on a giant screen while hearing the Orchestra perform John Williams’ unforgettable score.

NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s16)

Pinchas Zukerman invites you to join him and the NJSO Chamber Players for this exclusive benefit event.  Experience Zukerman in an up-close-and-personal chamber performance and reception with a meet and greet opportunity.

When the curtain rises on New Jersey Ballet’s sensational Nutcracker, audiences at the production’s home at the Mayo Performing Arts Center can expect the eye-popping special effects, brilliant dancing, glorious costumes and the magic and pantomime that have inspired critics to call it “A spectacle that never seems to age … magic that should go on and on,” and “One of the best … as good as it gets.” The Nutcracker at MPAC will feature the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Gary S. Fagin.

The big game is on—meet all the teams of the Orchestra and cheer on your favorite! Will it be the strings, brass, woodwinds or percussion that win the day? “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” Olympic fanfares and classics from Mozart and Rimsky-Korsakov will make it feel like you and the kids are sitting on the third-base line with a hot dog and a soda.

For the first time, hundreds of students in these youth orchestra and symphonic band programs share the stage for the concert of a lifetime! Inspired by the NJSO Youth Orchestras 25th anniversary season, this concert celebrates talent from some of New Jersey's best young symphonic musicians. Be inspired by the future of music and audiences with this dazzling performance.

JACQUES LACOMBE conductor 
THE SHAKESPEARE THEATRE OF NEW JERSEY Bonnie J. Monte, artistic director
MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY PRIMA VOCE Heather J. Buchanan, director
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

MENDELSSOHN A Midsummer Night’s Dream

When the curtain rises on New Jersey Ballet’s sensational Nutcracker, audiences at the production’s home at the Mayo Performing Arts Center can expect the eye-popping special effects, brilliant dancing, glorious costumes and the magic and pantomime that have inspired critics to call it “A spectacle that never seems to age … magic that should go on and on,” and “One of the best … as good as it gets.” New this year, the Nutcracker at MPAC will feature the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Gary S. Fagin.

JACQUES LACOMBE conductor 
BARBARA SHIRVIS soprano
ELIZABETH BISHOP mezzo-soprano
JONATHAN BOYD tenor
STEPHEN POWELL baritone
WESTMINSTER SYMPHONIC CHOIR Joe Miller, director
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

HIGDON blue cathedral
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9

Enjoy a classical music experience for children aged 3–12 that encourages all the chatter, questions, dancing and imagination your child can muster! Meet players from the brass, string and wind sections of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and learn all about the crazy and contrasting sounds instruments can make! Arrive early for a pre-concert instrument petting zoo, arts activities and more!

Back by popular demand! NJSO Associate Conductor Gemma New conducts as these exceptional artists—acrobats, aerial flyers, contortionists and strongmen—perform dazzling and death-defying choreography and acrobatic feats to classical favorites that will thrill audiences of all ages.

GEMMA NEW conductor
CIRQUE DE LA SYMPHONIE
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Celebrate Hispanic cultures with this bilingual program devoted to the music of some of Latin America’s most distinguished composers. Pioneering Latin American composers produced a rich legacy of music in the 19th and early 20th centuries that combined western classical traditions with indigenous folk songs and rhythms, creating distinct national styles in countries such as Argentina, Cuba and Mexico and inspiring future generations of musicians.

This special arrangement of Prokofiev’s classic tale features the instruments of the woodwind family, combining the same great imagery with a focus on the flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and French horn. With the help of some other selections highlighting each instrument’s diverse capabilities, the quintet demonstrates not only how well the instruments play together, but also what makes them each unique.

Hailed by The New York Times as one of “Broadway’s electric conductors,” Todd Ellison leads a sizzling program of spectacular favorites you know and love from such Broadway hits as American in Paris (where Ellison is the current Music Supervisor!), Carousel, Monty Python’s Spamalot, Shrek the Musical and 42nd Street. Three of the hottest talents on the stage today join Ellison and the NJSO for a sparkling program of showtunes, for a concert that you will not want to miss.

TODD ELLISON conductor
BETH LEAVEL vocalist
CHRISTOPHER SIEBER vocalist
KATHRYN GUTHRIE vocalist
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

XIAN ZHANG conductor
ERIC WYRICK violin
JONATHAN SPITZ cello
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

BRAHMS Concerto for Violin and Cello
STRAUSS Serenade for Winds
MOZART Symphony No. 39

Relive the fabulous Motown sound in a high energy tribute to a classic American sound. Remember the magic of The Four Tops, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, The Drifters, The Miracles and other R&B sensations and sing along to timeless tunes such as “Just My Imagination,” “My Girl” and “The Way You Do the Things You Do.” Join Spectrum and the NJSO on this sensational tour through the heart of Motown.

SPECTRUM
SARAH HICKS conductor
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

JACQUES LACOMBE conductor
KIRILL GERSTEIN piano
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

BERNSTEIN Symphony No. 2, “The Age of Anxiety”
MAHLER Symphony No. 1, “Titan”

JOHANNES DEBUS conductor
BART FELLER flute (pictured)
STACEY SHAMES harp
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

MENDELSSOHN The Fair Melusine Overture
MOZART Flute and Harp Concerto
MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 3, “Scottish”

A classical music experience for children aged 3–12 that encourages all the chatter, questions, dancing and imagination you rchild can muster! Brass, string and wind ensembles perform great works like Peter and the Wolf, which has introduced generations of children to the world of classical music. Arrive early for a pre-concert instrument petting zoo, arts activities and more!

NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY CHAMBER ENSEMBLES

JACQUES LACOMBE conductor
RACHEL STERRENBERG soprano
MINGJIE LEI tenor
THE SHAKESPEARE THEATRE OF NEW JERSEY Bonnie J. Monte, artistic director
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

TCHAIKOVSKY Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture
GOUNOD Selections from Romeo and Juliet
PROKOFIEV Selections from Romeo and Juliet

Enjoy New Jersey’s best celebration of the season with your NJSO and friends! The syncopated sounds of 10-time Grammy Award-winning ensemble Take 6 will fill you with holiday spirit! This sensational sextet infuses R&B, pop, gospel and more into joyful, groovin’ entertainment, with a program that includes their unique take on seasonal favorites including “Joy to the World” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” Come early and enjoy caroling in the lobby, and bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate to Toys for Tots.

TAKE 6
JOSEPH JOUBERT conductor
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

EUGENE TZIGANE conductor
LISE DE LA SALLE piano
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

STRAUSS JR. Die Fledermaus Overture
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 9
STRAUSS JR. “Artist’s Life” Waltz
SCHUBERT Symphony No. 3

JACQUES LACOMBE conductor
GIL SHAHAM violin
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

ROSSINI William Tell Overture
MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto
FRANCK Symphony in D minor

The NJSO gives the world premieres of works by the composers of the NJSO Edward T. Cone Composition Institute, a multi-faceted program that promotes new music and emerging composers. Four exciting composers offer dynamic new works; fresh from an intensive experience evolving their compositions through working sessions with the professional musicians of the NJSO, these composers realize the possibilities of a living art form. Each composer will briefly describe their piece in a concert that will illuminate their creative thought process.

Attention piano lovers! The Golandsky Institute International Piano Festival at Princeton University presents four piano concertos in one evening, with the New Jersey Symphony Chamber Orchestra conducted by Mark Laycock. Internationally acclaimed Russian-born master Ilya Itin solos in music of Mozart and Shostakovich, Bach expert Fr. Sean Duggan plays Bach's Keyboard Concerto in E Major and young artists of the Golandsky Institute join them for a rarely heard performance of Bach’s Concerto for Four Pianos.

Tweet, crash, oomph, plink, warble, pluck … Meet each instrument of the orchestra in turn through Britten’s delightful Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. Don’t be fooled by the title—kids and grownups alike will be enthralled by it. Explore all the different sounds that an orchestra can make and cheer on your favorite instrument family! Wear blue for strings, red for woodwinds, yellow for brass or green for percussion.

JEFFREY GROGAN conductor
BEN STEINFELD host
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
 

From beloved favorites including Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 6 to the bursting energy of Leonard Bernstein’s Fancy Free and the danceable melodies of Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings, this program brings the excitement and beauty of ballet music into the concert hall. Dancers from the Joffrey Ballet Concert Group join the NJSO as the rich sounds of the Orchestra create a magical landscape for the imagination to dance.

JACQUES LACOMBE conductor (pictured)
Dancers from the JOFFREY BALLET CONCERT GROUP
SHAWN HOUNSELL choreographer
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Experience the artistry of the NJSO’s youth ensembles! Program includes Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8, Grieg’s Holberg Suite and Kristin Hauge’s “Rondo,” a new composition written for the Greater Newark Violin Ensemble. The concert will also showcase the 2014 Concerto Competition winner, violinist Rachel Seo, performing the first movement of Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole.

GREATER NEWARK VIOLIN ENSEMBLE Naomi Youngstein, leader
GREATER NEWARK CHAMBER ORCHESTRA Henry Kao, conductor
GREATER NEWARK YOUTH ORCHESTRA Jeffrey Grogan, conductor

JACQUES LACOMBE conductor
ANTHONY MCGILL clarinet
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

BEETHOVEN Leonore Overture No. 3
DANIELPOUR Clarinet Concerto, “From the Mountaintop”
BRAHMS Symphony No. 1

Beethoven’s gorgeous Sixth Symphony—known as the “Pastoral”—celebrates the sounds of spring and highlights the talented performers of the Orchestra. Pianist Gleb Ivanov shows off his dazzling technique in Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Mark Laycock, former NJSO Associate Conductor and frequent collaborator, leads the Orchestra in this wonderful celebration.

MARK LAYCOCK conductor
GLEB IVANOV piano
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

MOZART The Magic Flute Overture
RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 3
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral”

JACQUES LACOMBE conductor
MARIANNE FISET soprano
JANARA KELLERMAN mezzo-soprano
RUSSELL THOMAS tenor
PETER VOLPE bass
MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY CHORALE
   Heather J. Buchanan director
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

VERDI Requiem

YAN PASCAL TORTELIER conductor
HILARY HAHN violin
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

BRAHMS Violin Concerto
SALONEN Giro
STRAVINSKY The Firebird Suite (1945)
 

This tribute to the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” is jam packed with your favorite tunes—sung, played and performed exactly as they were recorded. From the early hits through the solo years, relive the best of The Beatles with “Penny Lane,” “Yesterday,” “I Am the Walrus,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “With a Little Help From My Friends” and so much more, all backed by the rich sounds of the NJSO.

MARTIN HERMAN conductor
CLASSICAL MYSTERY TOUR
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

JACQUES LACOMBE conductor
PASCAL ROGÉ piano
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

WAGNER Venusberg Music from Tannhäuser
D’INDY Symphony on a French Mountain Air
STRAUSS Alpine Symphony

JACQUES LACOMBE conductor
DANIEL MÜLLER-SCHOTT cello
ROBERT INGLISS oboe
BRENNAN SWEET violin
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 8
PREVIN Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (U.S. Premiere)
CONE Cadenzas for Oboe and Violin
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 7

Support talented young musicians and enjoy live performances of works by Bach, Elgar, Rossini, Mussorgsky and more! Join us for pre-concert refreshments starting at 3 pm. Click here to learn more about the Greater Newark Youth Orchestras. NJSO CHAMPS (Character, Achievement and Music Project) is an innovative education program inspired by the El Sistema music education and social development program in Venezuela, in partnership with the University Heights Charter School in Newark. Click here to learn more about CHAMPS.

JACQUES LACOMBE conductor
ADAM GOLKA piano
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

LIEBERMANN Barcarolles for a Sinking City (World Premiere)
RAVEL Piano Concerto in G Major
BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra

DMITRY SITKOVETSKY conductor & violin
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 1, “Classical”
MOZART Violin Concerto No. 1
TCHAIKOVSKY Méditation
STRAVINSKY Pulcinella Suite

JACQUES LACOMBE conductor
VADIM GLUZMAN violin

NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

BERLIOZ Beatrice and Benedict Overture
BERNSTEIN Serenade for Violin and Orchestra
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4

JACQUES LACOMBE conductor
GERI ALLEN piano
REV. DR. M. WILLIAM HOWARD JR. special guest (Sep 27 only)
AFRO BLUE vocal ensemble
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

ELLINGTON Three Black Kings
ALLEN Stone & Streams (World Premiere)
ELLINGTON New World A-Comin'
DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”

JACQUES LACOMBE conductor
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

DEBUSSY Concert Suite from Pelléas et Mélisande
WAGNER Prelude and “Liebestod” from Tristan und Isolde
STRAVINSKY The Rite of Spring

JEFFREY GROGAN conductor
DANCEVISION
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Take a trip around the world—no luggage required! Express yourself with Scottish, Spanish, Arabian, Chinese, Czech and American dances, including selections from The Nutcracker, West Side Story and Morton Gould’s Tap Dance Concerto. This concert also features the winning pieces from the first NJSO Young Composers Project.

Sarah Chang, one of the world’s top violinists, brings warmth and color to Bruch’s Violin Concerto, a repertoire favorite. Bruckner drew on his lifelong admiration of Wagner in the epic journey that is his Symphony No. 4.

JACQUES LACOMBE conductor
SARAH CHANG violin
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

WAGNER “Good Friday Spell” from Parsifal
BRUCH Violin Concerto No. 1
BRUCKNER Symphony No. 4, “Romantic”

GERALD STEICHEN conductor 
KATRINA THURMAN soprano
JIM WEITZER baritone
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

George Gershwin’s incredible melodies filled the concert halls and Broadway stages. Experience all your favorites, including An American in Paris, selections from Porgy and Bess, Girl Crazy, Embraceable You, Someone to Watch Over Me, ’S Wonderful and much, much more.

SUSANNA MÄLKKI conductor
JEAN-EFFLAM BAVOUZET piano
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

STRAUSS Don Juan
DEBUSSY Fantasie for Piano and Orchestra
MESSIAEN Les offrandes oubliées (The Forgotten Offerings)
STRAUSS Tod und Verklärung (Death and Transfiguration) 

MARCELO LEHNINGER conductor
JOANNA MONGIARDO soprano
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

ROSSINI The Italian Girl in Algiers Overture
VERDI “Caro nome” from Rigoletto
VERDI “E strano” and “Ah, fors’è lui” from La traviata
PUCCINI Chrysanthemums
BELLINI “Ah! non credea mirarti” from La Sonnambula
DONIZETTI “O luce di quest’anima” from Linda di Chamounix
MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 4, “Italian”

CONSTANTINE KITSOPOULOS conductor
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

"Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine." Walk into ours and see Casablanca on the big screen, with live orchestral accompaniment. Cozy up with a loved one as you savor the beautiful visuals, relive the story of Rick and Ilsa's love and experience this classic film.

JACQUES LACOMBE conductor 
THE SHAKESPEARE THEATRE OF NEW JERSEY
   Bonnie J. Monte artistic director
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

TCHAIKOVSKY The Tempest Fantasy-Overture
SIBELIUS The Tempest
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6, "Pastoral" 

ANTONI WIT conductor 

YO-YO MA cello
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
 
ELGAR Enigma Variations
RAVEL Bolero
ELGAR Cello Concerto

JOHN MORRIS RUSSELL conductor
ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY vocalist
THE MASTERWORK CHORUS
  Andrew Megill director
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Broadway, cabaret and film sensation Ann Hampton Callaway takes center stage with the perfect cocktail of holiday melodies and timeless classics, including Carol of the Bells, Winter Wonderland, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, My Favorite Things and many more.

HANS GRAF conductor
AUGUSTIN HADELICH violin
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

GRIEG In Autumn
SIBELIUS Violin Concerto
BRAHMS Symphony No. 3  

JACQUES LACOMBE conductor
SERHIY SALOV piano
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
 
RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 3
RACHMANINOFF Symphony No. 2 

JACQUES LACOMBE conductor
JEAN-YVES THIBAUDET piano
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

HARBISON Remembering Gatsby: Foxtrot for Orchestra
GERSHWIN Variations on "I Got Rhythm"
GROFÉ Grand Canyon Suite
GERSHWIN Rhapsody in Blue
ELLINGTON Harlem