Program Notes | Epic Scores of John Williams and More!

Epic Scores of John Williams and More!

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Since the very early days of film, music has been an essential part of the movie-going experience. Even in the silent-film era, movies were often accompanied in real time by a pianist to heighten the drama of the experience. In 1929, it became possible to sync sound to film, and suddenly the art of the film score was born. During this time, music became a more integral part of filmmaking, quickly taking on narrative significance. This was the “golden age” of cinema, when some of the greatest composers of the time (Enrich Korngold, Aaron Copland and Sergei Prokofiev, to name a few) were commissioned to write music for films. The idea of the “film composer” came about in this era too, with composers like Alfred Newman and Bernard Hermann centering their entire careers as composers around scoring films. This era is where we begin our concert, with Korngold’s rousing Fanfare from The King’s Row. Listen closely and you’ll find it bears a striking resemblance to another very famous film theme that will be heard later in the program!

Next, we hear Sergei Prokofiev’s Suite from the 1939 Soviet film Lieutenant Kijé – perhaps the first film score to be adapted into a significant concert work. This suite also exemplifies a technique many composers have used across the history of film music – the “leitmotif.” A leitmotif is a short musical phrase or theme that signifies a particular character, item, place, or idea. In the Lieutenant Kijé suite, it’s a simple bugle theme, signifying the title character. This theme appears throughout the suite, depicting Kijé in a variety of scenarios and settings.

Then, we pay tribute to the many instances of existing classical music being used in film scores to convey just the right emotional message. New Jersey Symphony favorite Min Kwon joins the orchestra to perform the middle movement, “Adagio sostenuto” from Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, which was used famously throughout the film Brief Encounter.

In the second half, we pay tribute to another famous classical music moment from the movies – “Ride of the Valkyries” from Richard Wagner’s opera Die Walküre, used prominently in Apocalypse Now. Wagner was a prolific user of leitmotifs in his operas, paving the way for our next composer: John Williams, arguably the most prolific and beloved film composer across the entire history of the medium. We spend the rest of the second half on this particular composer’s legacy, exploring the way his sound was shaped by the composers that came before him, as well as his mastery of the leitmotif. To that end, we’ll hear several character themes from the Star Wars films as well as Hedwig’s Theme from the Harry Potter films. Each of these themes is expertly crafted to suit the character and his or her dramatic arc – some of the themes even contain hidden (or perhaps not so hidden) references to other musical leitmotifs in Williams’ scores – take for example the end of Anakin’s theme, which references Darth Vader’s “Imperial March,” foreshadowing Anakin’s descent into the dark side. We end our tribute to film music with none other than the Main Title from Star Wars, harkening back to the Korngold fanfare that we heard at the very beginning of the program. While John Williams’ sound is unmistakable, it was clearly shaped by the film composers that came before him.

—Erin Lunsford Norton, Vice President of Artistic Planning

Artist Bios

Artist Bio: Xian Zhang, conductor: Xian Zhang is currently in her eighth season as music director of the New Jersey Symphony, which celebrated its centennial last season. Zhang also holds the positions of principal guest conductor of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and conductor emeritus of Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, having previously held the position of music director between 2009–2016.

In high demand as a guest conductor, Zhang juggles an exceptionally busy diary of guest engagements alongside her titled commitments. Throughout 2024, she conducts Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Anthony Minghella’s acclaimed production features a starry cast with Aleksandra Kurzak, Eleanora Buratto and Asmik Grigorian sharing the role of Cio-Cio-San, and Matthew Polezani as Pinkerton.

Following a busy summer 2023 season which saw her conducting Boston Symphony at Tanglewood, Zhang’s upcoming symphonic highlights include returns to the Philadelphia Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, Houston Symphony, Orchestra of St. Luke’s and National Symphony Orchestra (D.C.). Zhang remains a popular guest of London Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, NAC Ottawa, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Belgian National Orchestra and Norwegian Opera where she returned last season for Puccini’s Tosca.

Letters for The Future (released 2022), Zhang’s recording on Deutsche Grammophon with Philadelphia Orchestra and Time for Three, won multiple GRAMMY® awards in both the Best Contemporary Classical Composition (Kevin Puts’ Contact) and Best Classical Instrumental Solo categories.

Zhang previously served as principal guest conductor of the BBC National Orchestra & Chorus of Wales, the first female conductor to hold a titled role with a BBC orchestra. In 2002, she won first prize in the Maazel-Vilar Conductor’s Competition. She was appointed New York Philharmonic’s Assistant Conductor in 2002, subsequently becoming their Associate Conductor and the first holder of the Arturo Toscanini Chair.
Artist Bio: Jessica Rivero Altarriba, conductor (New Jersey Symphony 2023–24 Colton Conducting Fellow): An emerging Latin American conductor, Jessica Rivero Altarriba stands out for her charisma and enthusiasm on the podium. Altarriba is particularly interested in composers of the Classical era as well as contemporary music. Hailing from Cuba, Altarriba appreciates the communal culture of music-making, and she believes that music has the ability to transform lives.

Altarriba is the first-ever Colton Conducting Fellow for the New Jersey Symphony in the 2023–24 season, and in this role will serve as cover conductor for subscription performances as well as conducting select performances. Other upcoming performances in the 2023–24 season include the National Orchestral Institute + Festival and the Chicago Sinfonietta.

In the United States, Altarriba has appeared on the podium with the Peabody Symphony Orchestra and has also worked with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Abroad, Altarriba has appeared as guest conductor with Lüneburg Symphoniker in Germany and has also worked with Málaga Camerata and Virtuós Mediterrani in Spain. In her native Cuba, Altarriba served as Music Director of the Eastern Symphony Orchestra in Santiago de Cuba, and has appeared as guest conductor with several orchestras and contemporary music ensembles across the country, including a collaboration with the composition department of the Arts University, in which she premiered several new works. In addition, Altarriba’s dedication to training younger musicians led to her appointment as the Music Director of Amadeo Roldán Conservatory and Esteban Salas Symphony Orchestra. Altarriba’s presence in Cuban musical festivals in the last five years includes the Festival a Tempo con Caturla, Havana Jazz Plaza, Contemporary Music Festival, Festival Mozart Habana and Arts Festival, where she was awarded the first prize for young conductors.

Altarriba holds a bachelor’s degree in conducting from the Arts University in Havana, Cuba. She is currently completing her master’s degree at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, under the mentorship of Marin Alsop. She is the recipient of the Excellence in Music Leadership Fellowship at Peabody Institute.

The Colton Conducting Fellowship is made possible by a generous gift from Judith and Stewart Colton.
Artist Bio: Brett Boles, host: Brett Boles is an award-winning musical theatre songwriter and music director. As a vocal arranger, Brett works regularly with Randy Rainbow, and has done vocal arrangements for Seth Rudetsky, arranging work for Stephanie Mills and Orfeh for the Concerts for America series. He is a proud member of the Tony-honored BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, and the Dramatists Guild of America. Brett is also the founder of Transformational Songwriting, helping songwriters master their craft and connect with their audiences, as well as creator and host of YouTube Channel The M Tea! (Musical Theater, Music Teacher, Music Theory, Musical Tea). Through his internet presence, including TikTok and Instagram, Brett’s mission is to teach you WHY you love the songs you love and to demystify the songwriting process — all while keeping it fun and entertaining.
Artist Bio: Min Kwon, piano: Korean-born American pianist Min Kwon excels in a versatile career that encompasses concerti, solo recitals, and chamber music appearances, while in high demand around the world as pedagogue, arts advocate, and administrator. She has held professional engagements in over 60 countries on seven continents and all 50 U.S. states. Professor of Piano at Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University since 2002, Dr. Kwon is also the founder and director of the Center for Musical Excellence (CME), a non-profit dedicated to mentoring and supporting gifted young musicians. As soloist, Min Kwon has performed extensively in Europe, North and South America, and Asia, with such orchestras as Philadelphia, North Carolina, Atlanta, New Jersey, and Fort Worth, Aspen Festival Orchestra, Orquesta Estaudo Mexico, Orquesta Sinfónica Venezuela, Wiener Residenz Orchester, Bacau Philharmonic, as well as all major orchestras in Korea on several nationally televised concerts. Among the distinguished conductors with whom she has collaborated are James Conlon, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Alan Gilbert, Vaktang Jordania, Gerhardt Zimmerman, and Xian Zhang.

Min Kwon holds Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School and a Bachelor of Music degree from The Curtis Institute of Music, completing post-doctoral studies in Salzburg. She counts among her teachers and mentors Eleanor Sokoloff, Martin Canin, Leon Fleisher, Hans Leygraf, Dorothy DeLay, Jerome Lowenthal, and Leif Ove Andsnes. Kwon is a Steinway Artist.