New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark

Hedonistic, audacious; the piece that established Strauss as a brilliant orchestrator and master of orchestral storytelling.

Britten wrote this turbulent, yet melodic, concerto in Canada as the storm clouds of World War II gathered in his native England.

Tuneful and majestic. Get carried away on the flowing currents of Schumann’s Third, which evokes the resplendent Rhine River.

French composer Milhaud heard jazz in Harlem during a 1922 visit and brought the sound back to Paris for this lively ballet based on African folk mythology.

Gershwin called this iconic piece “a musical kaleidoscope of America, of our vast melting pot, of our national pep, of our blues, our metropolitan madness.”

Florence Price was the first African-American female composer to be performed by major orchestras; her lush concerto skillfully blends classical and popular styles. Read an article from The New Yorker on the “The Rediscovery of Florence Price: How an African-American composer’s works were saved from destruction.”

Lavish, vibrant, iconic; tells the tale of the Firebird, whose power is brilliantly illustrated by the thrilling score.

French composer Milhaud heard jazz in Harlem during a 1922 visit and brought the sound back to Paris for this lively ballet based on African folk mythology.

Gershwin called this iconic piece “a musical kaleidoscope of America, of our vast melting pot, of our national pep, of our blues, our metropolitan madness.”

Florence Price was the first African-American female composer to be performed by major orchestras; her lush concerto skillfully blends classical and popular styles. Read an article from The New Yorker on the “The Rediscovery of Florence Price: How an African-American composer’s works were saved from destruction.”

Lavish, vibrant, iconic; tells the tale of the Firebird, whose power is brilliantly illustrated by the thrilling score.

Ever the prolific creator, Mozart wrote three piano concertos while working on The Marriage of Figaro. No. 22’s expanded orchestra heralded a new age in symphonic writing.

Gripping, one of the great program symphonies; forbidden romance is the subject of this musical tale, which follows its wizardly hero as he roams the Alps seeking transformation through forgetfulness.

Famous for its use in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, Strauss’ tone poem—dramatic, gorgeous, thrilling—is the kind of music musicians live to play.

Colorful, lively, embodying a love story for the ages. Schumann wrote this gorgeous concerto for his wife, Clara, who played the solo part in its premiere.

Scriabin applied his remarkable gift for orchestral color to this immersive ode to rapture, a showcase for the abundant gifts of Music Director Xian Zhang.

Each of the four wistful and elegant movements commemorates a friend who died in battle during World War I. The oboe shines throughout.

Grand yet nuanced; generations of listeners have loved this piece, and critics have judged it to be among Beethoven’s greatest and most innovative works.

Shostakovich composed this sardonic work at 18; it was an enormous success, instantly bringing him international attention.

Languid and sensual, suggesting the erotic reveries of a faun, the half-man, half-goat of Greek mythology.

“A celebration of life … and an explosion of happiness.” – Ingrid Fliter

Moody, foreboding; it captures the ocean at dawn, on Sunday morning, under moonlight and during a storm.

Vivid and imaginative. As a young boy, Debussy’s parents had wanted him to join the French Navy; instead, he captured his impressions of the ever-changing sea in this work.

Festive and virtuosic: 19th-century advances in the French horn made it possible for Schumann to compose the concerto. The NJSO’s horn section steps into the spotlight.

Named Musical America’s 2017 Composer of the Year while still in his 30s, Andrew Norman is one of his generation’s most celebrated composers, lauded by The Boston Globe for his “staggering imagination.”

Intricate, autumnal; the premiere of this ultimately satisfying masterpiece ignited a war of words in the press.

Samaagam means “confluence”; Western and Indian musical streams merge to propel this heartfelt, emotive work.

Sumptuous and brilliant; like its fabled heroine from One Thousand and One Nights, Scheherazade captivates with tales of adventure and romance.

Sassy, comedic and very British; in its debut, poet Edith Sitwell sat behind a screen and recited her poems set to music through a megaphone, scandalizing the audience.

Warm and tender; its sublime, melancholy Adagio speaks of heartbreak and acceptance.

Mozart’s second-to-last symphony crackles with a powerful dramatic tension, a musical “appeal to eternity” as his life was cut short.

Exciting and suspenseful; based on a medieval story of an Elf King who must search the globe for one faithful human couple.

“Music driven by energy, motion and joy of playing.” Mackey’s eclectic piece for violin and electric guitar includes hints of Radiohead, Chicago blues and much more.

Riveting and inspiring; its achingly lovely second movement was unforgettably featured in Children of a Lesser God as actress Marlee Matlin “heard” music.

Beethoven’s heroic and triumphant overture tells the story of his only opera, Fidelio, bringing this palindrome concert to a delightful close.