BENJAMIN EALOVEGA
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra music director Xian Zhang.
The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and its music director, Xian Zhang, have announced their 2020-21 season. Among the offerings will be:
• A Winter Festival with the theme of “Gershwin & the Sounds of America” …
• Guest appearances by violinists Joshua Bell and Jennifer Koh, pianists Conrad Tao and Aaron Diehl, conductor Gemma New and others …
• The continuation of the current season’s Beethoven 250 celebration (honoring the quarter-millennium anniversary of the composer’s birth) …
• The premiere of a jazz concerto with movements written by jazz musicians Christian McBride, Paquito D’Rivera, Vivian Li and Gary Morgan …
• And film-with-live-score presentations of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” (on Halloween), “Jurassic Park” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”
In addition to its usual venues, a new one — West Side Presbyterian Church in Ridgewood — will be the site of a May 2021 concert.
The season will run from October of this year until June of 2021. Subscriptions are currently available, with single tickets going on sale in August. For more information, visit njsymphony.org.
The orchestra’s next season (2021-22) will mark its centennial.
Here is the complete schedule:
JUERGEN FRANK
JENNIFER KOH
BEETHOVEN’S SEVENTH SYMPHONY
Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 11 at 3 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark; Oct. 10 at 8 p.m. at Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank
Xian Zhang, conductor; Jennifer Koh, violin
Beethoven’s Wellington’s Victory and Symphony No. 7; Tyshawn Sorey’s Work for Violin and Orchestra (World Premiere)
ZHANG CONDUCTS MOZART’S ‘JUPITER’
Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. at BergenPAC, Englewood; Oct. 16 at 8 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium, Princeton; Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark; Oct. 18 at 3 p.m. at Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown.
Xian Zhang, conductor; Bart Feller, flute; Jonathan Spitz, cello
Nielsen’s Flute Concerto; Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1; Mozart’s Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter”
BEETHOVEN’S BIRTHDAY BASH: THE COMPLETE VIOLIN SONATAS (PART 1)
Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Concert Hall at Drew University, Madison
Eric Wyrick, violin; Drew Petersen, piano
Beethoven’s Violin Sonatas 1–4
‘HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 2’ IN CONCERT
Oct. 31 at 2 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark.
TODD ROSENBERG
JORGE FEDERICO OSORIO
MOZART & BRAHMS
Nov. 5 at 1:30 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark; Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium, Princeton; Nov. 7 at 8 p.m. at Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank; Nov. 8 at 3 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Jun Märkl, conductor; Jorge Federico Osorio, piano
Schumann’s Overture to Genoveva; Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25; Brahms’ Symphony No. 3
FAMILY CONCERT: BRITTEN’S ‘THE YOUNG PERSON’S GUIDE TO THE ORCHESTRA’
Nov. 14 at 2 and 3:30 p.m. at NJPAC’s Victoria Theater, Newark
BEETHOVEN’S BIRTHDAY BASH: THE COMPLETE VIOLIN SONATAS (PART 2)
Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Concert Hall at Drew University, Madison.
Eric Wyrick, violin; Alan Feinberg, piano
Beethoven’s Violin Sonatas 5–7
‘JURASSIC PARK’ IN CONCERT
Nov. 27 at 8 p.m. at Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank; Nov. 28 at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark; Nov. 29 at 3 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Constantine Kitsopoulos, conductor
SUXIAO-YANG
AUGUSTIN HADELICH
BEETHOVEN’S VIOLIN CONCERTO
Dec. 4 at 8 p.m and Dec. 6 at 3 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark; Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Xian Zhang, conductor; Augustin Hadelich, violin
Jessie Montgomery’s Starburst; Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra; Beethoven’s Violin Concerto
BEETHOVEN’S BIRTHDAY BASH: THE COMPLETE VIOLIN SONATAS (PART 3)
Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Concert Hall at Drew University, Madison
Eric Wyrick, violin; Simone Dinnerstein, piano
Beethoven’s Violin Sonatas 8–10
HANDEL’S MESSIAH
Dec. 18 at 8 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium, Princeton; Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. at Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Newark
Ruth Reinhardt, conductor; Montclair State University Singers, Heather J. Buchanan, conductor
WINTER FESTIVAL: GERSHWIN & THE SOUNDS OF AMERICA, WEEK I
Jan. 15 at 8 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark; Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick; Jan. 17 at 3 p.m. at Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown.
Xian Zhang, conductor; Terrence Wilson, piano; Aaron Dworkin, narrator
Weill’s Suite From The Threepenny Opera; Gershwin’s Three Preludes for Solo Piano, “I Got Rhythm” Variations for Piano and Orchestra and An American in Paris; Coleridge-Taylor/Aaron Dworkin’s The American Rhapsody
JOHN ABBOTT
AARON DIEHL
WINTER FESTIVAL: GERSHWIN & THE SOUNDS OF AMERICA, WEEK II
Jan. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at BergenPAC, Englewood; Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark; Jan.24 at 3 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Fabien Gabel, conductor; Aaron Diehl, piano
Herrmann’s Suite From Vertigo; Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F; Ellington’s Harlem; Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
WINTER FESTIVAL: GERSHWIN & THE SOUNDS OF AMERICA, WEEK III
Jan. 29 at 8 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium, Princeton; Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. at Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank; Jan. 31 at NJPAC, Newark
Xian Zhang, conductor; Chris Komer, horn; Morgan State University Choir, Eric Conway, director
Paquito D’Rivera, Vivian Li, Christian McBride and Gary Morgan’s Jazz French Horn Concerto (World Premiere); Gershwin’s Selections from Porgy and Bess
LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION
Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
Xian Zhang, conductor
TCHAIKOVSKY’S VIOLIN CONCERTO
Feb. 25 at 1:30 p.m and Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark; Feb. 27 at 8 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick; Feb. 28 at 3 p.m. at Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown
Gemma New, conductor; Karen Gomyo, violin
Thomas Adès’ New Work (U.S. Premiere); Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto; Walton’s Symphony No. 1
MICHAEL PAVIA
TOM BORROW
ZHANG CONDUCTS MAHLER 7
March 6 at 8 p.m. and March 7 at 3 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
Xian Zhang, conductor; Tom Borrow, piano
Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20; Mahler’s Symphony No. 7
CHOPIN’S FIRST PIANO CONCERTO
March 11 at 1:30 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark; March 12 at 8 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium, Princeton; March 13 at 8 p.m. at Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank; March 14 at 3 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick.
Xian Zhang, conductor; Haochen Zhang, piano
Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No. 1; Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1; Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 2, “Little Russian”
‘STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI’ IN CONCERT
March 19 at 8 p.m. at Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank; March 20 at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark; March 21 at 3 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Constantine Kitsopoulos, conductor
BEETHOVEN’S FIFTH SYMPHONY
April 8 at 1:30 p.m. and April 10 at 8 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark; April 11 at 3 p.m. at Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown
Mario Venzago, conductor; Vadim Gluzman, violin
Gluck’s Selections from Armide; Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5
BRANTLEY GUTIERREZ
CONRAD TAO
CONRAD TAO PLAYS TCHAIKOVSKY
April 29 at 1:30 p.m., April 30 at 8 p.m. and May 2 at 3 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark; May 1 at 8 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Jader Bignamini, conductor; Conrad Tao, piano
Conrad Tao’s Spoonfuls for Piano and Orchestra (East Coast Premiere); Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9; Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1
MENDELSSOHN’S ‘ITALIAN SYMPHONY’
May 6 at 7:30 p.m. at West Side Presbyterian Church, Ridgewood; May 8 at 8 p.m. at Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank; May 9 at 3 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Xian Zhang, conductor; Brennan Sweet, violin, Elzbieta Weyman, viola; Kathleen Nester, piccolo
Rossini’s Overture to L’italiana in Algeri; Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola; Vivaldi’s Piccolo Concerto in C Major; Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4, “Italian”
FAMILY CONCERT: ‘THE COMPOSER IS DEAD’
May 15 at 2 and 3:30 p.m. at NJPAC’s Victoria Theater, Newark
ALMA DEUTSCHER
ALMA DEUTSCHER DEBUTS WITH THE NJSO
May 22 at 8 p.m. at Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank; May 23 at 3 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
Michael Francis, conductor; Alma Deutscher, violin, piano;
JOSHUA BELL RETURNS
June 10 at 1:30 p.m., June 12 at 8 p.m. and June 13 at 3 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark; June 11 at 8 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium, Princeton
Xian Zhang, conductor; Joshua Bell, violin
Rene Orth’s Chasing Light; Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1; Bloch’s Baal Shem for Violin and Orchestra; Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5
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