XIAN ZHANG
The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2016-17 season, its first with its new music director, Xian Zhang.
Sarah Chang, Pinchas Zukerman, Kirill Gerstein, Stefan Jackiw, Jennifer Koh and Yefim Bronfman will be among the guest performers, with special shows including a concert by Michael Cavanaugh (of the Broadway show “Movin’ Out”) focusing on the works of Elton John, and a screening of the movie “Radiers of the Lost Ark,” with live music from the orchestra.
Here is the season schedule. For more information, visit njsymphony.org.
OPENING WEEKEND WITH SARAH CHANG
TEDDY ABRAMS, conductor; SARAH CHANG, violin. BERNSTEIN, On the Town: Three Dance Episodes; PIAZZOLLA, The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires; RAVEL, Tzigane; COPLAND, Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes.
Sept. 23 and 25 at NJPAC, Newark; Sept. 24 at State Theatre, New Brunswick.
GRIEG PIANO CONCERTO WITH STEWART GOODYEAR
GEMMA NEW, conductor; STEWART GOODYEAR, piano. LILBURN, Aotearoa Overture; GRIEG, Piano Concerto; SIBELIUS, Symphony No. 2.
Oct. 6 at NJPAC, Newark; Oct. 7 at Richardson Auditorium, Princeton; Oct. 8 at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank; Oct. 9 at State Theatre, New Brunswick.
XIAN ZHANG DEBUTS AS MUSIC DIRECTOR
XIAN ZHANG, conductor; SIMON TRPČESKI , piano. TCHAIKOVSKY: Polonaise from Eugene Onegin; Piano Concerto No. 1; Symphony No. 5.
Oct. 27: at NJPAC, Newark; Oct. 28 at Richardson Auditorium, Princeton; Oct. 29 at State Theatre, New Brunswick; Oct. 30 at Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown.
ZHANG CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN & HAYDN
XIAN ZHANG, conductor; PEDJA MUZIJEVIC, piano; ERIC WYRICK, violin; JONATHAN SPITZ, cello. HAYDN, Adagio from Piano Trio No. 40; BEETHOVEN, Triple Concerto; HAYDN, Symphony No. 102; STRAUSS, Suite from Der Rosenkavalier.
Nov. 3 at BergenPAC, Englewood; Nov. 5-6 at NJPAC, Newark.
MICHAEL CAVANAUGH
MICHAEL CAVANAUGH: GREATEST HITS OF ELTON JOHN & MORE
MICHAEL CAVANAUGH, vocalist and keyboard.
Nov. 12 at NJPAC, Newark; Nov. 13 at State Theatre, New Brunswick.
PIRATES ON THE HIGH SEAS (Family Concert)
JEFFREY GROGAN, conductor.
Nov. 26 at NJPAC.
THANKSGIVING FEAST WITH MOZART & SCHUMANN
HANS GRAF, conductor; INON BARNATAN, piano. SMETANA, The Bartered Bride Overture; MOZART, Piano Concerto No. 21; SCHUMANN, Symphony No. 2.
Nov. 26 at NJPAC, Newark; Nov. 27 at State Theatre, New Brunswick.
HANDEL’S MESSIAH
GEORGE MANAHAN, conductor; PATRICIA SCHUMAN, soprano; MARY PHILLIPS, mezzo-soprano; RYAN MACPHERSON, tenor; DAVID PITTSINGER, bass-baritone. MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY SINGERS, Heather J. Buchanan, director. HANDEL, Messiah
Dec. 16 at Richardson Auditorium, Princeton; Dec. 18 at NJPAC, Newark.
‘RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK’
CONSTANTINE KITSOPOULOS, conductor.
Jan. 6 at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank; Jan. 7 at NJPAC, Newark; Jan. 8 at State Theatre, New Brunswick.
PINCHAS ZUKERMAN
WINTER FESTIVAL: ZUKERMAN PLAYS TCHAIKOVSKY
PINCHAS ZUKERMAN, conductor and violin soloist. TCHAIKOVSKY: “Melodie” from Souvenir d’un Lieu Cher; Sérénade Mélancolique; Serenade for Strings. MENDELSSOHN, Symphony No. 4, “Italian.”
Jan. 13 at NJPAC, Newark; Jan. 14 at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank; Jan. 15 at State Theatre, New Brunswick.
WINTER FESTIVAL: ZUKERMAN & BEETHOVEN’S VIOLIN CONCERTO
CHRISTIAN VÁSQUEZ, conductor; PINCHAS ZUKERMAN, violin. BARBER The School for Scandal Overture; BEETHOVEN, Violin Concerto; SAINT-SAËNS, Symphony No. 3, “Organ.”
Jan. 20 at Richardson Auditorium, Princeton; Jan. 21 at NJPAC, Newark; Jan. 22 at Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown.
WINTER FESTIVAL: ZUKERMAN PERFORMS BACH
PINCHAS ZUKERMAN, conductor and violin soloist. BACH, Violin Concerto No. 2; SCHOENBERG, Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night); BEETHOVEN, Symphony No. 3, “Eroica.”
Jan. 26 at BergenPAC, Englewood; Jan. 28 at State Theatre, New Brunswick; Jan. 29 at NJPAC, Newark.
DANCING & ROMANCING
JOAN HESS, vocalist and dancer; KIRBY WARD, vocalist and dancer; GEMMA NEW, conductor. Songs from the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals.
Feb. 10 at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank; Feb. 11 at NJPAC, Newark; Feb. 12 at State Theatre, New Brunswick.
‘PETER & THE WOLF’ (Family Concert)
GEMMA NEW, conductor. PROKOFIEV, Peter and the Wolf.
Feb. 11 at NJPAC, Newark.
KIRILL GERSTEIN
RACHMANINOFF’S SECOND PIANO CONCERTO
XIAN ZHANG, conductor. KIRILL GERSTEIN, piano. VERDI, Nabucco Overture; RACHMANINOFF, Piano Concerto No. 2; ELGAR, Enigma Variations.
Feb. 23 at BergenPAC, Englewood; Feb. 24 at NJPAC, Newark; Feb. 25 at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank; Feb. 26 at Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown.
ZHANG CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN’S SEVENTH
XIAN ZHANG, conductor. LUKÁŠ VONDRÁČEK, piano. PROKOFIEV, Classical Symphony; SHOSTAKOVICH, Piano Concerto No. 1; BEETHOVEN, Symphony No. 7.
March 23 and 25 at NJPAC, Newark; March 24 at Richardson Auditorium, Princeton; March 26 at Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown.
RAVEL’S BOLÉRO
XIAN ZHANG, conductor; DEREK FENSTERMACHER, tuba; YING LI and ZITONG WANG, piano. TAN DUN, Internet Symphony No. 1, “Eroica”; VAUGHAN WILLIAMS, Tuba Concerto; SAINT-SAËNS, Carnival of the Animals; RAVEL, Boléro.
April 7 and 9 at NJPAC, Newark; April 8 at State Theatre, New Brunswick.
ELLA & LOUIS
BYRON STRIPLING, trumpet; MARVA HICKS, vocalist; MICHAEL BUTTERMAN conductor. Music of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.
April 21 at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank; April 22 at NJPAC, Newark; April 23 at State Theatre, New Brunswick.
DVOŘÁK’S CHEERFUL EIGHTH SYMPHONY
DAVID DANZMAYR, conductor; STEFAN JACKIW, violin. PISTON, The Incredible Flutist; PROKOFIEV, Violin Concerto No. 2; DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 8.
April 27 at BergenPAC, Englewood; April 29-30 at NJPAC, Newark.
SCHUBERT’S ‘GREAT’ SYMPHONY
XIAN ZHANG, conductor; JENNIFER KOH, violin. MOZART, Così fan tutte Overture; SIBELIUS, Violin Concerto; SCHUBERT, Symphony No. 9, “Great.”
May 11 at NJPAC, Newark; May 12 at Richardson Auditorium, Princeton; May 13 at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank; May 14 at State Theatre, New Brunswick.
LET’S DANCE! (Family Concert)
JEFFREY GROGAN, conductor. PRINCETON YOUTH BALLET.
May 20 at NJPAC, Newark.
WARNER BROS. PRESENTS ‘BUGS BUNNY AT THE SYMPHONY’
Conducted by George Daugherty.
June 3 at NJPAC, Newark; June 4 at State Theatre, New Brunswick.
SEASON FINALE WITH ZHANG & BRONFMAN
XIAN ZHANG, conductor; YEFIM BRONFMAN, piano. BRAHMS, Piano Concerto No. 2; SHOSTAKOVICH, Symphony No. 5.
June 8-9 and 11 at NJPAC, Newark; June 10 at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank.
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