BENJAMIN EALOVEGA
The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra has announced its second season with Xian Zhang as music director.
As part of its 2017-18 season, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra will give its annual Winter Festival the theme of “America, Inspiring.”
“We will be celebrating composers who came to America and found their musical voices flourishing, just like I did when I came to study music in the United States,” said music director Xian Zhang — who grew up in China and is now a dual citizen of China and the United States — in a press release.
Works by composers such as Ravel, Rachmaninoff and Dvorak will be featured in the festival.
Other offerings, throughout the year, will include landmark works by composers such as Beethoven, Bach, Brahms and Mozart; a world premiere of a new work by composer Richard Danielpour; film-with-orchestra presentations of “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”; a Pops program featuring Jason Alexander singing Broadway songs; and family-oriented concerts (at NJPAC’s Victoria Theater).
Guest artists will include violinists Gil Shaham, Chloë Hanslip and Ning Feng and pianists Jeremy Denk, Stephen Hough, Robert Levin, Conrad Tao, George Li, Sara Daneshpour and Terrence Wilson.
For information, visit njsymphony.org.
Here is the season schedule:
OPENING WEEKEND: DENK PLAYS ‘EMPEROR’
Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
Oct. 8 at 3 p.m. at Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown
Xian Zhang, conductor
Jeremy Denk, piano
Beethoven: Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor”
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique
ZHANG CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN
Oct. 12 at 1:30 p.m. and Oct. 15 at 3 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
Oct. 13 at 8 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium, Princeton
Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank
Xian Zhang, conductor
Alban Gerhardt, cello
Kernis: Musica celestis
Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral”
BEETHOVEN’S FIFTH SYMPHONY
Nov. 2 at 1:30 and Nov. 4 at 8 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium, Princeton
Nov. 5 at 3 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Xian Zhang, conductor
Conrad Tao, piano
Beethoven: Overture to Coriolan
Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 3
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5
FAMILY — SHOOTING FOR THE STARS
Nov. 18 at 2 and 3:30 p.m. at Victoria Theater at NJPAC, Newark
Jeffrey Grogan, conductor
Music inspired by space, including Holst’s The Planets, the theme from “Star Trek” and more.
POPS — RADIO HITS LIVE: MUSIC OF ABBA, SIMON & GARFUNKEL, CHICAGO AND OTHERS
Nov. 25 at 8 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
Nov. 26 at 3 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Stuart Chafetz, conductor
HOUGH PLAYS RACHMANINOFF
Nov. 30 at 7:30 p.m. at BergenPAC, Englewood
Dec. 1 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 3 at 3 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Xian Zhang, conductor
Stephen Hough, piano
Rachmaninoff: Vocalise
Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 6
HANDEL’S MESSIAH
Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium, Princeton.
Dec. 17 at 3 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
Xian Zhang, conductor
Erin Wall, soprano
Nancy Maultsby, mezzo-soprano
Miles Mykkanen, tenor
Michael Sumuel, bass-baritone
Montclair State University Singers, Heather J. Buchanan, conductor
Handel: Messiah
POPS — SCI-FI SPECTACULAR: MUSIC FROM STAR WARS, STAR TREK AND BEYOND
Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
Jan. 7 at 3 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Marina Sirtis, host
Kristen Plumley, vocalist
WINTER FESTIVAL — AMERICA, INSPIRING: RESPIGHI & PROKOFIEV
Jan. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at BergenPAC, Englewood
Jan. 13 at 8 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
Jan. 14 at 3 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Xian Zhang, conductor
George Li, piano
Chen Yi: Ge Xu
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3
Respighi: Fountains of Rome
Respighi: Pines of Rome
WINTER FESTIVAL — AMERICA, INSPIRING: RAVEL & RACHMANINOFF
Jan. 19 at 8 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium, Princeton
Jan. 20 at 8 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Jan. 21 at 3 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
Andrew Constantine, conductor
Terrence Wilson, piano
Martinu: Thunderbolt P-47
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G Major
Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances
WINTER FESTIVAL — AMERICA, INSPIRING: DVORAK’S ‘NEW WORLD’ SYMPHONY
Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
Jan. 27 at 8 p.m. at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank
Jan. 28 at 3 p.m. at Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown
Xian Zhang, conductor
Chloë Hanslip, violin
Britten: Simple Symphony
Korngold: Violin Concerto
Dvorak: Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”
POPS — HOT LATIN NIGHTS WITH THE MAMBO KINGS
Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank
Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
Feb. 18 at 3 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
The Mambo Kings
Thomas Wilkins, conductor
Music by Astor Piazzolla, Tito Puente, Dave Brubeck, The Beatles and others.
BRAHMS’ FIRST SYMPHONY
Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at BergenPAC, Englewood
Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
Rune Bergmann, conductor
Marianne Beate Kielland, mezzo-soprano
Wagner: Overture to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Mahler: Songs of a Wayfarer
Brahms: Symphony No. 1
ZHANG CONDUCTS TCHAIKOVSKY
March 9 at 8 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
March 10 at 8 p.m at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank
March 11 at 3 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Xian Zhang, conductor
Sara Daneshpour, piano
Eric Wyrick, violin
Jonathan Spitz, cello
Robert Ingliss, oboe
Robert Wagner, bassoon
Tchaikovsky: Suite from Sleeping Beauty
Danielpour: Carnival of the Ancients for Piano and Orchestra (World Premiere)
Haydn: Sinfonia concertante
Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Rimini
MOZART’S REQUIEM
March 15 at 1:30 p.m. and March 17 at 8 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
March 16 at 8 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium, Princeton
March 18 at 3 p.m. at Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown
Xian Zhang, conductor
Soloists from the Curtis Institute of Music
Montclair State University Singers, Heather J. Buchanan, conductor
Mozart: Ave verum corpus
Rheinberger: Abendlied for a cappella chorus
Parry: Flame for a cappella chorus
Mozart: Requiem
POPS — JASON ALEXANDER: THE BROADWAY BOY
April 14 at 8 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
April 15 at 3 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Jason Alexander
Andy Einhorn, conductor
McGEGAN CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN AND MENDELSSOHN
April 20 at 8 p.m. and April 22 at 3 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
April 21 at 8 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Nicholas McGegan, conductor
Robert Levin, piano
Handel: Suite No. 2 in D Major from Water Music
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1
Levin: Improvisations
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 5, “Reformation”
MENDELSSOHN’S VIOLIN CONCERTO
May 3 at 7:30 p.m. at bergenPAC, Englewood
May 5 at 8 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
May 6 at 3 p.m. at Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown
Dima Slobedeniouk, conductor
Ning Feng, violin
Fagerlund: Isola
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
Sibelius: Symphony No. 5
FAMILY — PANDA-MONIUM: MUSIC FROM THE ANIMAL KINGDOM
May 12 at 2 and 3:30 p.m. at Victoria Theater at NJPAC, Newark
Jeffrey Grogan, conductor
Music by Tchaikovsky (Swan Lake), Stravinsky (The Firebird) and others
BACH’S COMPLETE BRANDENBURGS
May 17 at 1:30 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
May 18 at 8 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium, Princeton
May 19 at 8 p.m. at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank
May 20 at 3 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Eric Wyrick, leader and violin
Bach: Brandenburg Concertos Nos 1–6
POPS — ‘E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL’ IN CONCERT
June 1 at 8 p.m. at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank
June 2 at 8 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
June 3 at 3 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Constantine Kitsopoulos, conductor
SHAHAM PLAYS BRAHMS
June 7 at 1:30 p.m., June 8 at 8 p.m. and June 10 at 3 p.m. at NJPAC, Newark
June 9 at 8 p.m. at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank
Xian Zhang, conductor
Gil Shaham, violin
Bernstein: Overture to Candide
Brahms: Violin Concerto
Mahler: Symphony No. 1
