From left, Daniel Lacombe, Neeme Järvi and Hugh Wolff will conduct New Jersey Symphony concerts in its upcoming season.
The New Jersey Symphony will welcome back former music directors Neeme Järvi, Jacques Lacombe and Hugh Wolff — as well as former assistant conductor Gemma New and former interim music director George Manahan — to conduct concerts in its 2022-23 centennial season. “I really think it’s a way to show that we treasure our own history,” said current music director Xian Zhang after the orchestra’s March 10 performance at NJPAC in Newark.
Zhang’s contract, meanwhile, has been extended through the 2027-28 season.
The season, announced March 10, will feature guest soloists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Yefim Bronfman, Michelle Cann, Randall Goosby, Hilary Hahn and Daniil Trifonov; world premieres of works by Daniel Bernard Roumain, Steven Mackey, Chen Yi and Darryl Kubian; collaborations with New Jersey Ballet and Nimbus Dance: film-plus-live music presentations of “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back,” “Jaws” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2”; and celebrations of gospel music, Bollywood music and the Lunar New Year.
CHERYLYNN TSUSHIMA
XIAN ZHANG
Zhang said that ever since she took over the orchestra, for its 2016-17 season, “I knew the centennial was coming … it’s a huge responsibility for an orchestra of this size, to celebrate 100 years. … Initially, I really wanted to honor our history and the tradition. At the same time, I wanted to bring something new — something unusual, something you don’t see often on the stage. … I think we’ve really succeeded in doing so.”
Mackey’s new work, “RIOT,” will feature original texts by former United States poet laureate Tracy K. Smith, with performances by the Princeton University Glee Club, mezzo-soprano Alicia Olatuja and Mackey himself on guitar.
Kubian, who is also a New Jersey Symphony violinist, has written a triple concerto for horn, trumpet and cello that will feature three Symphony musicians: principal horn Chris Komer, principal trumpet Garth Greenup and assistant principal cello Nayoung Baek.
The season will begin in October, with three concerts featuring Bronfman playing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, and end in June 2023, with three featuring Bell playing Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1
Subscriptions are now on sale. Single tickets will go on sale in August. Visit njsymphony.org.
Here is the schedule:
Yefim Bronfman Plays Rachmaninoff
Oct. 7, 8 p.m.: Prudential Hall at NJPAC, Newark
Oct. 8, 8 p.m.: Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank
Oct. 9, 3 p.m.: Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown
Xian Zhang, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano
Nimbus Dance (Oct. 7 and 9 only)
Jessie Montgomery, New Work (New Jersey Symphony Co-Commission)
Copland, Appalachian Spring (Complete Ballet)
Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 3
Xian Zhang Conducts Brahms
Oct. 20, 1:30 p.m. and Oct. 23, 3 p.m.: Prudential Hall at NJPAC, Newark
Oct. 21, 8 p.m.: Richardson Auditorium at Princeton University
Xian Zhang, conductor
Michelle Cann, piano
Dorothy Chang, Northern Star
Strauss, Burleske for Piano and Orchestra
Brahms, Symphony No. 4
The Newark concerts will also feature readings by poets participating in The Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival.
“Jaws” in Concert
Oct. 28, 8 p.m. at Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank
Oct. 29, 8 p.m. at Prudential Hall at NJPAC, Newark
Oct. 30, 3 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Nicholas Hersh, conductor
Score by John Williams
JASON BELL
YO-YO MA
Centennial Gala and Concert
Nov. 12, 7:30 p.m. at Prudential Hall at NJPAC, Newark
Xian Zhang, conductor
Yo-Yo Ma, cello
New Jersey Ballet
Wynton Marsalis, Herald, Holler and Hallelujah (New Jersey Symphony Co-Commission)
Dvořák, Cello Concerto
Ginastera, Four Dances from Estancia
Jessie Montgomery & Mozart
Nov. 17, 1:30 p.m. at Prudential Hall at NJPAC, Newark
Nov. 19, 8 p.m. at Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank
Nov. 20, 3 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
George Manahan, conductor
Awadagin Pratt, piano
Mozart, Symphony No. 38, “Prague”
Jessie Montgomery, Rounds for Piano and String Orchestra
Strauss, Suite from Le bourgeois gentilhomme
Hugh Wolff Conducts Beethoven & Mozart
Dec. 2, 8 p.m. and Dec. 4, 3 p.m. at Prudential Hall at NJPAC, Newark
Hugh Wolff, conductor
Richard Goode, piano
Beethoven, Egmont Overture
Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 25
Aaron Jay Kernis, Symphony No. 2
Ravel, La valse
A Joyful Noise!
Dec. 3, 2 p.m. at Victoria Theater at NJPAC, Newark
Gospel music
Handel’s Messiah
Dec. 16, 8 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium at Princeton University
Dec. 18, 7 p.m. at Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Newark
Xian Zhang, conductor
Ying Fang, soprano
Maya Lahyani, mezzo-soprano
Miles Mykkanen, tenor
Nicholas Newton, bass-baritone
Montclair State University Prima Voce (Heather J. Buchanan, director)
DARIO ACOSTA
DANIIL TRIFONOV
Daniil Trifonov Performs Brahms
Jan. 6, 8 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium at Princeton University
Jan. 7, 8 p.m. at Prudential Hall at NJPAC, Newark
Jan. 8, 3 p.m. at Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown
Xian Zhang, conductor
Daniil Trifonov, piano
Brahms, Piano Concerto No. 2
Strauss, Don Juan
Strauss, Suite from Der Rosenkavalier
Lunar New Year Celebration
Jan. 21, 7:30 p.m. at Prudential Hall at NJPAC, Newark
Xian Zhang, conductor
DANA VAN LEEUWEN
HILARY HAHN
Hilary Hahn & Xian Zhang Unite!
Jan. 28, 8 p.m. at Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank
Jan. 29, 3 p.m. at Prudential Hall at NJPAC, Newark
Xian Zhang, conductor
Hilary Hahn, violin
Coleridge-Taylor, Ballade in A Minor
Sibelius, Violin Concerto
Prokofiev, Symphony No. 5
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” in Concert
Feb. 4, 2 p.m. at Prudential Hall at NJPAC, Newark
Score by Alexandre Desplat
The Best of John Williams: Symphony Celebration
Feb. 24, 8 p.m. at Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank
Feb. 25, 8 p.m. at Prudential Hall at NJPAC, Newark
Feb. 26, 3 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Damon Gupton, conductor
Themes from “Harry Potter,” “Jaws,” “Star Wars,” “Jurassic Park” and more.
Mahler’s Symphony No. 3
March 3, 8 p.m. and March 5, 3 p.m. at Prudential Hall at NJPAC, Newark
Xian Zhang, conductor
Kelley O’Conner, mezzo-soprano
Montclair State University Prima Voce (Heather J. Buchanan, director)
Mahler, Symphony No. 3
New Jersey Symphony Stars
March 16, 1:30 p.m. at Prudential Hall at NJPAC, Newark
March 17, 8 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium at Princeton University
March 19, 3 p.m. at Mayo Performing Arts Center, Moristown
Xian Zhang, conductor
Eric Wyrick, violin
Ha Young Jung, bass
Chris Komer, horn
Garth Greenup, trumpet
Nayoung Baek, cello
Rossini, Overture to The Barber of Seville
Darryl Kubian, Triple Concerto (World Premiere, New Jersey Symphony Commission)
Bottesini, Gran Duo Concertante
Bizet, Selections from L’Arlesienne, Suites Nos. 1 & 2
Neeme Järvi Conducts Tchaikovsky
March 25, 8 p.m. and March 26, 3 p.m. at Prudential Hall at NJPAC, Newark
Neeme Järvi, conductor
Arvo Pärt, Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten
Still, Symphony No. 1, “Afro-American”
Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 4
Fauré’s Requiem with Jacques Lacombe
March 30, 1:30 p.m. and March 31, 8 p.m. at Prudential Hall at NJPAC, Newark
April 2, 3 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Jacques Lacombe, conductor
Montclair State University Chorale (Heather J. Buchanan, director)
Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin
Walker, Lilacs
Fauré, Requiem
STEVEN MACKEY
Steven Mackey & Mozart
April 21, 8 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium at Princeton University
April 22, 8 p.m. at Prudential Hall at NJPAC, Newark
April 23, 3 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Xian Zhang, conductor
Felicia Moore, soprano
Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano
Alicia Olatuja, mezzo-soprano
Sean Panikkar, tenor
Nathan Berg, bass-baritone
Steven Mackey, electric guitar
Princeton University Glee Club (Gabriel Crouch, director)
Mozart, Symphony No. 25
Steven Mackey, RIOT (World Premiere, New Jersey Symphony Commission)
Mozart, Overture to Don Giovanni
Bruckner, Te Deum
Symphonie fantastique
April 27, 1:30 p.m. at Prudential Hall at NJPAC, Newark
April 29, 8 p.m. at Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank
April 30, 3 p.m. at Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown
Gemma New, conductor
George Li, piano
Sarah Gibson, warp & weft
Rachmaninoff, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Berlioz, Symphonie fantastique
Hooray for Bollywood!
May 13, 2 p.m. at Victoria Theater at NJPAC, Newark
“Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” in Concert
May 18, 7:30 p.m. at Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown
May 19, 8 p.m. at Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank
May 20, 8 p.m. at Prudential Hall at NJPAC, Newark
May 21, 3 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Constantine Kitsopoulos, conductor
Score by John Williams
LISA MARIE MAZZUCCO
JOSHUA BELL
Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto
June 1, 1:30 p.m. and June 3, 8 p.m. at Prudential Hall at NJPAC, Newark
June 2, 8 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium at Princeton University
June 4, 3 p.m. at State Theatre, New Brunswick
Xian Zhang, conductor
Randall Goosby, violin
Chen Yi, New Work (World Premiere, New Jersey Symphony Commission)
Stravinsky, Suite from Pulcinella
Tchaikovsky, Violin Concerto
Season Finale with Joshua Bell
June 9, 8 p.m. and June 11, 3 p.m. at Prudential Hall at NJPAC, Newark
June 10, 8 p.m. at Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank
Xian Zhang, conductor
Joshua Bell, violin
Daniel Bernard Roumain, New Work (World Premiere, New Jersey Symphony Commission)
Bruch, Violin Concerto No. 1
Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring
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