Princeton Symphony Orchestra
All performances take place at Richardson Auditorium on Princeton University’s campus. Tickets are $35 and up. 609-497-0020 or www.princetonsymphony.org.
The Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) has announced a 2024-’25 season that is a celebration of both classical music and the 60th birthday of music director Rossen Milanov with a lineup that highlights numerous talented guest performers.
“I’m thrilled and excited to celebrate with the musicians of Princeton Symphony by performing works by some of my favorite composers,” Milanov says. “This season promises to bring to life spectacular music, with emotionally charged performances by passionate artists that I love to share the concert stage with.”
The season opener features the PSO debut of young violinist Aubree Oliverson in performances of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. Princeton composer Gemma Peacocke’s “Manta” draws inspiration from nature’s magnificent manta ray. Peacocke, a native of New Zealand, is a graduate student in music and humanistic studies at Princeton University. Brahms’ sweeping fourth and final symphony concludes the program. Saturday, September 14, 8 p.m., and Sunday, September 15, 4 p.m.
For its next concert the PSO draws from its own roster, highlighting concertmaster Basia Danilow and principal cellist Alistair MacRae joined by pianist Steven Beck in Beethoven’s “Triple” Concerto. 2023 Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Michael Abels, well known for his film scores, takes inspiration from Vivaldi for his “More Seasons.” Prokofiev’s first symphony channels the classical style and bears the hallmarks of the composer’s unmistakable voice. Saturday, October 19, 8 p.m., and Sunday, October 20, 4 p.m.
Princeton University Concerts
All concerts take place in Richardson Auditorium on the Princeton University campus. concerts.princeton.edu or 609-258-2800.
Princeton University Concerts offers 22 programs as part of its 2024-’25 season, spanning from September through April, including its concert classics series, performance up close, the return of healing with music, and several special and family-oriented events.
“At Princeton University Concerts, we are continually exploring the endless possibilities of what chamber music might encompass in the hands of the world’s best musicians, from the most established to the trailblazing next generation,” says PUC Director Marna Seltzer. The upcoming season offers musical experiences that have seldom been a part of PUC’s 131 years of programming including classical guitar, jazz vocals sung to harpsichord and theorbo, solo lute, saxophone, guitar, kamancheh, pipa, and tabla, noted a statement from PUC.
Events on the fall concert classics calendar include:
Pianist Benjamin Grosvenor performs Johannes Brahms’ Intermezzi, Op. 117, Robert Schumann’s Fantasie in C Major, Op. 17, and Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures At An Exhibition.” $30 to $50. Thursday, November 7, 7:30 p.m.
The Belcea and Ébène String Quartets join forces to present two monumental works: Felix Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20, and George Enescu’s Octet in C Major, Op. 7. $30 to $50. Wednesday, November 13, 7:30 p.m.
Violinist Janine Jansen and pianist Denis Kozhukjhin make their PUC debuts with a program featuring Robert Schumann’s Violin Sonata No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 105, Clara Schumann’s Three Romances, Op. 22, and Johannes Brahms’ Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 100 and Violin Sonata No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 108. $30 to $50. Wednesday, December 11, 7:30 p.m.
The first special event on the PUC calendar is the world premiere of “Book of Ayre: A Fusion of Early Music & Jazz” by jazz vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant. She is accompanied by an ensemble of renowned improvisers from genres spanning early music, jazz, folk, and electronic music to create a new type of folk song inspired by timeless and universal stories. This original fusion of Baroque music, vaudeville, Sappho, and folkloric material of Europe and the Americas includes Sullivan Fortner on piano, harpsichord, and keyboards; Emi Ferguson on flute; Dušan Balarin on theorbo and lute; Yasushi Nakamura on bass; and Keita Ogawa on percussion. $35 to $60. Wednesday, October 9, 7:30 p.m.
Next is pianist Igor Levit, who made his PUC debut nine years ago and makes his first return trip to perform J.S. Bach’s Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 903; Johannes Brahms’ Ballades, Op. 10; and Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92, arranged by Franz Liszt. $35 to $60. Wednesday, October 30, 7:30 p.m.
The Isidore String Quartet makes its PUC debut in the first of four concerts in the Performances Up Close series. Their program includes Bill Childs’ String Quartet No. 3, “Unrequited”; Ruth Crawford Seeger’s String Quartet (1931); and W.A. Mozart’s String Quartet No. 19 in C Major, K. 465 “Dissonance.” $40. Wednesday, November 20, 6 and 9 p.m.
The first two of three events in this season’s Healing with Music series take place this fall. They start with clarinetist Kinan Azmeh and illustrator Kevork Mourad, who present “Home Within – An Audio-Visual Response to the Syrian Revolution.” $25. Thursday, September 26, 7:30 p.m.
Next, pianist Igor Levit returns for “Citizen-European-Pianist-Activist,” a program that is “a conversation permeated by live performance,” moderated by NPR correspondent Deborah Amos and centered on Levit’s commitment to using his platform and artistry for the betterment of the world. $25. Sunday, November 3, 3 p.m.
The university’s resident ensemble, the Richardson Chamber Players, performs a “program of songs with and without words written by female composers on both sides of the Atlantic” in its first of two concerts for the 2024-’25 season. $15. Sunday, November 24, 3 p.m.
Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey
www.capitalphilharmonic.org
The Trenton-based orchestra starts its season with “American Stories: Opening Night!” The program includes Joan Tower’s “Made in America” and Florence Price’s “Ethiopia’s Shadow in America,” both conducted by Ruth Ochs; and George Gershwin’s “Porgy & Bess” conducted by Vinroy D. Brown, Jr. Featured soloists are Heather Hill, soprano, and Keith Spencer, baritone. $24 to $50. Patriots Theater at the War Memorial, 1 Memorial Drive, Trenton. Saturday, October 19, 7:30 p.m.
The orchestra also offers a “Musicians’ Choice Chamber Concert Series” at various venues in the Trenton area.
First up is “A Centennial Celebration of Gabriel Fauré” with voice, piano, violin, viola, and cello at the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie in Trenton’s Cadwalader Park. Sunday, October 6, 3 p.m.
Next is “Mixed Media: Winds & Strings” with flute, oboe, violin, viola, and cello at Turning Point United Methodist Church, 15 South Broad Street, Trenton. $25. Sunday, November 17, 3 p.m.
McCarter Theater
91 University Place, Princeton. 609-258-2787 or www.mccarter.org.
South Korean classical pianist Yunchan Lim, who in 2022 became the youngest ever gold medalist at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, performs a program scheduled to include two works by Felix Mendelssohn, Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “The Seasons,” and Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.” Sold out at press time. Wednesday, November 6, 7:30 p.m.
The Renaissance Quartet, a Juilliard-trained and Itzhak Perlman-mentored ensemble led by violinists Randall Goosby and Jeremiah Blacklow, along with violist Jameel Martin and cellist Daniel Hass, adds contemporary flair to classical favorites. Their program includes Felix Mendelssohn’s Quartet No. 1 in E flat, Op. 12; Leoš Janáček’s Quartet No. 1 “Kreutzer Sonata”; and Daniel Hass’ Quartet No. 1 “Love and Levity.” $43 to $73. Thursday November 21, 7:30 p.m.
New Jersey Symphony
www.njsymphony.org
The New Jersey Symphony appears in venues throughout the state, with one scheduled stop at Princeton University’s Richardson Auditorium this fall for a performance of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade” conducted by NJS music director Xian Zhang. The program also includes Gabriela Ortiz’s “Kauyumari” and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17. Pianist Inon Barnatan makes a guest appearance. $29 to $110. Friday, November 1, 8 p.m.
Capital Singers of Trenton
www.capitalsingers.org or 609-434-2781
The choral group’s women’s ensemble presents “Under Heaven,” celebrating the music of Mark Hayes, Rollo Dilworth, Romona Luegen, and B.E. Boykin. The performance will be followed by a reception honoring women’s ensemble conductor Ellen Dondero, who is retiring. Sacred Heart Church, 343 South Broad Street, Trenton. Free will offering. Sunday, November 17, 4 p.m.
Boheme Opera
www.bohemeopera.org
Boheme Opera has several area events in advance of its spring main stage production of Verdi’s “Il Trovatore.” These include a 36th season grand opening dinner featuring “Opera, Broadway, and Cabaret” at Marsilio’s Kitchen, 71 West Upper Ferry Road, Ewing, on Sunday, September 22, as well as a series of lectures at the Monroe Township Library.
Those begin with “Bewitched — Iconic Songs of Rodgers & Hart” on Thursday, November 14, at 1 p.m., and “Bernstein — The Most Beautiful Sound” on Monday, December 16, at 1 p.m. A performance, “Bernstein — From Opera to Broadway,” takes place Sunday, December 8, at 3 p.m. in Mildred and Ernest E. Mayo Concert Hall on the campus of The College of New Jersey.
Princeton Pro Musica
www.princetonpromusica.org
Princeton Pro Musica’s fall concert, “The Creation,” features Franz Joseph Haydn’s masterful oratorio based on the Book of Genesis. $16 to $81. Richardson Auditorium, Princeton University, Sunday, November 10, 4 p.m.
The Princeton Singers
www.princetonsingers.org
In their fall concert, “Horizons,” under the artistic direction of Steven Sametz, the Princeton Singers present works of Australian, European, South African composers, and music of the Americas exploring the influences of indigenous music on classically trained composers. The program includes music of Australian composers Sarah Hopkins, Stephen Leek, Canadian Lydia Adams, Antonin Dvorak, Native American Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, and Afro-American Spirituals. Art on Hulfish, 11 Hulfish Street, Princeton. $40. Sunday, October 20, 7 p.m.
Princeton University Music Department
Programs held in Richardson Auditorium unless otherwise noted. music.princeton.edu.
A John Cage Celebration with Sō Percussion features favorite works such as the ultra-virtuosic, genre-defining “Third Construction” mixed with ethereal chance-based pieces to express the huge range of Cage’s ideas and influence. Other composers featured include Pauline Oliveros, Jason Treuting, Caroline Shaw, claire rousay, Pamela Z, and Dan Deacon. Free. Tuesday, September 24, 7:30 p.m.
The Princeton University Orchestra performs its fall concert under the direction of conductor Michael Pratt. The program is TBA. $15. Saturday, October 5, 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, October 6, 3 p.m.
In the Footsteps of Béla Bartók: Music of Asia Minor is inspired by the groundbreaking research carried out by ethnomusicologist and composer Béla Bartók in the 1930s. The concert juxtaposes compositions for string quartet and traditional Turkish instruments. Princeton faculty violinist Anna Lim explores the influence of Bartók on the music of his contemporaries, including Saygun and Akses. Turkish composers Erberk Eryılmaz and Mahir Cetiz offer new chamber works and co-moderate the program. Taplin Auditorium, Fine Hall. Free. Monday, October 7, 7:30 p.m.
The Princeton University Glee Club performs with the South Africa-based Ndlovu Youth Choir. $15. Saturday, October 26, 7:30 p.m.
Princeton Sound Kitchen, a group of graduate student composers, presents Mixtape, a presentation of original compositions. Taplin Auditorium, Fine Hall. Free. Tuesdays, October 22 and 29, 8 p.m.
In another Princeton Sound Kitchen offering, James Moore presents a set of compositions for his acoustic ensemble The Hands Free. The set will feature a new song cycle on texts by Irish language poet Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill with English translations by Paul Muldoon. Taplin Auditorium, Fine Hall. Free. Thursday, October 31, 8 p.m.
Westminster Choir College
www.rider.edu/arts
Westminster Choir presents Evensong, a concert following the ancient liturgy, anchored by Herbert Howells’ Westminster Service, with sung “lessons” focused on themes of exile and refugee-ism, from Babylon to today, through choral works of the French Baroque and the 21st century. Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 801 West State Street, Trenton. Free. Saturday, October 12, 8 p.m.
A series of Westminster faculty recitals kicks off with Ritmos y Raíces: Celebrating Latin American Music. The program features works by contemporary composers Guido López Gavillán (Cuba), Miguel Astor (Venezuela), Darwin Aquino (Dominican Republic), Johanny Navarro and Ernesto Cordero (Puerto Rico), along with songs from Brazil, Haiti, Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru. Gill Chapel, Rider University, 2083 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville. Free. Sunday, October 13, 4 p.m.
Next is Behind the Music…Stories and Songs, which features compositions by associate professor Tom Shelton, with song cycles performed by faculty members Bryan Hymmel and Elizabeth Sutton. Choral works will be presented by the Rider University Chorale and the Princeton Girlchoir Semi-Tones Ensemble. Gill Chapel, Rider University, 2083 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville. Free. Friday, October 18, 7:30 p.m.
The Westminster Jubilee Singers present Make A Joyful Noise featuring the works of Smith Moore, Garrett, Parker, Clark, And James. Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville, 2688 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrence. $25. Sunday, October 20, 3 p.m.
Westminster Chapel Choir presents “Sanctuary,” a performance that spans 500 years of choral singing, from the familiar sounds of Bach and Brahms, to the contemporary ideas of Ayanna Woods and Adolphus Hailstork. Gill Chapel, Rider University, 2083 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville. $20. Saturday, October 26, 7:30 p.m.
Westminster Opera Theatre presents Johann Strauss, Jr.’s “Die Fledermaus.” In the glittering ballroom of Prince Orlofsky’s villa, secrets unravel as disguises are shed, hearts are exposed, and alliances shift in a whirlwind of passion and deception. Yvonne Theater, Rider University, 2083 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville. $25. Friday and Saturday, November 15 and 16, 7:30 p.m.
Westminster Choir’s “the national anthems” is a concert of contemporary works that explore themes of national identity and immigration. In David Lang’s “the national anthems,” we hear the surprisingly unifying themes of fear and sorrow, while in Caroline Shaw’s “To the Hands,” we consider our role in the diasporas of our time. Gill Chapel, Rider University, 2083 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville. $20. Sunday, November 24, 6 p.m.
