American Repertory Ballet Receives Prestigious Grant to Enhance Audience Engagement Activities

 Dec 14, 2011

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – American Repertory Ballet is pleased to announce that it is the recipient of a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The grant money will be used in support of a three-part seminar series aimed at engaging the community through the exploration of humanities and dance.

ARB’s program revolves around its new production of the ballet Romeo and Juliet, and is designed to give audiences insight into how various humanities disciplines interpret and communicate specific themes of the human condition. The three lecture-demonstrations will feature the expertise of local humanities scholars in the areas of musicology, literature and dance. It will also explore the three key themes of love vs. hate, passion vs. apathy, and familial and community responsibilities vs. individual desires, found in Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, which inspired the creation of the ballet of the same name.

The first program will take place at 5:15 PM on Friday, Jan. 6, 2012 at the Princeton Ballet School in Princeton, N.J. Professor Simon Morrison, Professor of Music at Princeton University, will be discussing the humanities subjects of musicology and music history in relation to Prokofiev’s score for the ballet, Romeo and Juliet.

The second program will take place at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, March 21, at the Rider University Theater in Lawrenceville, N.J. The program will discuss the literature and dance history of Romeo and Juliet.

The last installment of ARB’s humanities program will take place at 1:00 PM on Saturday, May 19, at the Victoria J. Mastrobuono Theater at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. ARB Company Director, Douglas Martin, will lead this third presentation, which will focus on the key themes as presented in Romeo and Juliet, the ballet.

This three-part seminar series is free and open to the general public. For more information regarding American Repertory Ballet’s humanities program, performances or other events, please visit www.arballet.org.
These programs are made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the New Jersey
 

Westminster Conservatory of Music Holds Benefit Concert Jan 7

 Dec 15, 2011

Westminster Conservatory of Music Holds Benefit Concert

The Westminster Conservatory of Music presents a benefit concert featuring award-winning students of Larissa Korkina: Molly Zhu, Alex Ge, Julian Edgren and Farshad Tahvildar -Zadeh on January 7th at 5p.m. at the Williamson Hall of Westminster Choir College of Rider University, 101 Walnut Lane, Princeton. The concert is free, but donations are greatly appreciated. Money will be raised for Dr. H. Korkina Scholarship Fund for dedicated students at Westminster Conservatory. For more information please call at (609) 497-2374 .

Alex Ge, a student at Montgomery High school, will be performing at the concert. Currently a junior, he started learning the piano when he was five years old. When he moved to Belle Mead, Alex began taking lessons from Ms. Korkina at Westminster Conservatory, and since then Alex has won numerous awards in competitions such as the American Fine Arts Festival and the Golden Key Music Festival. He has played in various concert halls such as Alice Tully Hall and Weill Hall in New York, and the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. In 2010, Alex received his advanced performance certificate from Trinity Guildhall. He also won his 10th consecutive year in the NJMTA High Honors recitals.

Presently, Alex is preparing for his ACTL diploma examination in the spring of 2012. Alex Ge also actively participates in community service in groups such as TCC, YMVA, and BMML by playing the piano and will continue to do so in the future. In high school, he is part of the MHS Jazz Band as its pianist and the MHS orchestra as the principle second violinist.

Gallery 14 January Exhibits January 6 – February 18

 Dec 22, 2011

Reception Friday January 6, 6– 8:30 PM
Meet the Photographers Sunday, January 8, 1-3 PM

Gallery 14 is pleased to present an exhibit by David Miller featuring his long term project photographing the barbershop and beauty parlor advertising portraits in a colorful interpretation of these works.
 

VOICES 24th Annual Music Composition Contest for Children ages 5 to 12

 Jan 16, 2012

VOICES Chorale announces that its annual Children’s Music Composition Contest will culminate in a Young Composer Concert on April 17, 2012, 7 pm, at Music Together in Hopewell, NJ. The deadline for contest entries is March 1.

Children ages 5 to 12 are invited to compose a piece of music with a vocal element for a soloist or choral ensemble, either unaccompanied or with instrumental accompaniment. The music can be written down in any kind of notation, formal or invented. Parents, piano teachers, and music teachers are invited to support, but not edit, the child’s composition, as children hear things in their own imaginations differently from adults. Please submit a recording and three written copies of the child’s music (with the child’s name and age, assisting adult’s name, phone number, address, and child’s background in music), together with a $12.00 processing fee, to:

VOICES Composition Contest, P.O. Box 404, Pennington, NJ 08534

Deadline for submissions: March 1, 2012
 

February 2012 Arts calendar

 Jan 21, 2012

Princeton University Concerts

German Violinist Julia Fischer Makes Princeton Debut With Pianist Milana Chernyavska
Feb 16, 8 pm Princeton University Concerts (PUC) continues its 2011/2012 season with the young violin virtuoso Julia Fischer making her Princeton debut with pianist Milana Chernyavska, in Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall. The program will feature works by Mozart, Schubert and Debussy, and Saint-Saens. An ensemble of Princeton Students will play a musical preview concert at 7pm, free to ticketholders.

Princeton Symphony Orchestra
Feb 5 Classical Series Concert
Previews World Premiere of Banned 1936 Prokofiev Project
The Princeton Symphony Orchestra's concert Simply Russian, taking place Sunday, February 5, 2012, at 4 pm in Richardson Auditorium, includes brilliant works by 19th- and 20th-century Russian composers Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky, and Shostakovich.
Headlining the concert is "classical rock star" Joshua Roman, a 27-year-old cellist and 2011 TED fellow. Roman, hailed "a cellist of extraordinary technical and musical gifts," performs Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme, written as a tribute to the simple elegance of classical style, and in particular, the music of Mozart.

RVCC
Scarmolin Chamber Concerts
Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) in Branchburg will host the 2012 season of Scarmolin Chamber Concerts, sponsored by the A. Louis Scarmolin Trust. This year's concerts are scheduled for Tuesday, February 7; Tuesday, April Victoria
The Theatre at Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) in Branchburg will present Dulcinea Langfelder & Co.’s staging of Victoria, Saturday, February 4, at 8 p.m. The evening is part of the Theatre’s 2011-2012 Major Artists Series. Tickets cost $28 and $38; 3; and Wednesday, May 16. All three performances will be presented at 7:30 p.m. at the College’s Welpe Theatre.

Gallery 14
Photograph Exhibition: Variations on Three Ancient Greek Themes
by Larry Parsons
14 Mercer Street, Hopewell, NJ
Opening Friday, February 10, 2012; 6 to 8 pm
Meet the artist Sunday, February 12; 1 to 3 pm
Gallery Hours Saturday and Sunday Noon to 5 pm

VOICES
24th Annual Music Composition Contest for Children ages 5 to 12.
VOICES Chorale announces that its annual Children's Music Composition Contest will culminate in a Young Composer Concert on April 17, 2012, 7 pm, at Music Together in Hopewell, NJ. The deadline for contest entries is March 1.

Children ages 5 to 12 are invited to compose a piece of music with a vocal element for a soloist or choral ensemble, either unaccompanied or with instrumental accompaniment. The music can be written down in any kind of notation, formal or invented. Parents, piano teachers, and music teachers are invited to support, but not edit, the child's composition, as children hear things in their own imaginations differently from adults. Please submit a recording and three written copies of the child's music (with the child's name and age, assisting adult's name, phone number, address, and child's background in music), together with a $12.00 processing fee, to:
VOICES Composition Contest, P.O. Box 404, Pennington, NJ 08534
Deadline for submissions: March 1, 2012

New Exhibition at Anne Reid ’72 Art Gallery: DEBBIE REICHARD, 2/13-3/8

 Jan 27, 2012

Princeton—The Anne Reid '72 Art Gallery at Princeton Day School is pleased to present the works of sculptor and ceramic artist Debbie Reichard in an exhibition titled, “There’s More Where This Comes From.” The exhibition opens on Monday, February 13th and runs through Thursday, March 8th. There will be an opening reception on Thursday, February 16th from 12:30-1:30 pm, with the artist’s talk at 1:00 pm. This event is free and open to the public.
 

DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC AT PRINCETON UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES FEBRUARY 2012 EVENTS

 Jan 27, 2012

Student Harpsichord Recital
Graduate student Nicholas Lockey will give a Harpsichord recital titled "Intersection" in Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall on Tuesday, February 7 at 8:00PM. Joined by John Burkhalter playing the Recorders, the recital will include works by Gibbons, Vivaldi, and Froberger. Nicholas is in the sixth year of his Ph.D. studies in the Musicology Program at Princeton, where he is completing a dissertation on the orchestration of texture and sonority in Vivaldi’s earlier music, (c. 1703-1718). The recital is free and open to the public.

The Onegin Project
On Thursday, February 9 at 8:00PM in Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall the Prokofiev/Krzhizhanovsky Eugene Onegin, banned by the Stalinist regime in 1936, will receive its much-delayed world premiere. Prokofiev’s original score, orchestrated for 40 instruments, will be performed by the Princeton Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Rossen Milanov. Woven into this performance will be a dance-intensive staging of several major theatrical episodes directed by Princeton dance faculty member Rebecca Lazier with choreography by Princeton alumna Sydney Schiff and choral interludes by the Princeton Glee Club under the direction of Gabriel Crouch. The performance will also include the world premiere of a Concerto for Bass Drum commissioned from Prokofiev’s grandson, Gabriel Prokofiev, and performed by renowned percussionist Joby Burgess. General admission is $25; $10 students. For more information, visit princeton.edu/arts/oneginproject.

Sarah Pelletier, Soprano
Princeton Voice Instructor Sarah Pelletier, accompanied by Lois Shapiro, will give a recital titled "My Business Is To Sing": Giving Voice to Poetry of Emily Dickinson on Tuesday, February 14 in Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall at 4:30PM. "Conjuring" Emily Dickinson, woman and poetic voice, the lively concert features new musical settings by Eric Sawyer and Ross Bauer, and the beloved cycle of twelve songs by Aaron Copland -- music inspired by Dickinson's whimsical and always provocative poetry. The event, part of a tour commemorating the 125th anniversary of the poet's birth, is co-sponsored by the Department of English (Professor Joshua Kotin will introduce the recital), Gender and Sexuality Studies, and the Council of the Humanities. The recital is free and open to the public.

Student Oboe Recital
Undergraduate oboist Lija Treibergs will perform February 18 in Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall at 8:00PM. Works by Britten, Poulenc, Ligeti, and Paladilhe will be heard. The recital is free and open to the public.

Jayn Rosenfeld, Flute
Princeton Flute Instructor Jayn Rosenfeld will perform in Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall on Sunday, February 19, at 3:00PM. Accompanied by pianist Bernard Rose, she will play works by Hindemith, Bach, and Reinecke. The recital is free and open to the public.

Composers Ensemble at Princeton
Composers Ensemble at Princeton, directed by Barbara White and Michael Pratt, will present a recital with the unique title "Rush Camel - Grow Tree" on Tuesday, February 21 in Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall at 8:00PM. In addition to a work by Professor Dan Trueman, the recital will feature new works by Princeton graduate students Gilad Cohen, Andy Akiho, Wally Gunn, Troy Herion, Konrad Kaczmarek, and David Molk. The works will be performed by Konrad Kaczmarek, Piano/Electronics; Monica Mugan, Guitar; Daniel Trueman, Violin; Caroline Shaw, Bass; Mariel Roberts, Cello and Private Piano Instructor Margaret Kampmeier.The recital is free and open to the public.

Student Piano Recital
Undergraduate pianists Jacinth Greywoode and Anna Tchetchetkine will give a joint piano recital on Thursday, February 23 in Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall at 8:00PM. The program will feature works by Beethoven, Barber, Zemlinsky, Chopin, and Brahms. Nathan Pell Cello, and Ian Wong Violin will also participate. The recital is free and open to the public.

Musicology Colloquium
Professor James Hepokoski, Yale University, will give a Musicology Colloquium titled Gottheit, Silence, Life and Death in Beethoven's Heiliger Dankgesang" on Friday, February 24 in Woolworth Center's Room 106 at 4:30PM. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Faculty Jazz Recital: "Composing in the Moment"
The Department of Music annually presents a concert featuring faculty members of its distinguished Program in Jazz Studies. This year's concert will be held on Saturday, February 25, in Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall at 8:00PM. Performing on the 25th will be Ralph Bowen, Tenor Saxophone; Bruce Arnold, Guitar; Michael Cochrane, Piano; Brian Glassman, Bass; and Adam Cruz, Drums. Dr. Anthony D.J. Branker is the Music Director. The recital is free and open to the public.

Composers Ensemble at Princeton
The Composers Ensemble at Princeton, directed by Barbara White and Michael Pratt, present a second recital in February with Dither performing new graduate student works on Tuesday, February 28 in Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall at 8:00PM. Graduate student composers on this program will be Elliot Cole, Troy Herion, Konrad Kaczmarek, Matt Marble, and Jascha Narveson. Based in New York City, Dither is an electric guitar quartet dedicated to an eclectic mix of experimental repertoire spanning composed music, improvisation, and electronic manipulation. The recital is free and open to the public.

Anna Lim, Violin
Princeton Violin Instructor Anna Lim, with pianist Dena Levine, will performa a recital on Wednesday, February 29, in Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall at 8:00PM. The program will be Mozart Sonata for Violin and Piano in C Major, KV 303; Webern Four Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op. 7; and Schubert Grand Duo in A Major for Violin and Piano, D574. The recital is free and open to the public.
 

20th Annual Children's Environmental Art Exhibit through Sunday, February 27, 2012

 Jan 31, 2012

BASKING RIDGE, NJ - Nature Through a Child's Eyes, a children's art show with an environmental theme, will be on exhibit at the Somerset County Park Commission Environmental Education Center at 190 Lord Stirling Road in Basking Ridge. The show runs through Monday, February 27, 2012, every day except major holidays from 9:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Admission is free.

Over 500 pieces of art have been created by Somerset County kindergarten through sixth grade students. The works communicate their views of nature and the environment though application of textures, shapes and colors. Adults and children alike will enjoy exploring the creative minds of Somerset County school children.

Past projects have included fall leaves printed with tempera, nature landscapes in pastels, and impressions of trees, all of which demonstrate the children's relationship with nature.

The Environmental Education Center offers a wealth of entertainment opportunities for the entire family including the Environmental Library and Store, trails through the Great Swamp, Maple Sugaring and a full calendar of special events.

For information on Nature Through a Child's Eyes or other Environmental Education Center activities, call 908-766-2489 or NJ Relay 711 for individuals with a hearing or speech impairment.

Information on this event and other Somerset County Park Commission activities may be found on the Internet at www.somersetcountyparks.org
 

Lewis Center’s Visual Arts Program Opens Spring Season of Exhibitions

 Jan 31, 2012

(Princeton, NJ) The Program in Visual Arts at Princeton University announces a series of campus-wide exhibitions of ambitious student work running through early June. Venues will include the Lucas Gallery and the James M. Stewart ’32 Theatre at the Lewis Center for the Arts, 185 Nassau Street; The Guggenheim Gallery of Whitman College; and the James S. Hall ’34 Memorial Gallery of Butler College. Each exhibition is accompanied by a reception where visitors can meet the artists.

Currently on view in the Lucas Gallery through February 10 is “What is Studio?” featuring works in progress by Visual Arts students completing their first semester in the program. A variety of media are on exhibit including painting, drawing, puppets, textiles, sculpture, photography, and mixed media pieces. A closing reception, which is free and open to the public, will be held on Wednesday, February 8 from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Beginning February 23, eighteen graduating seniors will mount thesis exhibitions as the culmination of their Visual Arts studies at Princeton. A painting show by Jaewon Choi, titled “Frogs & Forms,” will kick things off in the Lucas Gallery with a reception from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 23. Choi’s show will be followed by solo and shared exhibitions by Genevieve Irwin, Dao Mi, Joanne Chong, Bridget Menashé, Cooper Gegan, Maria Cury, Kati Henderson, Laura VanZandt, James Cole, Ales Knoepflmacher, Isaiah Miller, Ruthie Nachmany, Oren Samet-Marram, Luciana Chamorro, Shelina Kurwa, June Koh, and Alexis Brown.

The season will close with an extravaganza group show of Junior Independent work in Butler College in April, and a Class Day senior “all-star” show in the Lucas Gallery in May.

The Lucas Gallery is open to the public Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Guggenheim Gallery of Whitman College is open to the public daily from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. The James S. Hall ’34 Memorial Gallery of Butler College is open to the public 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily. Consult the Lewis Center website for screening times in the James M. Stewart ’32 Theater. All exhibitions and screenings are free.

To learn more about these exhibitions, the Program in Visual Arts, and other activities presented at the Lewis Center visit princeton.edu/arts.
 

RVCC TO HOST SCARMOLIN CHAMBER CONCERTS

 Jan 9, 2012

Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) in Branchburg will host the 2012 season of Scarmolin Chamber Concerts, sponsored by the A. Louis Scarmolin Trust. This year's concerts are scheduled for Tuesday, February 7; Tuesday, April 3; and Wednesday, May 16. All three performances will be presented at 7:30 p.m. at the College’s Welpe Theatre.

The February 7 concert will feature the ensemble Simple Gifts in a performance of folk and world music. The group combines tradition with innovation as swing fiddle creeps into a Romanian dance; spoons show up in an Irish reel; and the concertina ventures far beyond its typical traditional styles. Based in the hills of central Pennsylvania, musicians Linda Littleton, Rachel Hall and Karen Hirshon play such instruments as violin, concertina, mandolin, banjolin, recorder, bowed psaltery, hammered dulcimer, baritone fiddle, guitar, piano and percussion.

The April 3 concert will feature The Dalí Quartet. The group’s captivating performances of traditional string quartet and Latin-American repertoire create an extraordinary concert experience that takes listeners on an eclectic journey of rhythm and sound. In the spirit of famed Spanish artist Salvador Dalí, the Quartet embraces imagination and excellence as central to its art form.

The May 16 concert will feature the Madrigal Singers in Musica Transalpina, Musica Transatlantica, a program highlighting music from the Italian and English Renaissance and its influence on traditional American vocal music. The Madrigal Singers are an a capella choral group specializing in Mediaeval and Renaissance music. Founded in 1948, the group is currently in its second season under the direction of John Sichel. Its performers include sopranos Rachel Coburn, Martha Desmond, Pam Newell and Amy Wechsler; altos Donna Brumbaugh, Roberta Lichtenberg, Jennifer Melick and Sarah Riffel; tenors David Alston, Richard DeVany, Christopher Ferro and Marty Silverberg; and basses Gregory Hartline, Kirk Robbins and Timothy Svendsen. Coburn and Svendsen are graduates of RVCC.

The Scarmolin Chamber Concerts present talented young and local artists in performances of standard classical repertoire and new classical music. The concerts emphasize the works of New Jersey composers, particularly the works of Anthony Scarmolin (1890-1969). The performances are sponsored by the A. Louis Scarmolin Trust, which is dedicated to the preservation and promulgation of the music of Anthony Scarmolin.

Tickets for individual concerts cost $15 for general admission, $10 for students and seniors. Tickets for the three-concert series cost $35 for general admission, $25 for students and seniors. For tickets, contact the RVCC box office, 908-725-3240.

RVCC’s main campus is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. Serving Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for over 40 years, the College offers more than 90 associate degrees and certificates. RVCC @ Bridgewater, located at 14 Vogt Drive, offers technical, trade, credit and non-credit courses.

Princeton Symphony Orchestra Present 2011-2012 Season

 May 10, 2011

PSO and Music Director Rossen Milanov Present Masterworks, Premieres, and World-Class Guest Soloists in 2011-2012 Season

Princeton, NJ—The Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) and Music Director Rossen Milanov proudly announce the orchestra’s 2011-2012 season, which displays Milanov’s ongoing commitments to programming classical masterworks alongside modern orchestral compositions; engaging talented and unique soloists; and fostering collaborations with local organizations and composers.

The new season runs from October 2011 through May 2012 and is built around the PSO’s five-concert Classical Series. “We strive to create a sense of excitement and occasion at all of our concerts,” says Milanov. “With that in mind, we will present special, related events around each concert, continuing to build the collaborations that we have successfully initiated with other institutions in our community. We will also continue to establish close ties with composers in the Princeton area; the upcoming season will include compositions by Edward Cone and Sarah Kirkland Snider. The PSO has wonderful momentum right now, as it is becoming recognized as a cultural enterprise in Princeton.”

Classical Series

The 2011-2012 season opens October 2 with Visions of America, a concert in collaboration with the Princeton University Art Museum, offering the opportunity to see our country through the eyes of composers and visual artists. Charles Ives’ honest and patriotic Variations on “America” conjures up a hometown band leading a street parade, while Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Violin Concerto in D Major, played by genre-crossing violinist Lara St. John, is infused with all the zeal of the Hollywood movie music that Korngold also wrote. An enduring favorite, “From the New World” captures in symphonic form the Native American and African American tunes Antonín Dvořák heard while in America. The public is invited to join the PSO at the Princeton University Art Museum after the concert for a free, private tour focusing on American portraits and landscapes.

Poetry, art, and music are beautifully combined November 13 on the annual Edward T. Cone Memorial Concert, titled Dreams, Memories, and Truth. The treasured Princeton composer and scholar Edward Cone is honored through world premieres of two of his works: The Duchess of Malfi, an operatic scene from John Webster’s tragic play of the same title, and La Figlia che Piange, a musical setting of the bittersweet poem by T.S. Eliot. Art- and poetry-inspired works by Sergei Rachmaninoff bookend the concert. A dream-like scene painted by Arnold Böcklin is heard in Rachmaninoff’s The Isle of the Dead and Westminster Schola Cantorum of Westminster Choir College joins the PSO on stage to perform his choral symphony, The Bells, set to the Russian translation of Edgar Allan Poe’s famous words about life’s sorrows and joys. Vocal soloists are soprano Dísella Làrusdόttir, contralto Melissa Fajardo, tenor Zach Borichevsky, and bass-baritone Grigory Soloviov.

The PSO demonstrates the power that can be evoked through simplicity in a program titled Simply Russian, on February 5, 2012. Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme, performed by “classical rock star” cellist Joshua Roman, is a tribute to the simple elegance of Mozart’s musical style. The elements of classicism that had the power to regain Dmitri Shostakovich both political and public favor are showcased in his Symphony No. 5. Opening the concert is a suite of incidental music by Sergei Prokofiev, composed for an ill-fated dramatic staging of Alexander Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin—a literary classic that, despite its simplistic plotline, tackles ambitious themes involving the trials of love, life, and death. The following week, in connection with Simply Russian, the PSO collaborates with Princeton University’s music, drama, and dance departments on a world premiere performance of the recently recovered theatrical adaptation of Pushkin’s novel Eugene Onegin.

On March 18, 2012, Shakespearean Drama highlights three of the countless composers who have been inspired by the words of William Shakespeare. Felix Mendelssohn portrays ethereal magic in his Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky captures the theme of tragic indecisiveness in Hamlet; and Sergei Prokofiev evokes youthful passion in his ballet Romeo and Juliet (of which the PSO will perform selections). To further illuminate the Shakespeare connection, flutist and television personality Eugenia Zuckerman reads selections from the revered plays. The multi-talented Zuckerman is also soloist on the New Jersey premiere of Lowell Liebermann’s dramatic Concerto for Flute and Orchestra, which complements the Shakespeare-influenced works. One of America’s most frequently performed living composers, Liebermann is “as much of a traditionalist as an innovator” (The New York Times). Many of his compositions, including the Concerto for Flute and Orchestra, are distinguished by a combination of traditional tonality and adventurous harmonies.

Spiraling, evolving melodies define the final concert of the season, Spun Beauty, on May 13, 2012. The program opens with the New Jersey premiere of Sarah Kirkland Snider’s spellbinding Disquiet, an understated reflection of love and regret. Snider, a Princeton- and New York City-based composer, is admired for writing music that is both expressive and vividly narrative, and has had compositions performed at New York’s cutting-edge venue (Le) Poisson Rouge. She wrote the haunting orchestral work Disquiet for the completion of her master’s degree in composition from the Yale School of Music. Maurice Ravel’s fanciful, jazz-infused Piano Concerto in G Major is then performed by Rieko Aizawa, a pianist whose playing exudes both confidence and grace. The joyful triumph of Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 brings the concert—and the 2011-2012 season—to a majestic close.

Classical Series concerts are held on Sundays at 4 pm, at Richardson Auditorium (located in Alexander Hall on the Princeton University campus). Subscription tickets to the five-concert Classical Series season are available by calling the PSO office at (609) 497-0020. Tickets to individual concerts will be available beginning in July.

PSO POPS!

On Saturday, December 17 at 4 pm, the PSO presents Holiday POPS!, a traditional family favorite with popular seasonal music and a festive sing-along. Broadway POPS! takes place Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 8 pm, featuring show tunes and timeless standards performed by some of the top singers in Broadway and richly accompanied by a full orchestra.

Both PSO POPS! programs are held at Richardson Auditorium. Tickets are available by calling the PSO office at (609) 497-0020.

Chamber Series

Connected to themes explored on Classical Series concerts, the PSO’s Chamber Series offers sophisticated classical music in an intimate setting. PSO musicians and other top-tier performers present works both traditional and modern. The four-program series is presented free of charge at Wolfensohn Hall, in partnership with the Institute for Advanced Study. Each concert is also performed at Stonebridge and Princeton Windrows retirement communities. Early reservation privileges for the Chamber Series are given to PSO subscribers and general reservations are then available on a first-come, first-served basis. Programs and dates will be announced on the PSO website, www.princetonsymphony.org.

Lectures

PSO lectures offer opportunities to deepen the concert-going experience by learning more about the music that the PSO performs and about the orchestra itself. In the upcoming season, the PSO continues to present PSO Soundtracks, Behind the Music, and More Than a Concert programs, in addition to pre-curtain talks immediately before all Classical Series concerts. With the exception of More Than a Concert, all lecture programs are offered to the public free of charge. Topics, dates, and further information will be announced on www.princetonsymphony.org.

PSO Soundtracks, held at the Princeton Public Library, is a five-lecture series which offers insights about what goes into “orchestrating” a concert by a professional symphony. The series delves into diverse and fascinating topics, including background on the music that the PSO performs and what happens behind the scenes: everything from who chooses the music, to how individual musicians and sections shape the sound of the orchestra, to the stories behind the beautiful and often rare instruments owned and maintained by members of the PSO.

Behind the Music is an exploration of the creative process behind modern-day music composition, introducing new works that will be heard on Classical Series concerts. Panelists at these forums include the composer and key artists involved in the performance of the work, including Music Director Rossen Milanov. Behind the Music provides the public with a deeper understanding of new music through discussion about the composer’s inspirations and intentions as well as the performers’ challenges.

More Than a Concert, presented in partnership with the Princeton Adult School, offers two lectures in the fall semester and three in the spring semester. These classes analyze and interpret each of the pieces to be performed on the next PSO Classical Series concert. The composers, musical structure, and historical context of the compositions are discussed, preparing participants for what to listen for during the performance. Small class sizes allow participants to engage directly with the program’s lecturers, including the PSO’s assistant conductors and expert musicologists. Participants also have the unique opportunity to attend the dress rehearsal and observe Music Director Rossen Milanov in his final preparations of the orchestra before the concert. Information about fall 2011 and spring 2012 classes will be posted on www.princetonadultschool.org and www.princetonsymphony.org.
 

RVCC THEATRE TO OFFER SERIES OF CABARET-STYLE SHOWS

 Nov 2, 2011

Enjoy a wonderful, cabaret-style musical performance as part of the Theatre at Raritan Valley Community College’s new series, CLUB 28. The 2011-2012 series will feature a variety of offerings, all on Fridays with performances at noon and 8 p.m.

Admission is $10 each for the noon performances and $30 for the 8 p.m. performances. Tickets to the 8 p.m. series of five performances cost $105 each, featuring a 30 percent savings. Each noon performance is set in on-stage, theatre-style seating and is approximately one hour in length. The evening shows, set in a relaxed, on-stage cabaret setting, are approximately two hours long. CLUB 28 will feature the following performances:

Dave Leonhardt Trio, December 16

Jazz pianist David Leonhardt has appeared internationally with some of the biggest names in jazz. Join us as we open a new series with a little Christmas from Leonhardt’s trio.

Shake it Up! (The Improvised Shakespeare Company), January 27

The Improvised Shakespeare Co. creates an off-the-cuff comedy show using the language and themes of Shakespeare. The performance is based on one audience suggestion about a title for a play yet to be written.

PROJECT Trio, February 17

PROJECT Trio is a passionate, high-energy chamber music ensemble composed of three virtuosic composer/performers from Brooklyn, NY. The PROJECT Trio musical experience defines a new level of entertainment.

Guy Davis, March 16

Whether Guy Davis is appearing on Late Night with Conan O’Brien or A Prairie Home Companion, he feels the instinctive desire to give each listener his “all.” His “all” is the Blues.

Tom Chapin, May 4
Tom Chapin is our favorite singer, guitar player, TV personality, concert performer, actor, composer and recording artist. The New York Times called Chapin “one of the great personalities in contemporary folk music.”

Princeton University Music Series 2011-12

 Sep 1, 2011

THE 2011-2012 SEASON
(Organized chronologically)
All concerts take place in Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall
*indicates Princeton University Concerts debut

Thursday, October 6, 2011 at 8PM
Pre-Concert Talk at 7pm
EMERSON STRING QUARTET
Works by BEETHOVEN, BARBER, SHOSTAKOVICH
part of the series Memory and the Work of Art, A Princeton Community Collaboration

Sunday, October 16, 2011, at 3PM
RICHARDSON CHAMBER PLAYERS
"ART & MEMORY"
Works by RAVEL, CHAUSSON, MESSIAEN
part of the series Memory and the Work of Art, A Princeton Community Collaboration

Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 8PM
Pre-Concert Talk given by Professor Scott Burnham at 7pm
ALISA WEILERSTEIN, Cello*
INON BARNATAN, Piano*
Works by BEETHOVEN, BARBER, STRAVINSKY, CHOPIN

Monday, December 12, 2011 at 8PM
THE TALLIS SCHOLARS
PETER PHILLIPS, Director
presented in collaboration with McCarter Theatre

Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 8PM
Pre-Concert Talk at 7pm, featuring composer David Bruce
ENSEMBLE ACJW*
Works by BEETHOVEN, DAVID BRUCE, SHOSTAKOVICH

Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 8PM
Musical Preview at 7pm, featuring Princeton students
JULIA FISCHER, Violin*
MILANA CHERNYAVSKA, Piano*
Works by MOZART, SCHUBERT, DEBUSSY, SAINT-SAENS

Thursday, March 1, 2012 at 8PM
Pre-Concert Talk given by Professor Scott Burnham at 7pm
HAGEN STRING QUARTET*
Works by BEETHOVEN, HAYDN, MOZART
Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at 8PM
TIME FOR THREE*
presented in collaboration with The Princeton University School of Architecture

Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 3PM
RICHARDSON CHAMBER PLAYERS
"LOOKING FORWARD & BACK" Hosted by Paul Lansky
Works by BEETHOVEN, PAUL LANSKY, STRAVINSKY, BRAHMS

Thursday, March 15, 2012 at 8PM
Pre-Concert Talk given by Professor Scott Burnham at 7pm
JERUSALEM STRING QUARTET*
Works by BEETHOVEN, DEBUSSY, BRAHMS

Thursday, April 5, 2012 at 8PM
Pre-Concert Talk given by Professor Scott Burnham at 7pm
JONATHAN BISS, Piano*
Works by BEETHOVEN, JANACEK, DAVID LUDWIG

Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 8PM
Pre-Concert Talk between Choreographer Mark Morris and Professor Simon Morrison at 7pm
DAVID DANIELS, Countertenor*
MARTIN KATZ, Piano
MARK MORRIS, Choreographer*
A recital with dance, including songs by Gluck, Handel and Brahms

Sunday, May 6, 2012 at 3PM
RICHARDSON CHAMBER PLAYERS
"CONSTABLE & LANDSCAPE" Hosted by James C. Steward, Director of the Princeton University Art Museum
presented in collaboration with the Princeton University Art Museum's exhibit "John Constable: Oil Sketches from the Victoria and Albert Museum," on display March 17 to June 12
Works by DEBUSSY, BEETHOVEN, BRITTEN, SCHUMANN

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY CONCERTS COLLABORATES WITH THE PRINCETON ADULT SCHOOL

In addition to the concert season, Princeton University Concerts is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Princeton Adult School, a class hosted by renowned violinist Arnold Steinhardt.
Making Music - The String Quartet: Behind the Scenes with Violinist Arnold Steinhardt will
take a behind-the-scenes look at three very different but highly successful quartets - the Guarneri Quartet, the Emerson Quartet, and the Brentano Quartet. What is it like to be in a professional string quartet that travels the world, with members often spending more time together as an ensemble than with their families? Classes will explore this with members of each quartet in conversation with Arnold Steinhardt. For more information or to register for the class, visit the Princeton Adult School website at princetonadultschool.org

TICKET INFORMATION

Subscribe to a Series:

Concert Classics Series, 8 concerts, save up to 30%: $229, $179, $119
Next Generation Series, 3 recitals (Weilerstein; Fischer; Biss): $96, $72, $48
Richardson Chamber Players, 3 concerts, save over 30%: $30
Make Your Own Series, Choose 3 or more different concerts and save 10% off the single ticket prices.

All subscriptions must be bought through the Concert Office. To subscribe, call 609-258-2800 or visit princetonuniversityconcerts.org

Buy Single Tickets:

Concert Classics: $40, $30, $20 general I $10, $5 students
Richardson Chamber Players: $15 general I $5 students
Tallis Scholars: Sold by McCarter Theatre. Call 609-258-2787
Time for Three: $10, general I $5 students. FREE for all subscribers.

How to buy Single Tickets:

By Phone: 609-258-9220
Online: princeton.edu/utickets
In Person:
Frist Campus Center Ticket Office (open Monday-Friday, 12-6pm)
Richardson Auditorium Ticket Office (open two hours prior to the performances at Richardson Auditorium)

Register for a Class:

Making Music - The String Quartet: Behind the Scenes with Violinist Arnold Steinhardt
Tuesday, September 27, November 29, 2011; February 21, 2012 7pm
Class without concert tickets: $45 I Class with concert tickets: $85

To register for the class, visit princetonadultschool.org

For all questions, contact the Concert Office at 609.258.2800.