Guitarist Derek Gripper to Perform ONE NIGHT ON EARTH at PSO's Musicale Fundraiser

On Sunday, November 13, South African guitarist Derek Gripper will perform One Night on Earth, a program of West African kora-inspired music at the Princeton Symphony Orchestra's Fall Musicale fundraiser.

The event will take place in one of the newest performance spaces in the area, the historic chapel at The Princeton Abbey. Prior to the 5 pm concert, attendees will have an opportunity to tour the Abbey and view its glorious staiNed Glass windows, ornamental wrought iron, and decorative marble. A wine and cheese reception completes this very special evening.

Derek Gripper released his ninth album, One Night on Earth: Music from the Strings of Mali, late in 2012. The album magically conjures anew a centuries-old ancient African musical heritage, interpreting kora (21 string harp) compositions on solo guitar, a feat which classical guitar legend John Williams said he thought was "absolutely impossible until I heard Derek Gripper do it." When kora maestro Toumani Diabaté heard these recordings he asked his producer Lucy Duran to confirm that she had actually seen one person play this music on just one guitar. In fall 2016, Mr. Gripper performs at U.S. venues as diverse as Carnegie Hall, Duke University, and NPR's Tiny Desk.

PNC Wealth Management is the exclusive underwriter of the Fall Musicale. The PSO is grateful to The Princeton Abbey for the use of the Abbey chapel and library.

For additional information on the Musicale, contact the PSO at (609) 497-0020 or email ayeager@princetonsymphony.org. Reservations can be made online at princetonsymphony.org.

The Fall Musicale supports the PSO's general operations, including the PSO Classical Series and PSO POPS! concerts at Richardson Auditorium in Princeton; the PSO Chamber Series at the Institute for Advanced Study, Monroe Township Library, and local adult residential communities; PSO BRAVO! education programs in more than 30 schools; numerous lecture programs; and collaborations with other arts organizations.

Respected and admired by audiences and musicians alike, internationally renowned conductor Rossen Milanov was appointed music director of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra in 2009. With an impressive pedigree, including positions at the Philadelphia Orchestra, he has since galvanized the PSO with his energetic and exacting conducting. Milanov's exuberant and brilliant performances are characterized by sharp musical intellect, artistic ingenuity, poetic eloquence and critical acclaim.

Mr. Milanov is also at the helm of the Columbus Symphony, the Chautauqua Symphony and the Orquesta Sinf?nica del Principado de Asturias in Oviedo, Spain. At the PSO, his programming embraces the standard repertoire, rarities and premiers performed by emerging and superstar soloists and featuring celebrated American composers.

Milanov is deeply committed to music education and every season he leads the PSO's BRAVO concerts for thousands of children. He was named Bulgaria's Musician of the Year in 2005; he won a 2011 ASCAP award for new music at the PSO; and he was selected as one of the top 100 most influential people in New Jersey in 2014. He is a graduate of Curtis and The Juilliard School.

The Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is a cultural centerpiece of the Princeton community and one of New Jersey's finest music organizations, a position established through performances of beloved masterworks, innovative music by living composers, and an extensive network of educational programs offered to area students free of charge. Led by Music Director Rossen Milanov, the PSO presents orchestral, pops, and chamber music programs of the highest artistic quality, supported by lectures and related events that supplement the concert experience. Through PSO BRAVO!, the orchestra produces wide-reaching and impactful education programs in partnership with local schools and arts organizations that culminate in students attending their first live orchestral performance. With considerable community support and funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the PSO is also a multiple-year recipient of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts' highest honors. The PSO has been recognized for its commitment to new music with an ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming and a Copland Fund Award. The only independent, professional orchestra to make its home in Princeton, the PSO performs at historic Richardson Auditorium on the campus of Princeton University.

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