NJSO presents Beethoven's PASTORAL Symphony Next Month

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Xian Zhang perform melodic works by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Kernis, October 12-15 in Newark, Princeton and Red Bank. The program features Beethoven's "Pastoral" Symphony, Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme and the NJSO premiere of Kernis' Musica celestis. Cello virtuoso Alban Gerhardt joins the Orchestra for the Tchaikovsky work.

Performances take place on Thursday, October 12, at 1:30 pm and Sunday, October 15, at 3 pm at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark; Friday, October 13, at 8 pm at the Richardson Auditorium in Princeton and Saturday, October 14, at 8 pm at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank.

Members of the NJSO Chamber Players will perform the Kernis string quartet that was orchestrated as Musica celestis in a special NJSO Accent event with the composer on October 13 at 6:45 pm. The Prelude Performance features NJSO Assistant Concertmaster David Southorn, violinist Minji Kwon, Assistant PrincipAl Viola Elzbieta Weyman and Acting Assistant Principal Cello Na-Young Baek. Kernis and the musicians will chat about the string quartet and orchestral versions of Musica celestis before audiences hear the work in each form.

Accent events also include a Prelude Performance by the Outreach Orchestra of the New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra one hour before the October 12 performance, as well as Classical Conversations one hour before the October 14 and 15 performances.

Concert tickets start at $20 and are available for purchase at www.njsymphony.org or 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476).

CONCERT PROGRAM

Zhang Conducts Beethoven

Thu, Oct 12, at 1:30 pm | NJPAC in Newark

Fri, Oct 13, at 8 pm | Richardson Auditorium in Princeton

Sat, Oct 14, at 8 pm | Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank

Sun, Oct 15, at 3 pm | NJPAC in Newark

Xian Zhang, conductor

Alban Gerhardt, cello

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra

KERNIS Musica celestis (NJSO premiere)

TCHAIKOVSKY Variations on a Rococo Theme

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6, "Pastoral"

Learn more at www.njsymphony.org/events/detail/zhang-conducts-beethoven.