New Jersey Symphony Presents Beethoven's PASTORAL, 1/18-20

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Jacques Lacombe present Beethoven's "Pastoral" Sixth Symphony on a program that celebrates three generations of Viennese composers. NJSO Principal Trumpet Garth Greenup performs Haydn's Trumpet Concerto, and the Orchestra performs Brahms' Variations on a Theme by Haydn.

"This program was created with the idea of the baton passing from Haydn to Beethoven to Brahms," Lacombe says. "Haydn was the father of the symphony and influenced Beethoven's life; Brahms was [in many ways] the direct successor of Beethoven. To include Brahms' piece inspired by Haydn brings the program full circle."

Of presenting one of the Orchestra's principal musicians as a soloist, Lacombe says: "There is an amazing amount of talent in this Orchestra. To give a musician like Garth the room to express himself as a soloist is a great opportunity for our audiences to hear the artistry of our musicians. The NJSO musicians give incredible support to their colleagues [who perform solo], and I think that pride and support add to the excitement of a performance."

Performances take place on Friday, January 18, (7:30 p.m.) at the War Memorial in Trenton, Saturday, January 19, (8 p.m.) at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank and Sunday, January 20, (3 p.m.) at bergenPAC in Englewood.

TICKETS Tickets start at $20 and are available for purchase online at www.njsymphony.org or by phone at 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476).

THE PROGRAM

Beethoven's 'Pastoral' Friday, January 18 at 7:30 pm
War Memorial in Trenton Saturday, January 19 at 8 pm
Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank Sunday, January 20 at 3 pm
bergenPAC in Englewood

Jacques Lacombe, conductor
Garth Greenup, trumpet

BRAHMS Variations on a Theme by Haydn
HAYDN Trumpet Concerto
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6, "Pastoral"

Jacques Lacombe, conductor
NJSO Music Director Jacques Lacombe is renowned as a remarkable conductor whose artistic integrity and rapport with orchestras have propelled him to international stature.

Principal Guest Conductor of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal from 2002 to 2006, he led the orchestra in more than 100 performances. He served for three years as Music Director of both orchestra and opera with the Philharmonie de Lorraine in France; he has been Music Director of the Orchestre Symphonique de Trois-Rivières since 2006.

Following the stunning Mahler 9 concerts that closed the NJSO season in June 2012, Lacombe returned to the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden to lead performances of Puccini's La bohème starring Roberto Alagna and Angela Georghiu.

In the 2012-13 season, Lacombe conducts the Opéra de Nice in an all-orchestra program and leads subscription weeks with the symphony orchestras of Québec, Toledo and Montreal, the last in a program of Bernstein and Debussy with pianist Kirill Gerstein; he also makes his Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra debut. He returns to the Deutsche Oper Berlin to lead Carmen and to the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris for a performance of Les Pêcheurs de Perles with Alagna.

In recent seasons, Lacombe made his debuts with the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden and at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich. He led Turandot and Les Contes d'Hoffmann for Opéra de Monte-Carlo and Der fliegende Holländer, Eugene Onegin, Carl Orff's Gisei - Das Opfer, Un Ballo in Maschera, Zemlinsky's Der Traumgörge and concert performances of Waltershausen's rarely heard Oberst Chabert, all at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Oberst Chabert was released as a live CD by CPO in 2011. Lacombe led the world premiere of John Estacio's Lillian Alling at the Vancouver Opera, where he has also led productions of Roméo and Juliette and La traviata.

Lacombe has conducted at the Metropolitan Opera and at the Teatro Regio in Turin; given the world premiere of Vladimir Cosma's Marius et Fanny at l'Opéra de Marseille and has led the symphony orchestras of Toronto, Vancouver and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. Abroad, he has conducted the orchestras in Nice, Toulouse and Halle, as well as the Orchestre Lamoureux in Paris, Slovakia Philharmonic, Budapest Symphony, Royal Flemish Philharmonic, Victoria Orchestra Melbourne and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

Garth Greenup, trumpet
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Principal Trumpet Garth Greenup attended Arizona State University and Northwestern University. His principal teachers include David Hickman, Vince Chickowicz, Adolph Herseth and George Recker. Before joining the NJSO, he served as principal trumpet of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. In 1998, he won second prize in the prestigious Ellsworth Smith/International Trumpet Guild Solo Competition.

Greenup has appeared as a soloist with several ensembles, including the NJSO, Utah Symphony and Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra. More recently, Greenup performed as soloist with the NJSO on Arutiunian's Trumpet Concerto and Herman Bellstedt's Napoli.

He enjoys the outdoors, especially mountain biking and hiking. An avid carpenter, Greenup is taking after his father and grandfather by building a house in Oregon, where he spends his off-seasons.

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra is comprised of some of the country's finest musicians. The Orchestra is proud to have Jacques Lacombe as its Music Director. Artistic excellence, innovative programming and community engagement are hallmarks of its mission. To best serve the people of New Jersey, the Orchestra brings its programs to seven outstanding venues throughout the state. Education and community engagement programs enrich the listening experience for children and adults alike. Select performances of the NJSO are broadcast regionally and throughout North America.

For more information about the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, visit www.njsymphony.org or email information@njsymphony.org. Tickets are available for purchase by phone at 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476) or on the Orchestra's website.