Works by Mackey, Tchaikovsky and Wagner Set for New Jersey Symphony Concert, Now thru 5/19

Music Director Jacques Lacombe and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra present Tchaikovsky's mighty Fifth Symphony on a concert program that features the East Coast premiere of Steven Mackey's Stumble to Grace Concerto for Piano and Orchestra with pianist Orli Shaham. The Orchestra performs the Princeton University professor's concerto as part of the New Jersey Roots Project, which celebrates the music of composers whose artistic identity has been influenced by their time in the Garden State.

Performances take place tonight, May 16, (1:30 pm) and Saturday, May 18, (8 pm) at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark; Friday, May 17, (8 pm) at the Richardson Auditorium in Princeton and Sunday, May 19, (3 pm) at the State Theatre in New Brunswick. A Classical Conversation about the music on the program begins one hour before the May 17-19 performances.

"Steve Mackey is a very interesting figure," Lacombe says. "He is someone who doesn't think in boxes and limitations- he teaches at Princeton University, he plays guitar, he has connections he has to rock music and jazz. I think Stumble to Grace reflects that personality.

"This project originated with the St. Louis Symphony, and the piece was written for Orli Shaham. The premiere was very successful, and we are excited to be a part of this project with St. Louis and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Our New Jersey Roots Project draws on music from the past from composers like Antheil and Cone, but the project is also about stimulating the creation of new works-[Mackey] and his relationship with Princeton University fit perfectly."

The NJSO opens the program with the Prelude from Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg as part of a celebration of the 200th anniversary of the composer's birth. The program's finale, Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony, is "a powerful masterwork," the music director says. "It's a beautiful symphony that is really Russian but has the structure and influence of the German school in it. Following the Wagner and Mackey works, the symphony creates an interesting contrast."

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

Tchaikovsky 5

Thursday, May 16 at 1:30 pm | NJPAC in Newark
Friday, May 17 at 8 pm | Richardson Auditorium in Princeton + Saturday, May 18 at 8 pm | NJPAC in Newark +
Sunday, May 19 at 3 pm | State Theatre in New Brunswick +

Jacques Lacombe, conductor Orli Shaham, piano
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra

WAGNER Prelude from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg MACKEY Stumble to Grace Concerto for Piano and Orchestra TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5

+ Classical Conversation begins one hour prior to the performance (free to ticketholders).

THE ARTISTS

Jacques Lacombe, conductor

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra 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 on a program featuring Branford Marsalis. He returns to the Deutsche Oper Berlin to lead Carmen.

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 and Vancouver and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. Abroad, he has conducted the orchestras in Nice, Toulouse and Halle, as well as with the Orchestre Lamoureux in Paris, Slovakia Philharmonic, Budapest Symphony, Royal Flemish Philharmonic, Victoria Orchestra Melbourne and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

Lacombe received Québec's highest civilian honor in 2012, when he was named a Knight of the National Order of QuébeC. Later that same year, he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Orli Shaham, piano

A consummate musician recognized for her grace and vitality, Orli Shaham has established an impressive international reputation as one of today's most gifted pianists. Hailed by critics on four continents, Shaham is in demand for her prodigious skills and admired for her interpretations of both standard and modern repertoire. The St. Louis Post- Dispatch has praised her "wit, passion, delicacy and humor," and The Guardian has called Shaham's playing "perfection."

Shaham performs in major venues and recording studios around the world, increasingly focusing her attention on recording a wide variety of repertoire. She has released several recordings-including Hebrew Melodies-with her brother, violinist Gil Shaham. She recently released Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals with the San Diego Symphony and a CD of chamber music including the Brahms Horn Trio featuring Richard King.

Driven by a passion to bring classical music to new audiences, Shaham maintains an active parallel career as a respected broadcaster, music writer and lecturer. Inspired by her enthusiasm for introducing young children to the pleasures of music, she created Baby Got Bach, a series of interactive classical concerts for young children that has developed a devoted following in New York, St. Louis and other locations. She has taught music literature at Columbia University and contributed articles to Piano Today, Symphony and Playbill magazines. Shaham has served as artist-in-residence on National Public Radio's Performance Today.

In addition to her musical education, Shaham holds a degree in history from Columbia University. She lives in New York and St. Louis with her husband, conductor David Robertson, stepsons Peter and Jonathan and twins Nathan and Alex.

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 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476) or on the Orchestra's website.