Cellist Maja Bogdanović Will Perform Saint-Saëns with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra

Serbian cellist Maja Bogdanović makes her anticipated Richardson Auditorium debut with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) at concerts the weekend of May 9-10. Designated as this year's Edward T. Cone concert, the program features Ms. Bogdanović in performances of Camille Saint-Saëns' melodic Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 33. Other works include Aaron Copland's Letter from Home and Sergei Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, Op. 100. Both concerts are conducted by Edward T. Cone Music Director Rossen Milanov.

The PSO is honored to present the Edward T. Cone Concert as an annual tribute to the memory of Edward T. Cone (1917-2004). Mr. Cone was a composer, pianist, author, and teacher. He enjoyed a distinguished career as a professor of music at Princeton University, and he produced several scholarly books, many of them classics in their field. He was a remarkable and generous man who played an exceptional role in sustaining and guiding the development of the PSO from its inception. He was a kind and generous patron of multiple arts organizations in Princeton and beyond.

Maestro Milanov says of Cone, “I never had the pleasure of meeting Edward Cone, but I am deeply thankful for his and the Edward T. Cone Foundation's help in preserving Cone's legacy of support for the performing arts. This year's concert features my friend Maja, who plays the cello with such artistry and passion. I look forward to collaborating with her for the first time at Richardson on Saint-Saëns' concerto, one of the most popular works in the cello repertoire.”

Maja Bogdanović has performed on the orchestra's chamber series and with a chamber orchestra at the Princeton Festival, but never before with the full Princeton Symphony Orchestra at Richardson Auditorium. Following her recital debut at Carnegie's Weill Hall, Maja has taken her place among today's foremost cellists as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator. An avid chamber musician, Maja is a frequent guest at the world's leading chamber music festivals. In 2023, the new Arethusa Quartet was born. It brings Maja together with the like-minded spirits of violinists Daniel Rowland and Floor Le Coultre, and violist Dana Zemtsov. Maja has released several internationally praised albums. Her releases for Challenge Records include Pas de Deux with violinist Daniel Rowland. Laureate of numerous international competitions, Maja won First Prize at the third Aldo Parisot Cello Competition in South Korea and received the Second Prize and Special Audience Award at the Gaspar Cassado International Competition in Tokyo. She was awarded the Special Prize at the Concours Rostropovich in Paris. Maja's instrument was custom made for her by French luthier Frank Ravatin. She lives in Amsterdam with her husband Daniel Rowland and their two daughters.

Camille Saint-Saëns' romantic first cello concerto consists of a single movement blending three distinct sections showcasing the instrument's range and an artist's virtuosity. Aaron Copland's Letter from Home is an emotional wartime offering in Copland's unmistakable voice, and Sergei Prokofiev's fifth symphony completes the program with a powerful message of hope.