NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA to Presents Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique This January

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Jacques Lacombe open the 2016 Winter Festival, Sounds of Shakespeare, with a program pairing Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique and its rarely performed sequel, Lélio, January 22-24 in Newark, New Brunswick and Morristown. The latter work is scored for piano, three vocal soloists, chorus, actor and orchestra; in a special moment, Lacombe steps off the podium to provide piano accompaniment during a ballad.

Performances take place on Friday, January 22, at 8 pm at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark; Saturday, January 23, at 8 pm at the State Theatre in New Brunswick and Sunday, January 24, at 3 pm at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown.

Lélio features Dave Quay as the title character, tenor Philippe L'Esperance as Horatio, tenor Joshua Sanders as the Imaginary Voice of Lélio and baritone Timothy Murray as the Captain, with stage direction and translation by Gus Kaikkonen. These performances mark not only the NJSO premiere of the Berlioz work but also a number of other firsts-the three soloists and the Symphonic Chorus of Manhattan School of Music, under the direction of Ken Tritle, make their NJSO debuts, and the concerts are the first to feature the Orchestra's music director at the piano.

Lacombe says: "There's a ballad for tenor and piano towards the beginning of the piece, and when I looked at the score, it reminded me of the years when I was an accompanist. It's something that I really enjoyed doing years ago, so I thought going back to one of my first loves would give [these performances] a special touch."

The 2016 Winter Festival concludes a two-season cycle celebrating music inspired by Shakespeare. Berlioz drew inspiration from the Bard in each of the opening program's two works. The fourth movement of Symphonie fantastiqueconjures the Witches' Sabbath from Shakespeare's Macbeth. Berlioz drew inspiration for the finale of the symphony's sequel, Lélio, from The Tempest.

Lacombe says: "This program fits in with two of our season themes-the Shakespeare Winter Festival and the thread of presenting French music in my last year as NJSO music director. A great part of our Winter Festivals is the possibility of exploring broader thematic links, and the works on this program are an extension of the ways Shakespeare has influenced composers. Symphonie fantastique is a masterpiece we hear very often in concert halls, and to pair that withLélio, which is rarely done, and hear the actor [at the center of the piece] speaking about his life and art and theater, is a great opening to the festival."

NJSO Accents include post-concert talkbacks with Berlioz expert Dr. Mark A. Pottinger, chair of the Visual & Performing Arts Department at Manhattan College; Pottinger chats about Berlioz's eccentricities and how the elements of his life and his love of Shakespeare culminate in Symphonie fantastique and Lélio (January 23 and 24).

The festival finale (January 29-31) features the Orchestra's biggest collaboration with celebrated artistic partner The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey to date. Actors will perform an abridged version of A Midsummer Night's Dream, paired with Mendelssohn's incidental music inspired by Shakespeare's comedy.

The Winter Festival is funded in part by an NEA Art Works Grant. Bank of America sponsors Lacombe's last appearance as NJSO music director in each of the Orchestra's six venues across the state. The January 24 concert marks the music director's final performance in Morristown.

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

Symphonie Fantastique

Friday, January 22, at 8 pm | NJPAC in Newark

Saturday, January 23, at 8 pm | State Theatre in New Brunswick

Sunday, January 24, at 3 pm | Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown

Jacques Lacombe, conductor

Gus Kaikkonen, stage director and translator

Dave Quay, actor

Philippe L'Esperance, tenor

Joshua Sanders, tenor

Timothy Murray, baritone

Symphonic Chorus of Manhattan School of Music | Ken Tritle, director

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra

BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique

BERLIOZ Lélio

Bank of America sponsors Jacques Lacombe's final appearance in Morristown.

Full program information is available at www.njsymphony.org/events/detail/symphonie-fantastique.

NJSO ACCENTS

Inspired by the concerts and designed to inspire audiences, NJSO Accents are pre- or post-concert events that complement the concert experience and provide audience members with more opportunities to personally connect with the music and music makers. Learn more at www.njsymphony.org/accents.

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