NJSO Announces Auditions For Newark Voices

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra will hold auditions in May for Newark Voices-a project-based community choir formed to engage talented singers and experienced choral musicians from the Greater Newark community. Newark Voices will partner with the Montclair State University Chorale to perform Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the NJSO and Music Director Xian Zhang at two Newark performances for the 2018-19 season's opening weekend in October.

Auditions will be held at the Newark School of the Arts on May 16 and 20; advance registration is required. The choir seeks experienced musicians with a passion for classical choral singing and professional-level artistry. Prospective members must pass a 10-minute audition comprising vocalization, prepared excerpts from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and sight reading. Auditions are open to advanced-level high-school students and older.

Newark Voices will be conducted by Heather J. Buchanan and accompanied by Steven W. Ryan. Newark Voices will join the Montclair State University Chorale for performances at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on Friday, October 5, at 7:30 pm and Sunday, October 7, at 3 pm.

To view full audition requirements and excerpts and to sign up for an audition, visit www.njsymphony.org/newarkvoices.

For more information or questions, contact Monika Szumski, Education & Community Engagement Coordinator, at education@njsymphony.org.

The Opening Weekend program pairs Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the US premiere of Whitley's Speak Out. For more information on the program, visit www.njsymphony.org/beethoven9.

NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Named "a vital, artistically significant musical organization" by The Wall Street Journal, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra embodies that vitality through its statewide presence and critically acclaimed performances, education partnerships and unparalleled access to music and the Orchestra's superb musicians.

Music Director Xian Zhang-a "dynamic podium presence" The New York Times has praised for her "technical abilities, musicianship and maturity"-continues her acclaimed leadership of the NJSO. The Orchestra presents classical, pops and family programs, as well as outdoor summer concerts and special events. Embracing its legacy as a statewide orchestra, the NJSO is the resident orchestra of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark and regularly performs at State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick, Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, Richardson Auditorium in Princeton, Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown and bergenPAC in Englewood. Partnerships with New Jersey arts organizations, universities and civic organizations remain a key element of the Orchestra's statewide identity.

In addition to its lauded artistic programming, the NJSO presents a suite of education and community engagement programs that promote meaningful, lifelong engagement with live music. Programs include school-time Concerts for Young People; NJSO Youth Orchestras family of student ensembles, currently led by José Luis Domínguez; and El Sistema-inspired NJSO CHAMPS (Character, Achievement and Music Project). NJSO musicians annually perform original chamber music programs at community events in a variety of settings statewide through the NJSO Community Partners Program.

For more information about the NJSO, 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.

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra's programs are made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, along with many other foundations, corporations and individual donors.