Orpheus Chamber Orchestra with Special Guest Andre Watts at NJPAC

André Watts is one of classical music's most enduring superstars and set to perform with Grammy-winning Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on Sunday, October 22nd at 3pm. See Watts brings his elegant luster to Mozart's first great Piano Concerto, No. 9, the "Jeunehomme and play Beethoven's path-breaking First Symphony. This performance also features the world premiere of Vijay Iyer's Asunder, commissioned by Orpheus. Iyer is acclaimed for his diverse discography of jazz albums and a list of upcoming commissions that places him in rare company among contemporary composers.

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra creates extraordinary musical experiences that enrich lives and empower individuals through collaboration, innovation, and a passion for artistic excellence. Orpheus strives to be the world's premier chamber orchestra by performing music at the highest level, challenging artistic boundaries, inspiring the public to think and work with new perspectives, and building a broad and active audience in New York City and around the world. A standard-bearer of innovation and artistic excellence, Orpheus is one of the world's foremost chamber orchestras. Orpheus was founded in 1972 by a group of like-minded young musicians determined to combine the intimacy and warmth of a chamber ensemble with the richness of an orchestra. With 71 albums, including the Grammy Award-winning Shadow Dances: Stravinsky Miniatures, and 43 commissioned and premiered original works, Orpheus rotates musical leadership roles for each work and strives to perform diverse repertoire through collaboration and open dialogue. Performing without a conductor, Orpheus tours extensively to major national and international venues.

A perennial favorite with orchestras throughout the US, André Watts is also a regular guest at the major summer music festivals. Recent and upcoming engagements include appearances with the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, the Minnesota Orchestra, and many more. Watts has had a long and frequent association with television, having appeared on numerous programs produced by PBS, the BBC and the Arts and Entertainment Network, performing with the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, among others. His 1976 New York recital for Live From Lincoln Center was the first full length recital broadcast in the history of television, while his performance at the 38th Casals Festival in Puerto Rico was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Individual Achievement in Cultural Programming. Watts' extensive discography includes recordings of works by Gershwin, Chopin, Liszt and Tchaikovsky for CBS Masterworks; recital albums of works by Beethoven, Schubert, Liszt and Chopin for Angel/EMI; and, recordings featuring the concertos of Liszt, MacDowell, Tchaikovsky and Saint-Saens on the Telarc label.

Program:
Vijay Iyer: Asunder (New Jersey Premiere, Commissioned by Orpheus)
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 9, K.271 "Jeunehomme"
Beethoven: Symphony No. 1

Join us for the Bank of America Classical Overtures, held an hour prior to each classical concert. These interactive presentations are hosted by Maestro George Marriner Maull of New Jersey's Discovery Orchestra and are free to ticket holders.

www.njpac.org or 888.GO.NJPAC (888.466.5722)

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