Angel Blue, photo by Dario Acosta

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Two-time GRAMMY Award®-winning soprano Angel Blue opens this year's Princeton Festival on Friday, June 7, 2024 at 8:00pm. Her star power and glorious voice set in motion this 16-day showcase for the performing arts which includes fully-staged performances of Mozart's comic opera Così fan tutte, Broadway cabaret with Santino Fontana, orchestral music, Baroque and chamber concerts, dance with American Repertory Ballet, a Juneteenth celebration, and more.

Rounding out opening weekend are The Music of Tina Turner on Saturday, June 8 at 7:00pm and a fun-filled Family Day culminating with a concert featuring Latin GRAMMY Award® nominee Sonia De Los Santos on Sunday, June 9 at 4:00pm. All three performances take place in the outdoor performance pavilion on the grounds of beautiful Morven Museum & Garden. For a complete listing of Festival events at the pavilion and at nearby Trinity Church, visit princetonsymphony.org/festival.

Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) fan-favorite Angel Blue returns to Princeton on Friday, June 7 at 8:00pm fresh from performances with Metropolitan Opera and the Orchestre de Paris. The superstar soprano lends her voice to favorite arias by Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, and George Gershwin. Led by Edward T. Cone Music Director Rossen Milanov, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra performs orchestral pieces by Antonín Dvořák, Giacomo Puccini, Ruperto Chapí, and Frederick Delius.

Edward T. Cone Music Director Rossen Milanov is thrilled to be performing again with Angel Blue. He says, “Her voice, her presence, and grace make her a joy to collaborate with. New Jersey is her home, and I’m delighted that she has returned to share the gift of her voice with our Festival family and friends at the start of this year’s celebration of the performing arts.

Angel Blue has emerged in recent seasons as one of the most influential sopranos before the public today. The two-time GRAMMY Award® winner, 2020 Beverly Sills Award recipient, and the 2022 Richard Tucker Award winner is celebrated worldwide for her honeyed soprano and affecting deliveries of many of the most beloved roles in the operatic repertory, such as Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata, Bess in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Mimi in Puccini’s La Bohème, and Destiny/Loneliness/Greta in Terrence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones. The 2023-2024 season introduced audiences to Angel Blue as Leonora in Verdi’s Il trovatore at the San Francisco Opera, followed by a highly anticipated return to the Vienna State Opera.

On Saturday, June 8 at 7:00pm, American Idol finalist and Broadway star LaKisha Jones and musical theater colleagues Nova Payton and Matthew Johnson celebrate The Music of Tina Turner, the iconic “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” with this all-new, live concert presentation centered on the trailblazing artist's mega hits such as “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “Simply the Best,” “Proud Mary,” “River Deep, Mountain High,” and many others. Lucas Waldin conducts.

LaKisha Jones, photo courtesy of John Such Artists' Management

This year’s Festival Family Day is Sunday, June 9, and begins with a free Yoga class at 9am on the front lawn of Morven Museum & Garden (ages 10 and up). From 1:30pm-3:30pm, there is a middle school Listen Up! art exhibit opening, plus free hands-on musical activities and treats for children of all ages, followed by the 4pm family concert featuring Sonia De Los Santos and her band. In this upbeat and joyful bilingual concert, Sonia invites audiences to enjoy a delightful collection of original songs sung in Spanish and English. In the course of the program, Sonia shares some of her favorite things - migrating birds, friendship, chocolate, and anecdotes about growing up in Mexico and realizing her childhood dream of moving to New York. Tickets start at $10; $5 for children 5-17.

Sonia De Los Santos, photo by Hyphen Photography Inc.

Tickets are available now for all 2024 Princeton Festival events at Morven Museum & Garden and nearby Trinity Church, ranging from $10 - $150, at princetonsymphony.org/festival or 609-497-0020; youths, ages 5-17, receive a 50% discount.

The Princeton Festival is the Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s flagship summer program showcasing the performing arts. Founded in 2004, the Princeton Festival quickly established a reputation for artistic excellence and innovative programming. Every year in June, thousands of people from the mid-Atlantic region and beyond come to the Festival to enjoy the quality and variety of its programs. Offerings include opera, musical theater, dance, orchestra and chamber music, and a constantly evolving selection of other genres, including jazz, world music, choral concerts, and country music. The Festival has long-standing partnerships with public libraries and local churches, and promotes life-long learning in the arts through free educational lectures presented to a wide and diverse community.