New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu



 

New Jersey Festival Orchestra Announces Bold New 2023-2024 Season

originally published: 09/08/2023

Sandy Cameron with the New Jersey Festival Orchestra

(WESTFIELD, NJ) -- The four most iconic notes in classical music – Beethoven’s Symphony No.5 – will initiate New Jersey Festival Orchestra’s exciting new program for the 2023-2024 season. The new series promises some milestone celebrations and a variety of spectacular concerts, balancing perennial favorite events and familiar giants of the classical music repertoire with some intriguing lesser-known fare sure to enthrall.

The season also features a magnificent roster of internationally-acclaimed guest soloists including Metropolitan Opera star Errin Brooks, Jeremy Brauner and Mackenzie Whitney. Concerts also include dancers from Dance Theatre of Harlem and guest choirs and choruses from throughout New Jersey. And, after playing a part in launching her career, NJFO welcomes back now renowned Cirque de Soleil violin star Sandy Cameron for a long awaited reunion. Presiding over the repertoire is UK-born Maestro David Wroe, who has just celebrated 25 years as NJFO conductor and Music Director.

Commented Wroe, “Our new program looks like the bulging schedule of the pre-Covid days! Without a doubt, we at NJFO are back on a roll, carried forward by what I believe to be an eclectic, refreshing, and boldly-crafted program and an unmatched enthusiasm from our audiences.”

The NJFO season kicks off dramatically with a watershed celebration of NJFO’s 250th concert performance entitled "Two Mighty Fifths." The concert juxtaposes Beethoven's relentless, triumphant and most famous symphony and with a balm to soothe the spirits, Vaughan Williams' contemplative 5th Symphony, completing a 'yin-yang' cycle. There are two weekend performances to choose from: Friday October 6th at 7:00pm at St Helen’s Church in Westfield (new venue) and Sunday, October 8th at 3:00pm at Drew University in Madison.

Audiences are invited to welcome in the holiday season with some of New Jersey’s most popular musical traditions. On December 9 and 10, NJFO presents The Three Holiday Tenors, featuring renowned tenor fare, stratospheric high notes, symphonic pops, and wintertime favorites guaranteed to make the season merry and bright. This year’s celebration welcomes back award-winning Metropolitan Opera tenor Errin Brooks, fresh off Met Opera’s Fire Shut Up in my Bones. Many will remember Mr. Brooks also starred to huge acclaim in NJFO’s 2021 movie New Beginnings.




New Jersey Stage provides affordable advertising for the arts, click here for info



The holiday festivities continue as NJFO rings in the New Year with a superb song and dance show, The Great American Songbook, featuring Broadway guest vocalists and Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Da’Von Doane and friends who gather to recreate the magic of MGM musicals and more.

Another eagerly awaited annual event is NJFO's special interpretation of staged opera, this time Lucia di Lammermoor.  Think Brigadoon meets Macbeth! A cast of internationally-acclaimed guest performers assembled from Maestro Wroe’s extensive contacts in European and American opera houses joins NJFO to present, acted and in costume, Donizetti's haunting tale of love and madness.

Ludwig Van Beethoven bookends NJFO's 2023-2024 series, as the season comes to a glorious conclusion with “Ode to Joy” featuring Beethoven’s heroic 9th symphony, the European Union's symbol of unity and peace. Partnering with multiple choral groups from throughout New Jersey, this season finale celebrates the 200 year performance anniversary of this monumental work and completes the message of resilience and hope in the face of current challenging political environments and in the aftermath of Covid.

Summarized Wroe, “Our season features a deftly synchronized presentation of two of Beethoven's greatest works. It’s a journey from darkness into light, leaving us renewed, refreshed and invigorated. I can’t wait for the new season to begin!”

Pianist Yifei Xu

NJFO operations director and concert pianist Yifei Xu will conduct a pre-concert lecture before some concerts, offering compelling insights and information one hour before performances. Her lectures enrich the live concert experience and are an engaging way to learn about the showcased music and music makers. Lectures are open to all ticket holders, free of charge.

Look out for concerts taking place at a variety of new venues including St. Helen’s Church in Westfield and The Renaissance Church in Springfield. Sunday afternoon concerts continue at the Concert Hall at Drew University in Madison.

Tickets to all concerts, starting at $40 (students $25), are on sale now. For further information call (908) 232 9400, email info@njfestivalorchestra.org, or go to www.njfestivalorchestra.org.




New Jersey Stage provides affordable advertising for the arts, click here for info




 

EVENT PREVIEWS

PSO

PSO Soundtracks: #quartweets with Signum Quartet

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- The award-winning string ensemble Signum Quartet revisits its 2015 #quartweet Project with an interactive talk on Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at 7:00pm in the Community Room at the Princeton Public Library. Presented by the Princeton Symphony Orchestra in partnership with the Library, the talk will include an explanation of the social media-inspired #quartweet format followed by performances of the Quartet's best loved #quartweets by professional and student composers, as well as premieres of some new #quartweet compositions. The audience will have the opportunity to compose a group #quartweet and hear the music come to life.



Monmouth

Monmouth University's Center for the Arts presents Candlelight Spring: Tribute to Coldplay

(WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- Monmouth University's Center for the Arts presents Candlelight Spring: Tribute to Coldplay on Wednesday, April 30, 2025 in the Pollak Theatre.  Showtime is 7:00pm.



Bruce

Bruce Hornsby and yMusic present BrhyM at bergenPAC

(ENGLEWOOD, NJ) -- Bruce Hornsby and yMusic present BrhyM at Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC) on Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 7:00pm. The distinctive American songwriter, pianist and three-time Grammy Award-winner is joined by yMusic, the genre-leading contemporary classical ensemble, for a performance showcasing new collaborative compositions from their critically acclaimed album Deep Sea Vents plus other favorites from Hornsby's illustrious catalog.



Signum

Signum Quartet Returns to Perform on PSO Chamber Series at Trinity Church

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- The internationally known ensemble Signum Quartet returns to Princeton on Thursday, May 1, 2025 to perform on the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO)'s new chamber music series at Trinity Church. Showtime is 7:00pm.



The

The Newton Theatre presents Jefferson Starship

(NEWTON, NJ) -- Jefferson Starship brings their 50th Anniversary Tour to The Newton Theatre on Friday, May 2, 2025 at 8:00pm. One of the most successful arena rock bands of the '70s and '80s, they earned 3 platinum and 8 gold records, as well as numerous Top 40 Billboard singles. As they celebrate their 50th anniversary, the band reaches a rare milestone that only a few bands ever achieve.



FEATURED EVENTS

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


Kean

Kean University Orchestra

Tuesday, April 29, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Kean Stage - Enlow Recital Hall
215 North Avenue, Hillside, NJ 07205
category: music


 

Candlelight

Candlelight Spring: Tribute to Coldplay

Wednesday, April 30, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Monmouth University - Pollak Theatre
400 Cedar Avenue, West Long Branch, NJ 07764
category: music


 

The

The Concert: A Tribute to ABBA

Thursday, May 01, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: music


 

Bruce

Bruce Hornsby and yMusic present BrhyM

Thursday, May 01, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC)
30 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
category: music


 

Knuffle

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical

Friday, May 02, 2025 @ 7:30pm
The Historic Palace Theatre
7 Ledgewood Avenue, Netcong, NJ 07857
category: music