(PRINCETON, NJ) -- The Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) and Edward T. Cone Music Director Rossen Milanov have announced a 2022-2023 Season filled with top guest artists and varied programming including lesser known important works and a range of genres from thrilling dances to enthralling arias.
Distinctive Latin and Spanish, English, American, Italian, and Eastern European sounds can be heard among works by Joaquín Turina, Ruperto Chapí, Edward Elgar, Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, George Gershwin, Gioachino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi, Alexander Borodin, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Concert-goers can look forward to symphonies by Beethoven and Tchaikovsky as well as newer works by Jessie Montgomery and Carlos Simon. Equally anticipated are the US premiere of Marcos Fernandez’ America and the world premiere of William Harvey’s Seven Decisions of Gandhi. Mr. Harvey performs his work as solo violinist.
PSO debuts include star soprano Pretty Yende performing arias by Rossini and Verdi, plus violinists Anne Akiko Meyers and Elina Vähälä and violist Roberto Díaz, each showcasing their talents with works respectively by Arturo Márquez, Benjamin Britten, and Hector Berlioz. Piano virtuoso Inon Barnatan marks his return appearance with the PSO with a performance of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2.
All performances take place on select Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sundays at 4:00pm, at Richardson Auditorium on Princeton University’s campus. Rossen Milanov conducts all concerts but one, which will be led by guest conductor Sameer Patel.
Maestro Milanov is enthusiastic about the season. He says, “I am excited to announce PSO’s new season with concerts taking place at our acoustically superb and intimate home at Richardson Auditorium. I hope everyone will be inspired by the variety and richness of the repertoire, the incredible artistic partners we will share the stage with, and the opportunity to hear unique and diverse musical stories.”
The season opens the weekend of September 10-11 with the incomparable Anne Akiko Meyers performing the melodies and dance rhythms of Mexico’s leading composer Arturo Márquez’ Fandango violin concerto, commissioned by Ms. Meyers and recently premiered with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. Another highlight is the US Premiere of Marcos Fernández' homage to Leonard Bernstein, America. Adding to the striking program are Joaquín Turina’s Danzas fantásticas, Ruperto Chapí’s Prelude to La Revoltosa, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol.
On October 15-16, Finnish violinist Elina Vähälä makes her PSO debut performing Benjamin Britten’s inventive Violin Concerto, Op. 15. Exploding gestures and fleeting melodies are found in contemporary composer Jessie Montgomery’s Starburst, and Edward Elgar’s beloved Enigma Variations completes the program.
South African-born opera star Pretty Yende graces the PSO stage at the January 14-15 Edward T. Cone Concert, giving voice to a boy’s idyllic remembrances of his native city in Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915. Ms. Yende also performs her favorite show-stopping arias, Gioachino Rossini’s “Una voce poco fa” aria from Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) and Giuseppe Verdi’s “È strano! è strano!” from La Traviata. The balance of the program is taken up by Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring.
On February 4-5, Israeli pianist Inon Barnatan returns to perform Johannes Brahms’ monumental Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major. Carlos Simon's Fate Now Conquers, inspired by a journal entry by Beethoven quoting Homer's Iliad, draws upon structural elements of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony, also on the program.
On March 11-12, Sameer Patel conducts the world premiere of William Harvey's Seven Decisions of Gandhi featuring the composer as solo violinist. This concerto for violin and full orchestra was inspired by the life of Mahatma Gandhi. The work is set off by Alexander Borodin's thrilling Polovtsian Dances and Tchaikovsky's "Pathétique" Symphony.
Capping the season on May 13-14, the PSO features violist Roberto Díaz in a performance of Hector Berlioz’ Harold in Italy, which musically evokes a young man's wandering among the mountains, a procession of pilgrims, a lover’s serenade, and a gathering of wild brigands. Study for Orchestra spotlights the compositional work of Westminster College graduate Julia Perry, and George Gershwin's popular An American in Paris recalls the sights and sounds of the City of Light.
Initially, these concerts are available only by subscription, with single tickets going on sale over the summer. Concerts take place on Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sundays at 4:00pm. Subscriptions start at $180. Youths 5-17 receive a 50% discount with an adult purchase. To subscribe, visit the Princeton Symphony Orchestra website at princetonsymphony.org or call 609-497-0020.
Health and Safety: The Princeton Symphony Orchestra is closely monitoring and adhering to the New Jersey Department of Health’s COVID-19 requirements and complies with rules set by partner venues. Concert attendees will receive information regarding safety procedures, entry, seating directions, etc. in advance of their selected live performance(s).
Accessibility: The Princeton Symphony Orchestra is committed to ensuring all programming is accessible for everyone, working with venues to provide needed services. Online events include digital concert resources, closed captioning, and transcriptions as appropriate. If there are questions about these or if any additional services are required, contact ADA Coordinator Kitanya Khateri at [email protected] or 609 497-0020. Note: some services require at least two weeks’ notice to arrange.
Programs, artists, dates, and times are subject to change.
The Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is a cultural centerpiece of the Princeton community and one of New Jersey’s finest music organizations, a position established through performances of beloved masterworks, innovative music by living composers, and an extensive network of educational programs offered to area students free of charge. Led by Edward T. Cone Music Director Rossen Milanov, the PSO presents orchestral, pops, and chamber music programs of the highest artistic quality, supported by lectures and related events that supplement the concert experience. Its flagship summer program the Princeton Festival brings an array of performing arts and artists to Princeton during multiple weeks in June. Through PSO BRAVO!, the orchestra produces wide-reaching and impactful education programs in partnership with local schools and arts organizations that culminate in students attending a live orchestral performance. The PSO receives considerable support from the Princeton community and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, regularly garnering NJSCA’s highest honor. Recognition of engaging residencies and concerts has come from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the PSO’s commitment to new music has been acknowledged with an ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming and a Copland Fund Award. The only independent, professional orchestra to make its home in Princeton, the PSO performs at historic Richardson Auditorium on the campus of Princeton University.
