Photo by Sam Sirochman
(CAMDEN, NJ) -- New Jersey-based professional training orchestra Symphony in C has announced its 2023-2024 season following the recent appointment of its new Music Director, Noam Aviel. Aviel began her position in July and makes her debut as Music Director conducting Smetana's Overture from The Bartered Bride, Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 18 (soloist TBA), and Tchaikovsky's Symphony 4 during Symphony in C's season opening concert on Saturday, November 4, 2023 at 8:00pm All concerts take place at Gordon Theater at the Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts in Camden.
"We can't wait to perform for the community of Camden and beyond!” said Symphony in C new Music Director Noam Aviel. “Audiences will feel the emotional depth of Tchaikovsky, the unexpected charm of Beethoven, and the vibrant rhythms of Dvořák. Come witness and be inspired by the energy and passion of the stellar musicians of Symphony in C."
Symphony in C’s season continues into the holidays with a festive concert with music by Corelli, Vivaldi, Sibelius, and Mendelssohn featuring The New Jersey Master Chorale on Saturday, December 2, 2023 at 8:00pm. In the new year, Symphony in C presents Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 (soloist TBA) alongside Jessie Montgomery’s Records from a Vanishing City and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 on Saturday, January 13, 2024 at 8:00pm. Renié’s Harp Concerto featuring harpist Daniel Benedict, is the highlight of Symphony in C’s concert on Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 8:00pm along with two works by Mendelssohn – The Hebrides and Symphony No. 1. The season concludes on Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 8:00pm with Dvořák New World Symphony alongside Bernstein’s On the Town –The Dance Episodes and Florence Price’s Piano Concerto (soloist TBA).
Symphony in C’s Virtuoso Series returns, highlighting Symphony in C musicians within an intimate chamber music setting, with three concerts at Haddonfield United Methodist Church beginning on Sunday, October 22, 2023 at 4:00pm with a performance of Brahms’s Horn Trio, Op. 40 and Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 9, Op. 47 “Kreutzer”. The series continues with Mozart’s Divertimento for String Trio, K. 563 and Halvorsen’s Passacaglia for violin and viola (after Handel) on Sunday, February 4, 2024 at 4:00pm and Saint-Saëns’s Piano Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 41 and Fauré’s Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 15 on Sunday, April 7, 2024 at 4:00pm.
Throughout the season, Symphony in C also continues its Music Matters! Educational Outreach Programs including Classroom Symphony, which allows students in grades K-3 to experience the four instrument families in the symphony orchestra through multi-disciplinary workshops; and Concerts for Young People, where symphony concerts are presented in an educational and entertaining format with a program that centers around a theme and often utilizes narration and collaboration with other area artists. In addition, Symphony in C offers opportunities for young people to learn and grow their musical talent through the Symphony in C Youth Orchestra, Symphony Summer Camp, school instrumental lessons, Music Together, and Young Composers’ Competition.
Virtuoso Series: Brahms & Beethoven Horn Trios - Sunday, October 22, 2023 at 4:00pm. Haddonfield United Methodist Church | 29 Warwick Road | Haddonfield, NJ 08033. Tickets: $25 per concert or $60 for all three Virtuoso Series concerts
Program:
Brahms - Horn Trio, Op. 40
Beethoven - Violin Sonata No. 9, Op. 47 “Kreutzer”
Artists:
Symphony in C Chamber Musicians
Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto - Symphony in C - Saturday, November 4, 2023 at 8:00pm. Gordon Theater, Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts | 314 Linden Street | Camden, NJ 08102. Tickets: $30-$55, $10 for students
Program:
Smetana - The Bartered Bride Overture
Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 18, C minor
Tchaikovsky - Symphony 4, Op. 36, F minor
Artists:
Symphony in C
Noam Aviel, conductor
Soloist TBA
Holiday Classics - Symphony in C - Saturday, December 2, 2023 at 8:00pm. Gordon Theater, Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts | 314 Linden Street | Camden, NJ 08102. Tickets: $30-$55, $10 for students
Program:
Corelli - Concerto Grosso No. 8, “Christmas”
Vivaldi - La fida ninfa - Sinfonia
Sibelius - Andante Festivo
Mendelssohn - String Sinfonia No. 2 in D major
Vivaldi - Gloria
Artists:
Symphony in C
Noam Aviel, conductor
The New Jersey MasterChorale
Bruch’s Violin Concerto - Symphony in C - Saturday, January 13, 2024 at 8:00pm. Gordon Theater, Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts | 314 Linden Street | Camden, NJ 08102. Tickets: $30-$55, $10 for students
Program:
Jessie Montgomery - Records from a Vanishing City
Bruch - Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 26, G minor
Beethoven - Symphony No. 4, Op. 60, B-flat major
Artists:
Symphony in C
Noam Aviel, conductor
Soloist TBA
Virtuoso Series: Mozart & Halvorsen String Trios - Sunday, February 4, 2024 at 4:00pm. Haddonfield United Methodist Church | 29 Warwick Road | Haddonfield, NJ 08033. Tickets: $25 per concert or $60 for all three Virtuoso Series concerts
Program:
Mozart - Divertimento for String Trio, K. 563
Halvorsen - Passacaglia for violin and viola (after Handel)Artists:
Symphony in C Chamber Musicians
Romantic Harp - Symphony in C - Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 8:00pm. Gordon Theater, Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts | 314 Linden Street | Camden, NJ 08102. Tickets: $30-$55, $10 for students
Program:
Mendelssohn - The Hebrides, Op. 26
Renié - Harp Concerto
Mendelssohn - Symphony No.1, Op. 11, C minor
Artists:
Symphony in C
Noam Aviel, conductor
Soloist, Daniel Benedict
Virtuoso Series: Saint-Saens & Faure Piano Quartets - Sunday, April 7, 2024 at 4:00pm. Haddonfield United Methodist Church | 29 Warwick Road | Haddonfield, NJ 08033. Tickets: $25 per concert or $60 for all three Virtuoso Series concerts
Program:
Saint-Saëns - Piano Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 41
Fauré - Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 15
Artists:
Symphony in C Chamber Musicians
New World Symphony - Symphony in C - Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 8:00pm. Gordon Theater, Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts | 314 Linden Street | Camden, NJ 08102. Tickets: $30-$55, $10 for students
Program:
Bernstein - On the Town -The Dance Episodes
Florence Price - Piano Concerto
Dvořák- Symphony No. 9 “New World Symphony”
Artists:
Symphony in C
Noam Aviel, conductor
Soloist TBA
Noam Aviel, photo by Siggi Ragnar
Noam Aviel has recently emerged on the international scene as one of the most dynamic young conductors. Hailed for her artistic excellence, versatility and charismatic stage presence, Noam Aviel has been recognized for her deep understanding of stylistic approaches in a wide range of repertoire from opera, jazz to symphonic, and rare sensitivity to the needs of the artists she collaborates with.
Born in Israel, Noam Aviel studied voice performance and orchestral conducting at Tel Aviv University, and later continued her studies in orchestral conducting at Illinois State University in the US. In 2017 Noam Aviel was appointed Assistant Conductor, later promoted to Associate Conductor, of the San Antonio Symphony where she has led the orchestra’s extensive educational, community and outreach concerts programs and acted as the cover conductor throughout the orchestra’s main season working closely with Sebastian Lang Lessing until 2020. In her role Noam Aviel quickly gained recognition for inventive programming and has been praised in the US press as one of 25 “Renaissance Women” who have shaped the city of San Antonio.
In her previous role as Assistant Conductor of the Opera San Antonio, Noam Aviel has worked on numerous productions including La Traviata, La Bohème, Macbeth, Carmen, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, as well as Las Fundaciones de Béjar by Joseph Julian Gonzalez. She was music director and conductor for the opera production of A Dinner Engagement by Lennox Berkeley as part of the Illinois Festival Opera, and she conducted performances of Street Scene by Kurt Weill at Illinois State University, where she served as Assistant Director of Orchestras.
In recent seasons Noam Aviel made highly successful debuts with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Norrkoping Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Sinfonietta Beer Sheva, the Raanana Symphonette as well as Opera Orlando in the US. Her upcoming engagements include first appearance at Mobile Opera Alabama conducting Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, a symphonic debut with the Symphony in C, a concert with the Musicians of San Antonio Symphony in the US and a return to Israel Sinfonietta Beer Sheva.
Symphony in C provides the next generations of musicians and composers with experiences in performance and in engaging with the community, helping musicians to develop skills and experiences for professional success. The Symphony seeks to support musicians in achieving their visions in the changing world of symphonic music.
Founded in 1952 as The Haddonfield Symphony, Symphony in C began as a community orchestra allowing amateur musicians to pursue their love of music by performing for the Haddonfield and southern New Jersey communities. Its debut performance was in January 1954 under music director Guido Terranova. Since then, it has grown into one of only three professional training orchestras in the United States preparing musicians and conductors who are on the cusp of world-class careers through concert, educational outreach and professional development programs.
During the 1987-1988 season, the Symphony began providing training and performance opportunities to young professional musicians with the establishment of its Professional Development Internship Program. Over the next 13 seasons, this program grew to encompass all 78 positions within the orchestra. In 1991, the Symphony established the position of assistant conductor. The first holder of this position, Alan Gilbert, was named music director of the Symphony in 1992. During his tenure, he appointed the first composer-in-residence, Daniel Dorff, and launched the Young Composers’ Competition. From 1997 to 2000, Music Director Daniel Hege expanded the Music Matters! educational programs and Professional Development Internship programs for Symphony musicians.
Assistant Conductor Rossen Milanov was appointed Music Director in 2000, and led the organization for fifteen years, attracting the finest young musicians and soloists and increasing the orchestra’s artistic profile. In July, 2014, Maestro Milanov announced his departure at the end of the season, after being named Music Director of the Columbus Symphony and the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. After an extensive international search, the Board of Directors selected 31 year old Stilian Kirov as Music Director. Maestro Kirov served as Music director from 2015-2020. Symphony in C’s 2022-23 season featured 5 guest conductors vying for the position of Symphony in C’s next Music Director. As a result of the search season, Noam Aviel was selected as the new Music Director of Symphony in C.
In 2004, the Symphony was awarded the national MetLife Award for Community Engagement in recognition of its programs serving people with special needs. In 2006, the Symphony moved its concert series to the Gordon Theater at Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts, and changed its name to Symphony in C to reflect its commitment to the cultural and economic redevelopment of Camden. Symphony in C has been designated a Major Arts Organization by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and was awarded a Citation of Excellence.
Symphony in C performances and programs are made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the Domenica Foundation, The Presser Foundation, Holman Enterprises,The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, the William G. Rohrer Charitable Foundation, the Connelly Foundation, South Jersey Charitable Foundation, TD Charitable Foundation, and Subaru of America. Symphony in C is a member of the South Jersey Cultural Alliance (SJCA).
