New Jersey Symphony: Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2

Sunday, March 16, 2025 @ 3:00pm

Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960

Xian Zhang – conductor

Xavier Foley – double bass

New Jersey Symphony

Claude Debussy Clair de Lune

Debussy’s original piano solo, Clair de Lune, probably exists in more versions than the Beatles’ “Yesterday” and for good reason, as none before or since have captured in music the true magic of moonlight.

Xavier Foley Soul Bass for Double Bass and Orchestra

Sphinx competition-winner Xavier Foley is on a mission to put the double bass on the map as a virtuoso solo string instrument. In Soul Bass, he draws upon the sounds and styles of the longrunning TV show “Soul Train” and showcases every bit of the enormous solo bass range with groove and style.

Xavier Foley New Work for Double Bass and Orchestra (World Premiere, New Jersey Symphony Commission)

After performing his own concerto, Soul Bass, Xavier Foley will dazzle in a brand new showpiece for the double bass to cap off the first half.

Sergei Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2

Melodies too numerous and beautiful to track—so don’t try. Just let this sweeping Romantic symphony, the inspiration for the song “Never Gonna Fall in Love Again,” work its magic.

About the New Jersey Symphony:

The Emmy and GRAMMY Award-winning New Jersey Symphony is redefining what it means to be a nationally leading, relevant orchestra in the 21st century. The Symphony is renewing its deeply rooted commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion by championing new, and often local, artists; engaging audiences for whom the inspiring depth and breadth of classical music will be a new experience; and incorporating the broadest possible representation in all aspects of our organization-all to better reflect and serve our vibrant communities.

Internationally renowned Chinese American conductor Xian Zhang began her tenure as the New Jersey Symphony’s current music director in 2016. Since her arrival, Zhang has revitalized programming with an industry-leading commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in mainstage concerts. Since 2021, Zhang has worked together with composer, violinist, educator and social-justice advocate Daniel Bernard Roumain, the orchestra’s Resident Artistic Catalyst, to offer programming that connects with diverse communities in Newark and throughout New Jersey. In 2024, Allison Loggins-Hull will succeed DBR as the orchestra’s next Resident Artistic Partner.

In the 2024–25 season, the New Jersey Symphony will present Voice of Nature: the Anthropocene with Renée Fleming, Billy Childs’ Diaspora, Daniel Freiberg’s Latin American Chronicles, Allison Loggins-Hull’s Can You See?, Qasim Naqvi’s God Docks at Death Harbor and Gabriela Ortiz’s Kauyumari. Classical favorites on the season include Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, “Choral,” Gustav Holst’s The Planets—An HD Odyssey, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and Igor Stravinsky’s Suite from The Firebird. Artistic partnerships include Paquito D’Rivera and his quintet, as part of the TD James Moody Jazz Festival; Nimbus Dance performing with The Firebird and God Docks at Death Harbor; Montclair State University Choruses performing on three programs; as well as Peking University Alumni Chorus and Starry Arts Children’s Chorus appearing on the Lunar New Year Celebration concert with Xian Zhang.