Mackenzie Melemed Makes Princeton Symphony Orchestra Debut on March 27th

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Rising pianist Mackenzie Melemed makes his Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) debut performing Alexander Scriabin’s Piano Concerto in F-sharp Minor, Op. 20 on Saturday, March 26 at 8pm and Sunday, March 27 at 4:00pm. The program is balanced by Johannes Brahms’ pastoral Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73. Edward T. Cone Music Director Rossen Milanov conducts both concerts at Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall, on the campus of Princeton University.

Winner of The Juilliard School’s 2019 Leo B. Ruiz Carnegie Hall Recital Prize, 2018 Arthur Rubinstein Prize, the Jade Medal at the 2019 China International Music Competition, and the first prize and chamber music prize at Finland's 2017 Maj Lind International Piano Competition, 26-year-old American pianist Mackenzie Melemed’s international career continues to flourish. He has performed in venues such as The White House (2004-2008), Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Warsaw Philharmonic Hall, and the Helsinki Music Centre. He was recently named one of ten annual recipients of The Juilliard School's Career Advancement Grant, and was a laureate of the 2021 American Pianists Awards of the American Pianists Association. In August 2020, Melemed moved to Finland, where he has established a new home base and launched his successful performance career.

Scriabin wrote his Piano Concerto to prove his skill as both a composer and pianist. Conversely, Brahms composed his Second Symphony with a palpable lightness of heart, having already emerged from Beethoven’s shadow following the success of his First Symphony.

Both concerts take place at the orchestra’s home venue of Richardson Auditorium, on the campus of Princeton University. All attendees are required to wear masks at all times while inside the building, be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, and must have received boosters, if eligible.

Tickets for the March 26 and 27 performances at Richardson Auditorium start at $20, youth (ages 5-17) are half price, and may be ordered through the Princeton Symphony Orchestra website at princetonsymphony.org or by calling 609-497-0020.

Health and Safety: Along with adhering to the New Jersey Department of Health's COVID-19 guidelines, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra is working closely with our venues to ensure your safety and comfort. Princeton University has a strict visitor policy in place. There will be a vaccination plus booster requirement with no exceptions. For details and to keep up to date with the most recent COVID safety requirements, please visit our Health & Safety website page.

Accessibility: The Princeton Symphony Orchestra is committed to ensuring all programming is accessible for everyone, working with venues to provide needed services. Contact ADA Coordinator Kitanya Khateri for questions about available services at [email protected] or 609 497-0020. Note: some services require at least two weeks’ notice to arrange.

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. 

Photos by Jiyang Chen