(PRINCETON, NJ) -- The Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO)’s pulls out all the stops with two separate family-friendly pops concerts capping off its 16-day Princeton Festival. On Friday, June 24 at 7:00pm, Broadway’s leading lady Sierra Boggess marks her third Broadway POPS! appearance with the PSO performing favorite melodies from shows including Phantom of the Opera, The Music Man, Guys & Dolls, She Loves Me, My Fair Lady, and The Little Mermaid.
On Saturday, June 25 at 7:00pm, Edward T. Cone Music Director Rossen Milanov celebrates music’s ability to inspire and unite a community with a Family POPS! concert. The program includes striking orchestral works by Handel, Rossini, Brahms, and Grieg plus patriotic music by Hailstork and Sousa, sure to resonate with children of all ages. In a special performance of Antonín Dvořák’s New World Symphony under the baton of Kenneth Bean, young musicians from the Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey (YOCJ) will play side-by-side with the PSO.
Both concerts take place under a 10,000 square-foot performance tent on the grounds of Morven Museum & Garden, and are conducted by Rossen Milanov.
Maestro Milanov says, “Music is meant to be shared, and the Festival pavilion is the perfect place to experience it this summer with the entire family. Music sparks the imagination, connects with thoughts and emotions, stimulates creativity—all so important, particularly for children.”
Families are invited to arrive on the grounds of Morven as early as 5:00pm on Saturday, June 25 to picnic and take advantage of an array of music-making activities including an instrument petting zoo, a gigantic keyboard, make-your-own instrument stations, and more! The activity period, which continues to 6:30pm, is free and open to the public.
Sierra Boggess is regarded as one of Broadway’s most beloved leading ladies. She is best known worldwide for re-inventing the coveted role of Christine Daaé in Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera. Sierra made her Broadway debut as Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Her additional Broadway credits include Master Class, It Shoulda Been You, The Phantom of The Opera, and School of Rock. Off- Broadway credits include Love, Loss, and What I Wore and Music in the Air. In the West End, Sierra has appeared as Fantine in Les Misérables and originated the role of Christine Daaé in Love Never Dies, receiving an Olivier Award Nomination. She starred as Cinderella in the Hollywood Bowl production of Into the Woods, as Danielle DeBarbarac in Ever After at the Alliance Theatre, and as Countess Ellen Olenska in the world premiere of The Age of Innocence at Hartford Stage.
The Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey (YOCJ) was founded in 1978 by the late Portia Sonnenfeld as a preparatory orchestra for the Mercer County Symphony Orchestra (now called the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra). In 1999, with increased enrollment, the orchestra was incorporated under the name “Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey.” Unique to YOCJ are its chamber groups for flute, saxophone, brass, woodwinds, and percussion that offer an unparalleled opportunity for small ensembles that feature these instruments in performance. YOCJ is a growing, vibrant organization that looks forward to carrying on the tradition of providing diverse musical experiences to the talented young musicians of our region. Kenneth Bean took over as conductor of the YOCJ Symphonic Orchestra when he became Assistant Conductor of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra in the fall of 2021.
Tickets for all Princeton Festival performances range from $10 - $130; ticket packages are $18 and up; youth (ages 5-17) half-price. Call 609-497-0020 or visit princetonsymphony.org/festival.
Health and Safety: The Princeton Symphony Orchestra is closely monitoring and adhering to the New Jersey Department of Health’s COVID-19 Requirements. 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. 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.
Programs, artists, dates, and times are subject to change.
Founded in 2004, the Princeton Festival has established a strong profile as a multi-faceted, summer performing arts festival attracting people from throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond. The Festival has a reputation for artistic excellence, for growing the number and variety of its offerings, and for serving an audience of up to 8,000. The Festival promotes life-long learning in the arts, from children to seniors, through performance opportunities for children and young people in the piano competition and opportunities for young emerging professionals to perform principal and supporting roles. The Festival has long-standing partnerships with public libraries and local churches to offer its series of free educational lectures to a wide and diverse community.
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: (TOP) Sierra Sierra Boggess in concert, photo credit PSO Staff (MIDDLE) Rossen Milanov, photo credit PSO Staff.
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