Pablo Sainz Villegas, photo © Lisa Mazzuco
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey presents Isabel Leonard & Pablo Sáinz-Villegas In Recital on Sunday, March 2, 2025 at 3:00pm. Tickets range from $39-$79.
In October 2021, Pablo Sainz-Villegas was invited by Peter Gelb of The Met Opera to join forces, in part, with opera superstar Isabel Leonard in a worldwide broadcast live from Versailles. Following its success, the artists decided to work creatively to build out a special vocal guitar program for a limited-run tour in the United States, featuring popular arias and songs beloved around the world.
Praised by Billboard as “the soul of the Spanish guitar,” Pablo Sainz-Villegas has become a worldwide sensation known as today’s greatest guitarist. As described by the New York Times, his “virtuosic playing characterized by irresistible exuberance” conjures the passion, playfulness, drama, and rich musical heritage of La Rioja, his homeland. His performances include appearances with the Chicago Symphony, Berlin Philharmonic, and Los Angeles Philharmonic at Hollywood Bowl.
Isabel Leonard, photo © Leonard Imagista
Isabel Leonard is a Grammy® Award-winning mezzo-soprano who has performed leading roles in every major opera house in the world including The Met Opera, La Scala, and Vienna State Opera; as well as in concert on the stages of Carnegie Hall, Salzburg Festival, and The Kennedy Center. She is on the Board of Trustees of Carnegie Hall. In 21/22 she returns to The Metropolitan Opera for Cendrillon and Ariadne auf Naxos (Komponist), Washington National Opera for Come Home: A Celebration of Return and Carmen, and The Santa Fe Opera for Carmen.
For tickets, more information, or group discounts, call State Theatre Guest Services at 732-246-SHOW (7469) or visit STNJ.org. State Theatre Guest Services, located at 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick NJ, is open by phone and email only, Tuesday through Friday from 11:00am to 5:00pm. For in-person purchases, Guest Services is open Tuesday through Friday from 12:00pm to 4:30pm. Additional ticket and transaction fees may apply.
After major renovations, State Theatre New Jersey celebrated its 100th Anniversary in December 2021 in a fully renovated theater. Originally built as a silent film and vaudeville palace, State Theatre’s historic significance was honored by PBS by featuring it in its documentary series, Treasures of New Jersey, in the fall of 2018. “Treasures of New Jersey: State Theatre New Jersey” can be streamed online.
Today, State Theatre is the largest performing arts center in Central New Jersey and has welcomed more than six million people through its doors since reopening as a nonprofit performing arts center in 1988. State Theatre New Jersey is a cornerstone of the cultural vitality of Middlesex County and averages a total economic impact on New Brunswick and the surrounding area of more than $18 million a year. The mainstage programs have featured high-caliber artists such as Diana Ross, Tom Jones, Kevin Hart, Ringo Starr, Melissa Etheridge, John Leguizamo, Harry Connick, Jr., Diana Krall, and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Program offerings include Broadway, orchestra, family, dance, comedy, rock/pop, jazz, Performances for Schools, and Sensory-Friendly Performances.
State Theatre New Jersey’s programs are made possible by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund. For information on events, go to MiddlesexCountyCulture.com.
