(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- New Jersey Symphony and Windborne Music Group present The Music of Led Zeppelin with Brent Havens conducting and Justin Sargent performing as a vocalist on the program. The performances will take place on Saturday, May 3 at 8:00pm, at bergenPAC in Englewood; and Sunday, May 4, 2025 at 3:00pm, at State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick.
This program celebrates the best of the legendary classic rock group. Performed by an orchestra and amplified with a full rock band and vocals, this show captures Led Zeppelin’s distinct sound while presenting hits like “Kashmir,” “Black Dog,” “Stairway to Heaven,” and more.
Tickets for both venues are available for purchase online.
The Music of Led Zeppelin was Windborne's very first Classic Rock Symphony venture in late 1995. The concept was originated with this show and Mr. Havens began transcribing and scoring the show in August of that year. Hiring top notch studio musicians and searching for a singer that could handle the difficult range of singer Robert Plant was no easy task. Finding Randy Jackson to handle the part was fortuitous and he was a perfect fit for the show. After a couple of shows in Virginia, The Music of Led Zeppelin was brought to Atlanta's Chastain Amphitheater in 1996 and met with great success. From there the show began its North American tour across the country and into Canada.
The music features a massive array of songs from the Zeppelin catalog, many of which already had orchestration. It was a perfect fit for orchestras. Whether the orchestra is playing the lush harmonies afforded the songs or playing the lick-based lines that were created by Plant, Page and John Paul Jones, the driving tunes allow the musicians to dig into their instruments and rock with the band or play counterpoint melodies to the guitar solos or singer.
The concept was to keep the band as close to the original recordings as possible and to wrap the orchestra around the band as one big entity. Rather than the orchestra being a separate part of the music it becomes another instrument within the band. The show even features an Electric Violinist. Some of the songs that you may hear on the show are Kashmir, Black Dog, Good Times, Bad Times, All of My Love and of course Stairway to Heaven. And just so you know, it's a rock show with rock lighting... and even a mirrorball. Come to the concert ready to be amazed!
Berklee-trained arranger/conductor Brent Havens has written music for orchestras, feature films and virtually every kind of television. His TV work includes movies for networks such as ABC, CBS, and ABC Family Channel Network, commercials, sports music for networks such as ESPN and even cartoons. Havens has also worked with the Doobie Brothers and the Milwaukee Symphony, arranging and conducting the combined group for Harley Davidson’s 100th Anniversary Birthday Party Finale attended by over 150,000 fans. He has worked with some of the world’s greatest orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic and the BBC Concert Orchestra in London, the CBSO in Birmingham, England, the Malaysian Philharmonic, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the Dallas Symphony, the Fort Worth Symphony, the Nashville Symphony, Orchestra of Opera North in Leeds, England, and countless others.
Havens recently completed the score for the film Quo Vadis a Premier Pictures remake of the 1956 gladiator film. In 2013, he worked with the Baltimore Symphony and the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens to arrange and produce the music for the Thanksgiving Day halftime show between the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, adapting both classical music and rock songs into a single four-minute show. Havens is arranger/guest conductor for all of the symphonic rock programs for Windborne Music.
Windborne Productions, Inc. has been in existence since 1990, beginning work in both television and movies. Music being a large part of what their media division does, the founder of Windborne, Brent Havens, has been writing music for television, theatrical movies, music libraries, and industrial productions since 1980. Their first live production of classic rock music with orchestra was in late 1995—The Music of Led Zeppelin. After the initial response from that show, they realized that this was something that had the potential to spread throughout the country. That is exactly what happened and many shows later, Windborne personnel have traveled the world touring The Music of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Queen, and The Rolling Stones with orchestras great and small. The group looks to the future to keep Windborne on the cutting edge of live and recorded music production.
Justin Matthew Sargent is a singer and actor who has starred on Broadway as “Peter Parker” in Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark (Music by Bono and The Edge), “Drew” in the mega hit rock musical in Rock of Ages, and was in the Original Broadway Cast of Bonnie and Clyde.
Born in Murphysboro Illinois, and raised in Florida, Sargent has been performing since high school. Since he graduated, he has been lucky enough to make a living doing what he loves. He has performed alongside music legends like John Legend, Alice Cooper, Sara Bareilles, Dee Snider, Kip Winger, Graham Russell, and has been a guest singer with the band Air Supply. Justin has toured the country singing everything from Queen to Andrew Lloyd Webber. His TV/film appearances include “Jesus Christ Superstar: Live” on NBC, “Law & Order: SVU,” “Mr. Robot,” “Delocated,” “Royal Pains,” and more!
New Jersey Symphony is a GRAMMY and Emmy Award-winning orchestra. Under the direction of the Music Director Xian Zhang, the Symphony performs more than 55 concerts at mainstage venues across the state, including Newark, Princeton, New Brunswick, Red Bank, and Morristown, as well as schools and public spaces statewide. Programming at the Symphony reflects an unwavering commitment to diverse communities throughout the state, while providing students unparalleled opportunities to achieve musical excellence through its Youth Orchestra and other education programs. In 2024, the Symphony announced it would continue to deliver its statewide activities from a new, permanent office, rehearsal, and concert space in Jersey City, set to open in 2026.
