New Jersey Symphony Orchestra presents virtual Pride Celebration June 13–18

• Hudson County-based drag queen Harmonica Sunbeam hosts weeklong virtual celebration
• Daily videos include chamber performances, composer conversation
• June 17: NJSO and SAGE present a free Zoom event with conversation and performances
• NJSO and Paper Mill Playhouse present chamber performance of “I’ll Cover You” from Rent
• njsymphony.org/pride

NEWARK, NJ—The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra presents a weeklong virtual celebration of Pride Month, June 13–18. The celebration features works by LGBTQ+ composers, an interview with Laura Kaminsky about her chamber opera As One, a performance of Rent’s “I’ll Cover You” in collaboration with Paper Mill Playhouse and a free Zoom event presented in partnership with SAGE, a national advocacy and services organization for LGBT elders.

Harmonica Sunbeam, renowned for her Hudson County non-profit Drag Queen Story Hour, hosts the celebration.

In a conversation on June 14, NJSO flutist and piccolo player Kathleen Nester talks with her friend and neighbor, composer Laura Kaminsky, about As One—Kaminsky’s pathbreaking opera exploring a gender transition.

Performances by NJSO musicians include works by Tchaikovsky’s Andante cantabile with Principal Flute Bart Feller, violinist James Tsao, violist David Blinn and cellist Sarah Seiver (June 15) and Jennifer Higdon’s A Gentle Notion with Acting Principal Clarinet Pascal Archer and pianist Spencer Meyer (June 16).

A free Zoom event on June 17 at 7 pm features a conversation and insight into the NJSO’s Pride celebrations with NJSO President & CEO Gabriel van Aalst, Edie Windsor SAGE Center Arts & Culture Program Coordinator Christian Appel and NJSO violist David Blinn, followed by musical performances featuring notable LGBTQ+ composers and artists. Patrons can register for the event in advance at njsymphony.org/pride.

A performance of “I’ll Cover You” from Jonathan Larson’s Rent, presented in collaboration with Paper Mill Playhouse, closes the Pride celebration on June 18. Vocalists Kyle Taylor Parker and Jay Donnell perform alongside the NJSO Chamber Players featuring violinist Héctor Falcón, cellist Ted Ackerman, Assistant Principal Bass Alexander Bickard (on electric bass), clarinetist Pascal Archer and drummer James Musto.

NJSO family members reflect on what Pride means to them in the celebration’s opening piece on June 13.

For more information, visit njsymphony.org/pride.

 

NJSO Pride Celebration

HARMONICA SUNBEAM host

 

Sun, June 13, at 5 pm

NJSO Family Members

“What Pride Means to Me”

 

Mon, June 14, at 5 pm

Composer-in-Conversation

NJSO flutist and piccolo player Kathleen Nester talks with her friend and neighbor, composer Laura Kaminsky, about her pathbreaking opera exploring a gender transition, As One.

 

Tue, June 15, at 5 pm

NJSO Chamber Players Performance

TCHAIKOVSKY Andante cantabile

Bart Feller, flute
James Tsao, violin
David Blinn, viola
Sarah Seiver, cello

 

Wed, June 16, at 5 pm

NJSO Chamber Players Performance

JENNIFER HIGDON A Gentle Notion

Pascal Archer, clarinet
Spencer Meyer, piano

 

Thu, June 17, at 7 pm

NJSO Pride Celebration: A Conversation

Free Zoom Event

Join NJSO President & CEO Gabriel van Aalst, Edie Windsor SAGE Center Arts & Culture Program Coordinator Christian Appel and NJSO violist David Blinn for a lively conversation and insight into the NJSO’s Pride celebrations, followed by musical performances featuring notable LGBTQ+ composers and artists. Register at njsymphony.org/pride.

 

Fri, June 18, at 5 pm

Collaboration with Paper Mill Playhouse

LARSON/arr. Robert Wagner “I’ll Cover You” from Rent

Kyle Taylor Parker, vocalist
Jay Donnell, vocalist
Héctor Falcón, violin
Ted Ackerman, cello
Alexander Bickard, electric bass
Pascal Archer, clarinet
James Musto, drums

 

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra connects with the people and diverse communities of New Jersey through the power of live symphonic music to inspire, entertain and educate. Internationally renowned Music Director Xian Zhang has garnered critical acclaim on the podium and has deepened the NJSO’s commitment to presenting diverse voices that reflect the communities the Orchestra serves.

The NJSO embraces its legacy as a statewide orchestra through mainstage and chamber performances at venues across New Jersey, as well as partnerships with fellow Garden State arts organizations, universities and civic organizations. The Orchestra’s education and community engagement programs promote meaningful, lifelong engagement with live music.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NJSO has made virtual performances and educational online programs available for free, reaching more than 10 million people across the Orchestra’s digital channels. NJSO Concert Films pair world-class NJSO performances with stunning imagery of the people and cityscapes of New Jersey. The NJSO has presented innovative programs with fellow arts organizations, community ensembles and statewide partners. Musicians perform solo and chamber works from iconic New Jersey locations in NJSO Everywhere. NJSO at Home spotlights intimate at-home performances, instrument demonstrations, educational videos and hours of concert recordings.

The NJSO Youth Orchestras have not only continued virtual instruction but have introduced an entirely new dimension to the program. Students are working together on a yearlong creative composition project—a uniquely engaging opportunity for students to explore their own musical voices and shape new works that draw from all the genres that inspire them.

The Orchestra’s online hub for free musical content is njsymphony.org/virtual.

Connect with Us:
Website: njsymphony.org
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @NJSymphony
YouTube: @NewJerseySymphony
Email: information@njsymphony.org

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra’s programs are made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, along with many other foundations, corporations and individual donors.

 

SAGE

SAGE is the world’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older people. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in New York City, SAGE is a national organization that offers supportive services and consumer resources to LGBT older people and their caregivers. SAGE also advocates for public policy changes that address the needs of LGBT elders, provides education and technical assistance for aging providers and LGBT community organizations through its National Resource Center on LGBT Aging and cultural competency training through SAGECare. With staff located across the country, SAGE also coordinates SAGENet, a growing network of affiliates in the United States. Learn more at sageusa.org.

 

Paper Mill Playhouse

Paper Mill Playhouse, recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is a nationally renowned not-for-profit theater under the direction of Mark S. Hoebee (Producing Artistic Director) and Michael Stotts (Managing Director). A beloved NJ arts institution since 1938, Paper Mill creates and produces groundbreaking new musicals and reimagined classics. Several productions have gone on to Broadway and launched national tours, including Disney’s Newsies, Les Misérables, Honeymoon in Vegas, A Bronx Tale and Bandstand. The theater is also the home of an award-winning center for musical theater education and artist training, with outreach programs that impact thousands of students each year. As one of the nation’s premier musical theaters, Paper Mill fosters a creative environment to advance the art form, educate students, develop future theater lovers, nurture inclusion and provide access for all. Paper Mill Playhouse programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Paper Mill Playhouse is a member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the Council of Stock Theatres and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.

 

Press Contact

Victoria McCabe, NJSO Director of Public Relations & Communications | 973.735.1715 | vmccabe@njsymphony.org

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