NJSO presents Handel’s Messiah
Dec 14 at the Richardson Auditorium in Princeton
Dec 16 at Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark
- Montclair State University Singers, quartet of vocal soloists join members of NJSO for Christmastime masterwork
NEWARK, NJ—Members of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra perform Handel’s Messiah with the Montclair State University Singers and a quartet of vocal soloists December 14 and 16 in Princeton and Newark, respectively.
Patrick Dupré Quigley conducts a historically informed interpretation of Handel’s masterwork—a Christmastime tradition in concert halls across the world. Soprano Margot Rood, countertenor Reginald Mobley, tenor Steven Soph and baritone Charles Wesley Evans join the Orchestra and choir.
Performances take place on December 14 at 8 pm at the Richardson Auditorium in Princeton and December 16 at 7 pm at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, a new venue for the NJSO’s Messiah program.
The Star-Ledger has praised the NJSO’s performances of the masterwork with the Montclair State University Singers, writing: “Together, orchestra, chorus, conductor and soloists brought out the work’s many shades, and delivered that one particular seasonal requirement, a rousing ‘Hallelujah.’”
Concert tickets start at $20 and are available for purchase at njsymphony.org or 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476).
THE PROGRAM
Handel’s Messiah
Friday, December 14, at 8 pm | Richardson Auditorium in Princeton
Sunday, December 16, at 7 pm | Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark
Patrick Dupré Quigley, conductor
Margot Rood, soprano
Reginald Mobley, countertenor
Steven Soph, tenor
Charles Wesley Evans, baritone
Montclair State University Singers | Heather J. Buchanan, director
Members of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
HANDEL Messiah
The Orchestra invites the audience to participate in the centuries-old tradition of standing at the beginning of the Messiah’s “Hallelujah Chorus.”
Full concert information and artist bios are available at njsymphony.org/messiah.
The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey is concert sponsor of the December 16 performance.
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Named “a vital, artistically significant musical organization” by The Wall Street Journal, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra embodies that vitality through its statewide presence and critically acclaimed performances, education partnerships and unparalleled access to music and the Orchestra’s superb musicians.
Music Director Xian Zhang—a “dynamic podium presence” The New York Times has praised for her “technical abilities, musicianship and maturity”—continues her acclaimed leadership of the NJSO. The Orchestra presents classical, pops and family programs, as well as outdoor summer concerts and special events. Embracing its legacy as a statewide orchestra, the NJSO is the resident orchestra of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark and regularly performs at State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick, Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, Richardson Auditorium in Princeton, Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown and bergenPAC in Englewood. Partnerships with New Jersey arts organizations, universities and civic organizations remain a key element of the Orchestra’s statewide identity.
In addition to its lauded artistic programming, the NJSO presents a suite of education and community engagement programs that promote meaningful, lifelong engagement with live music. Programs include school-time Concerts for Young People; NJSO Youth Orchestras family of student ensembles, led by José Luis Domínguez; and El Sistema-inspired NJSO CHAMPS (Character, Achievement and Music Project). NJSO musicians annually perform original chamber music programs at community events in a variety of settings statewide through the NJSO Community Partners program.
For more information about the NJSO, visit njsymphony.org or email information@njsymphony.org. Tickets are available for purchase by phone at 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476) or on the Orchestra’s website.
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.
PRESS CONTACT
Victoria McCabe, NJSO Senior Manager of Public Relations & Communications | 973.735.1715 | vmccabe@njsymphony.org
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