NJSO presents Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto with George Li | Dec 5–8
Dec 5, 6 & 8 at NJPAC in Newark
Dec 7 at State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick
- Orchestra gives NJSO premiere of Anna Clyne’s Within Her Arms
- Program also features Dvořák’s Eighth Symphony
- Music Director Xian Zhang conducts
NEWARK, NJ—The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Xian Zhang present Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto with pianist George Li, December 5–8 in Newark and New Brunswick. The program opens with the NJSO premiere of Anna Clyne’s Within Her Arms—a tender string work Clyne wrote after the loss of her mother—and closes with Dvořák’s Eighth Symphony.
Performances take place on December 5 at 1:30 pm, December 6 at 8 pm and December 8 at 3 pm at NJPAC in Newark, and on December 7 at 8 pm at State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick.
NJ Advance Media praised Li’s skill in his NJSO debut, when the pianist performed Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto during the 2018 Winter Festival: “Li delivered full, 88-key arpeggios in the Andantino and the insanely difficult flurry of notes in the finale with exquisite skill.”
Concert tickets start at $20 and are available for purchase at njsymphony.org or 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476). Student tickets are $10, available at njsymphony.org/students one month in advance.
December 7 is College Night; $10 tickets for college students include the concert and an exclusive post-concert party. More information on College Night is available at njsymphony.org/college.
NJSO Accent events also include a pre-concert singalong in the Prudential Hall lobby on December 5 at 12:30 pm and a Prelude Performance by the NJSO Youth Orchestras’ Chamber Ensemble, led by conductor and NJSO violist Henry Kao, on December 8 at 2:15 pm. The NJSO will collect new, unwrapped toys for the Orchestra’s annual Toys for Tots drive. Learn more at njsymphony.org/accents.
Learn more about the program at njsymphony.org/rach3.
CONCERT PROGRAM
Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto
Thursday, December 5, at 1:30 pm | NJPAC in Newark
Friday, December 6, at 8 pm | NJPAC in Newark
Saturday, December 7, at 8 pm | State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick
Sunday, November 10, at 3 pm | NJPAC in Newark
XIAN ZHANG conductor
GEORGE LI piano
ANNA CLYNE Within Her Arms (NJSO Premiere)
RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 3
DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 8
NJSO ACCENTS
Singalong Fun – Dec 5 at 12:30 pm
Join fellow music lovers and sing along to an entertaining selection of favorites in the lobby.
College Night – Dec 7 after the concert
$10 tickets for college students include the concert and a post-concert party with refreshments and live entertainment. njsymphony.org/college
Prelude Performance – Dec 8 at 2:15 pm
Enjoy a special 25-minute lobby performance by the NJSO Youth Orchestras’ Chamber Orchestra, conducted by NJSO violist Henry Kao.
Toys for Tots Drive
Bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate to the NJSO’s annual Toys for Tots drive.
Bank of America is concert sponsor of the December 8 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 and the NJSO Youth Orchestras family of student ensembles, led by José Luis Domínguez. NJSO musicians annually perform original chamber music programs at community events in a variety of settings statewide through the NJSO Community Partners program.
Tickets are available for purchase by phone at 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476) or at njsymphony.org.
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.
PRESS CONTACT
Victoria McCabe, NJSO Senior Manager of Public Relations & Communications | 973.735.1715 | vmccabe@njsymphony.org
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Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto
Featuring pianist George Li
XIAN ZHANG conductor
GEORGE LI piano
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ANNA CLYNE Within Her Arms (NJSO Premiere)
A defining work in this Brooklyn-based composer’s career. Written for strings alone, this tender piece is the song of loss and memory for her mother.
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RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 3
Rachmaninoff wrote this concerto to showcase his exceptional talent and blindingly fast technique. It starts with a deceptively simple melody that every beginner can play, but it quickly becomes the Everest of all piano concertos—one that few soloists attempt to conquer.
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DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 8
Dvořák’s Eighth poured out of him while he was surrounded by the cherished Bohemian countryside that was his inspiration. Close your eyes and you’ll see the colors of autumn, awash in sunlight.