NJSO presents Verdi’s Requiem
FOUR OUTSTANDING VOCAL SOLOISTS, MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY CHORALE JOIN NJSO FOR VERDI’S MASTERWORK
APRIL 5 PERFORMANCE IS NJSO COLLEGE NIGHT AT STATE THEATRE
Thu, Apr 3, at NJPAC in Newark
Sat, Apr 5, at State Theatre in New Brunswick
Sun, Apr 6, at Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown
NEWARK, NJ (February 26, 2014)—The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Jacques Lacombe present Verdi’s mammoth Requiem April 3–6 in Newark, New Brunswick and Morristown with soprano Marianne Fiset, mezzo-soprano Janar a Kellerman, tenor Russell Thomas, bass Peter Volpe and the Montclair State University Chorale. Thomas returns to NJSO stages after The Star-Ledger praised his “compelling performance” of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with the Orchestra in January, noting his “bright, cutting a nd expressive” tenor. The April 5 performance at the State Theatre in New Brunswick is the NJSO’s third College Night event of the season.
Performances take place on Thursday, April 3, (1:30 pm) at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark, Saturday, April 5, (8 pm) at the State Theatre in New Brunswick and Sunday, April 6, (3 pm) at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown.
Verdi masterfully deals with a requiem’s subject matter, Lacombe says: “It has all the elements that come with dealing with the end of one’s life. There is a powerful sincerity in this piece.
“Verdi’s work is one of the most theatrical requiems of all time—Verdi was, first of all, a man of the theater, and special moments like the trumpet fanfare come from [that tradition]. You have to experience the Requiem’s Dies Irae at least once in your life—to be in a concert hall and hear its shocks, its big slams.”
Lacombe looks forward to the NJSO’s next collaboration with the Montclair State University Chorale and its director, Heather Buchanan. “We’ve had many performing experiences with Montclair State’s choral ensembles and with Heather, who is one of the best chorus masters with whom I’ve ever worked,” he says. “The chorus has a real energy and spontaneity of youth—we are fortunate to have a chorus at such a high level as one of our partners.”
COLLEGE NIGHT
The NJSO hosts its third College Night event of the season on Saturday, April 5, at the State Theatre in New Brunswick. A special $10 student ticket includes entrance to the Orchestra’s 8 pm performance and a post-concert all-student party.
The NJSO will provide free round-trip bus transportation to the concert from select New Jersey college campuses. Pick-up times and locations for the April 5 concert date will be posted at www.njsymphony.org/college as buses become available.
The Orchestra has set aside a block of tickets as Tweet Seats, from which college students can post live concert commentary on social media. The NJSO (@NJSymphony) will tweet live commentary during the performance.
The first College Night of the season saw 139 students from colleges and universities across the state join the Orchestra at NJPAC in Newark on November 1. The NJSO hosts the season’s second College Night at its Sunday, March 2, performance of Grieg’s Piano Concerto at NJPAC.
TICKETS
Tickets start at $20 and are available for purchase online or by phone at 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476).
College Night student tickets are $10 and include the concert and post-concert party. Student tickets are available for purchase online at www.njsymphony.org/college (using promo code COLLEGE14) or by phone at 1.800.ALLEGRO; Tweet Seats are available by phone only.
For more information about College Night, contact Rebecca Ludkiewicz, Marketing and Social Media Manager, at rludkiewicz@njsymphony.org or 973.735.1716.
THE PROGRAM
Verdi’s Requiem
Thursday, April 3 at 1:30 pm | NJPAC in Newark
Saturday, April 5 at 8 pm | State Theatre in New Brunswick
Sunday, April 6 at 3 pm | Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown
Jacques Lacombe, conductor
Marianne Fiset, soprano
Janara Kellerman, mezzo-soprano
Russell Thomas, tenor
Peter Volpe, bass
Montclair State University Chorale | Heather J. Buchanan director
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
VERDI Requiem
This concert is performed without intermission.
The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey is concert sponsor of the April 3 performance.
Program notes and additional information are available at www.njsymphony.org/events/detail/verdis-requiem.