Star-Ledger features NJSO in fall arts preview

The Star-Ledger highlights Xian Zhang’s debut concerts as NJSO Music Director, the Orchestra’s season-opening concerts with violinist Sarah Chang and the return of former Associate Conductor Gemma New in its fall arts preview:

A new maestra for NJSO

The New Jersey Symphony's 94th season opens this month with potluck concerts consisting of upbeat classical morsels conducted by Teddy Abrams, dance music by Bernstein and [Copland], with some Ravel and Piazzolla thrown in for spice. 

But NJSO's new era begins in earnest the following month when Xian Zhang takes the podium for the first time as the orchestra's fourteenth music director. The maestra leads a weekend of all-Tchaikovsky programs starting Oct. 27 at NJPAC.  Following those inaugural concerts, Zhang will conduct a program of Germanic music — featuring Haydn, Beethoven and Strauss — over three nights during the first weekend of November. 

As NJSO says hello to Zhang, the band will also be saying good-bye to associate conductor Gemma New. New, a reliable presence on New Jersey's podiums the last few seasons, was named resident conductor for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra this summer. She conducts four concerts over the first weekend of October, featuring music from Norway, Finland and New's own country, New Zealand. For a full schedule, go to njsymphony.org.

» Read the full story at www.nj.com.