World-renowned Cirque de la Symphonie joins NJSO this week

Acrobatic performers from Cirque de la Symphonie return to New Jersey Symphony Orchestra stages for the NJSO POPS season opener on October 17 and 18 in Newark and New Brunswick. Cirque’s troupe of exceptional artists—aerial flyers, acrobats, contortionists, dancers, jugglers and strongmen—will perform on stage as the Orchestra performs classical favorites. NJSO Associate Conductor Gemma New conducts.

Critics across the country have raved about Cirque's aerial feats and compelling programs. The Baltimore Sun has praised the “the brilliant flying, juggling, contorting troupe,” writing, “It was cool to hear collective ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ rise from the crowd [and] hear shouts of approval.”

The Boston Globe writes that the “triumphant taking of bows” after Cirque de la Symphonie’s sold-out performances with the Boston Pops “were well-earned.”

The Seattle Times lauds Cirque de la Symphonie’s “every breathtaking feat of strength and agility,” writing that “a symphony orchestra has a lot in common with circus acts. Both involve developing and maintaining suspense. Both involve spectacle and modulating emotional pitch, capturing the rapt attention of an audience willing to surrender to every nuance or peak … The clearest sign that ‘Cirque’ was working was in the way kids in the audience were just as absorbed by the stand-alone musical portions of the program as they were by the ones featuring the performers.”

The NJSO presents special NJSO Accent festivities beginning one hour before each concert. Patrons can join in a sing-along highlighting the classic genres—from Broadway showstoppers to James Bond film theme songs—the five-concert NJSO POPS season will feature. Additional information about this season’s NJSO Accent events is available at www.njsymphony.org/accents.

The program includes music from Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio espagnol, Bizet’s Carmen, Brahms’ Symphony No. 3, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and Eugene Onegin, Respighi’s La Boutique fantasque, Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, Saint-Saëns’ Samson and Delilah, Kabalevsky’s Colas Breugnon Overture and Dvoøák’s Slavonic Dances, among others.