ALL MOZART: Pianist Orli Shaham is the soloist at the Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s program of works by the composer on February 8 and 9 at Richardson Auditorium. (Photo by Christian Steiner)

Pianist Orli Shaham is the soloist with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) on February 8 at 8 p.m. and February 9 at 4 p.m. in an all-Mozart program at Richardson Auditorium.

Ballet music from Idomeneo (excerpts), the Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K. 466, and Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 in E-flat Major, K. 453 Will be performed. Gérard Korsten, conductor and Mozart specialist, will make his debut with the PSO.

Locals may recall Ms. Shaham from her Baby Got Bach program for children which made its Princeton debut in 2016 with So Percussion. She also recorded a piano concerto, Stumble to Grace, by Princeton-based composer Steve Mackey.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Orli Shaham back to Princeton,” said PSO Executive Director Marc Uys. “She is a superb and multi-talented artist. I admire her dedication to the music she performs and her desire to make classical music accessible to younger audiences through live presentations and broadcast media.” Of his fellow South African Korsten, Uys added, “He is an expert conductor, particularly of Mozart. I’m so pleased we are able to bring these two devotees of Mozart together. I can’t wait to hear the result of their collaboration.”

Shaham has performed with many of the major orchestras around the world, and has appeared in recital internationally, from Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House. In 2024, Shaham released the final volumes of the complete piano sonatas by Mozart, with the entire collection available as a limited-edition box set. Her discography includes over a dozen titles on Deutsche Gramophone, Sony, Canary Classics and other labels. Shaham is on the piano and chamber music faculty at The Juilliard School. She is artistic director of Pacific Symphony’s chamber series Café Ludwig in California, and is a co-host and creative for the national radio program From the Top.

Korsten appears as guest conductor with orchestras such as the Adelaide Symphony, BBC Scottish Symphony, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Orchestre National de Lyon, Scottish, and Swedish Chamber Orchestras, as well as the SWR Sinfonieorchester Freiburg. He has conducted over 100 orchestras in 24 countries. He is conductor laureate of Austria’s Symphonieorchester Vorarlberg Bregenz, after his term as principal conductor lasting 13 years. Korsten has also served as principal conductor of the London Mozart Players and was music director of the Orchestra del Teatro Lirico di Cagliari in Sardinia.

Sunday’s concert includes a 3 p.m. pre-concert talk discussing the works to be performed. The talk is free to ticket holders with general seating in Richardson Auditorium. In advance of the concerts, the Princeton Garden Theatre will present the newly restored theatrical release of Amadeus in partnership with the PSO on Thursday, February 6 at 7 p.m. There will be a small ensemble performance immediately prior to the screening.

Visit Princetonsymphony.org for tickets.