The Princeton Festival, a multi-genre performing arts festival that runs from June 4 to June 26, features an opera by Benjamin Britten, a musical by Stephen Sondheim, two different kinds of jazz concerts, an organ recital, two Baroque orchestra concerts (1 with chorus), a contemporary ballet dance performance, and an oratorio accompanying a silent film. 

The lectures this year focus on the opera, Peter Grimes, as it is the most important of the festival’s offerings in terms of the number of people involved, the venue, the cost of the production, the number of rehearsals required, etc. While the premiere of Peter Grimes in 1945 was a legendary triumph and is now part of the standard repertory, learning more about the story, the composer, and the music will enhance everyone’s enjoyment of this 20th century masterpiece.

Thanks to the efforts of the Princeton Festival Guild, the lectures and community engagement programs are free. The mission of the Guild is to excite, inform, and inspire the larger community.

For more information and a link to purchase tickets visit www.princetonfestival.org. To purchase tickets by phone, call McCarter Theatre at (609) 258-2787.

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