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The Historical Society of Princeton’s Concert Under the Stars took place on Saturday, June 4 at Updike Farmstead in Princeton. Guests enjoyed wine and dined outdoors while exploring the property’s six acre estate. This year’s fundraiser featured a 90-minute live performance by The Samples, an indie rock band formed in 1985. The event proved to be one of the most memorable nights of the summer.
A PRESTIGIOUS PRIZE: Max Azaro and his mother, Kathy Azaro, attended the opening of American Ballet Theatre at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House. As part of the festivities, Max was presented with the coveted Northern Trust Scholarship. (Photo Courtesy of ABT Jackie Kennedy Onassis School)
Max Azaro was already studying gymnastics when he first took his place at the ballet barre at Princeton Dance and Theater Studio in Forrestal Village. For the energetic 10-year-old, there was something about this different way of movement that grabbed his attention. He has never looked back.
Princeton Pro Musica closed its 2015-16 season with a concert of Americana this past weekend. In this election year, Pro Musica Music Director Ryan James Brandau chose to program Sunday afternoon’s performance at Richardson Auditorium in the hope that the spirit of American classical music might effectively ground people amidst the political flurry. With a sampling of 20th and 21st-century choral works, the 100-voice Pro Musica ended their season in uplifting fashion. more
The Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is pleased to be partnering with the Princeton Festival and Princeton Garden Theatre to present Voices of Light, an oratorio by Richard Einhorn with the 1928 silent film classic The Passion of Joan of Arc, on Thursday, June 9 at 8:30 p.m. at the Princeton University Chapel. It is a first collaboration of the orchestra with the festival, made possible through the generous support of long-term PSO patrons Enea and Dave Tierno.
PSO Executive Director Marc Uys elaborated on the benefits of the new partnership, “The PSO is always looking for opportunities to work with other arts organizations in the community. This partnership with the Princeton Festival is ideal as it provides patrons and new audiences the chance to experience the excellence of PSO musicians in a unique setting, accompanying beautiful vocals with the added element of a classic film.”
The Princeton Festival’s General and Artistic Director Richard Tang Yuk is equally pleased with the collaboration. He said, “We are thrilled to be collaborating with the PSO on this very engaging and moving multi-media project.” more
Princeton Day School (PDS) Director in Residence Stan Cahill announced that Austin Phares ’16, star of the fall production of Our Town, was named Outstanding Actor in a Drama at the 2016 New Jersey Theatre Awards held at Montclair State University on May 16, 2016. The cast of Our Town was also named Outstanding Acting Ensemble. Productions from 57 schools across New Jersey were eligible. more
Many dance schools place students in classes based solely on age. At Princeton Ballet School, age is only one factor in determining a student’s placement. Entering students with prior dance training for 1st through 5th grades, and grades 6 and up are welcome to audition. Open enrollment for all other students is underway, as well.
For more information, visit www.americanrepertoryballet.org. (Photo Credit: Theresa Wood) more
MOTHER-DAUGHTER MATTERS: Ruth (Caroline Aaron, left) and her daughter Miranda (Stephanie Janssen) are completely bonded, and in conflict on almost every possible issue, in Sharyn Rothstein’s world premiere family “dramedy,” All the Days, at McCarter’s Berlind Theatre through May 29. (Photo by T. Charles Erickson)
Dysfunctional families have always provided material for great literature and theater. From the ancient Greeks—Odysseus and the battling family of Olympian gods, the Trojan War, the families of Agamemnon and Oedipus—though the great tragedies may have played out in the global, public sphere, the issues always had their roots in family conflict. more
On Friday, May 20 at 8 p.m., The Arts Council of Princeton presents Tom Tallitsch in a CD Release concert for his newest work entitled “Gratitude,” an energetic journey of original compositions and arrangements of well-known classic rock songs in an acoustic quartet setting. Paul Robeson Center for the Arts is located at 102 Witherspoon Street, Princeton. Admission is $12 general audience and $10 for ACP members, students, and seniors. Tickets are available at the door 30 minutes before show time on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org or call (609) 924-8777.
THE SKY IS THE LIMIT: On May 10, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s (PSO) BRAVO! education program presented “The Sky is the Limit!,” a concert designed to get the imaginations of over 2,000 area school children soaring with works ranging from Ottorini Respighi’s “The Hen,” Nikolaï Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee,” Daniel Dorff’s “Blast Off!,” and Gustav Holst’s “Mars.” These works, plus an unofficial world record, a surprise narration from a school teacher, and an unexpected composer’s visit combined for a fun field trip for the orchestra.
On Tuesday, May 10, at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 1:15 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s (PSO) BRAVO! education program presented “The Sky is the Limit!”, a concert designed to get the imaginations of over 2,000 area school children soaring with works ranging from Ottorini Respighi’s The Hen, Nikolaï Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee, Daniel Dorff’s Blast Off! and Gustav Holst’s Mars. Music Director Rossen Milanov conducted as he guided the students through the upper stratosphere and beyond. more
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. more
The Second Annual Nassau Film Festival returns to Princeton’s Garden Theatre (160 Nassau Street) on Sunday, May 15, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This event is free of charge and open to the public.
Lew Goldstein, who co-founded the festival with Dan Bauer, got the idea to start the festival after noticing a gap in the Princeton film scene. “I felt there was a void for individuals who focused on short documentaries and short films. These are all remarkable films that deserve to be seen,” he says. more
INTERVIEWS WITH CLOWNS: Senior Nathalie Ellis-Einhorn in rehearsal for “I.M. LOST!” the one-person, interactive play she wrote and will perform on May 5 and 6 at 8 p.m. and May 7 at 2 and 8 p.m. at the Marie Edward Matthews ’53 Acting Studio at 185 Nassau Street. “I.M. LOST!” is an interactive solo show based on interviews with different types of people who clown: birthday clowns, hospital clowns, actor clowns, clown teachers, even an astrophysics professor who enjoys going to clown classes. (Photo by Nadia Diamond) more
On Sunday, May 15 at 4 p.m., the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) presents its Passion and Affection concert performed in honor of Arnold H. Snider, III and featuring Sarah Kirkland Snider’s Hiraeth, a multi-media work co-commissioned by the PSO with the North Carolina Symphony. more
Each year, the Stuart B. Mindlin Memorial Concerts at Princeton University have brought together the University Orchestra with other ensembles and guest soloists. This year, conductor Michael Pratt and the orchestra chose to go it alone, presenting two major symphonic works which not only showed off the ensemble’s collective sound, but also gave many of the student musicians the chance to play elegant solos. more
McCarter Theatre Center is pleased to announce its full schedule of 2016-17 dance, music, and signature presented series. An eclectic mix of the world’s greatest musicians, dance companies, and performing artists are on tap, including several returning favorites and McCarter debuts. more
MUSIC AND POETRY OF PENELOPE: Playwright Ellen McLaughlin’s poetry inspired Sarah Kirkland Snider to create her song cycle “Penelope,” which will be performed by PSO musicians and conducted by John Devlin on Tuesday, May 17 at Princeton Public Library. It also relates to the performance of Ms. Snider’s PSO co-commissioned work “Hiraeth,” which will be performed by the PSO on Sunday, May 15. (Photo Credit: Jamie Clifford)
On Wednesday, May 4 at 7 pm, in partnership with the Princeton Public Library, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) presents Soundtracks: Music and Poetry of Penelope in the library’s Community Room. Homer’s Penelope is a central figure in the poetry of The Odyssey. Composer Sarah Kirkland Snider and playwright Ellen McLaughlin, via video, discuss the iconic figure and the influence of her story upon their works in a presentation led by PSO Assistant Conductor John Devlin. more
Johann Sebastian Bach never heard a complete performance of his now classic Mass in B Minor in his lifetime, but over the past 150 years, this five-part work has become a staple of the choral repertory. Loaded with instrumentally-conceived choral coloratura and exacting counterpoint, the Mass in B Minor is considered a pinnacle of choral performance toward which choruses aspire. The Princeton University Glee Club undertook this vocal and instrumental challenge last Sunday evening with a historically informed and clean performance in Richardson Auditorium. Conductor Gabriel Crouch led the 80-voice Glee Club, chamber orchestra, and four vocal soloists in a performance which was lean, sensitive to the text, and strong to the very last note. more
By Stuart Mitchner
Musical protest helps the Japanese “to voice what they cannot ordinarily express in words” according to Princeton resident Noriko Manabe’s The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Protest Music After Fukushima (Oxford $27.95). It’s a formidable work: 433 pages, 35 pages of notes, a nearly 15-page-long bibliography, with web icons interspersed throughout the text highlighting links to pronuclear public relations videos, press conferences, music videos, extensive footage from anti-nuclear demonstrations and rallies, plus color photos on a companion website. more
The Richardson Chamber Players closed its 2015-16 season with a concert of French musical bonbons at Richardson Auditorium, featuring a number of Princeton University music department faculty and students. Continuing a mission of presenting music one rarely hears live, Director Michael Pratt programmed a performance of chamber music from the early part of the 20th century which might have been heard in Parisian salons and concert halls. more
Amos Lee will perform at McCarter Theatre with special guest Mutlu Onaral on Sunday, May 15 at 7 p.m. For more than a decade, Lee has been at the forefront of a new generation of singer-songwriters, drawing inspiration from James Taylor and John Prine. His hit single “Arms of a Woman,” put him on the map. His 2010 album “Mission Bell,” also reached the top of the charts. Ticket prices start at $25. To order, call (609) 258-2787 or visit www.mccarter.org.
Westminster Conservatory will observe the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare by presenting three faculty recitals in April.
On Sunday, April 3 at 3 p.m. “Shakespeare Revisited” will offer new compositions based on texts and themes of Shakespeare by Westminster composers. On Sunday, April 17 at 3 p.m. “Shakespeare in Song” will feature members of the Westminster Conservatory voice faculty performing settings of Shakespearian texts from the 18th to 21st centuries. These two recitals are part of the Kaleidoscope Chamber Series and will take place in Gill Chapel on the Rider University campus in Lawrenceville. Admission is free. more
The Lewis Center for the Arts’ Programs in Dance and Theater present there.remaining… a dance-theater fusion of text, movement, music, and projections, created and directed by senior Ogemdi Ude and featuring original music by Lewis Center Resident Musical Director and Composer Vince di Mura. Performances will take place on April 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9 at 8 p.m. in the Marie and Edward Matthews ’53 Acting Studio at 185 Nassau Street. The production is free and open to the public, however, advance tickets are recommended and are available through arts.princeton.edu. more
Make Easter fun for the whole family with these personalized Easter gifts. Simply click on each item to purchase. more
On March 28 at 6:30 p.m., more than 200 singers will gather on the Mayo Concert Hall stage at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) campus in Ewing. TCNJ students will perform alongside five high school choirs from Japan who all come from the region affected by the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and Fukushima nuclear disaster. The performance is part of Project Hand-in-hand, which aims to support the recovery of the Japan disaster by using music to support cultural exchange and communication. This will be the fourth time in five years that TCNJ has partnered with Project Hand-in-Hand. more
