October 2, 2024

THREE SOLOISTS: In performances of Beethoven’s “Triple Concerto” at Richardson Auditorium by the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, the soloists are, from left, Steven Beck, pianist; Basia Danilow, violin; and Alistair MacRae, cellist.

Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) concertmaster Basia Danilow and principal cellist Alistair MacRae team up with pianist Steven Beck October 19-20 for performances of Beethoven’s Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano in C Major, Op. 56, “Triple Concerto.” Conducted by Edward T. Cone Music Director Rossen Milanov, the concerts at Richardson Auditorium also include Michael Abels’ More Seasons and Sergei Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25, “Classical.”

The entire program provides variations on traditional musical forms, and even the usual order of orchestral concert programming. “Rather than designing the program in the customary way — overture, concerto, symphony —I have decided to move the programming blocks a bit to allow the audience to experience first the more modern works by Prokofiev and Ables before hearing the Beethoven’s original masterpiece —’Triple Concerto’ — in the second half of the concert,” said Milanov. more

ON THE WESTMINSTER CAMPUS: Ruth Ochs conducts the Westminster Community Orchestra in the Marion Buckelew Cullen Center on Walnut Lane in upcoming performances November 3 and December 11.

The Westminster Community Orchestra (WCO) and conductor Ruth Ochs will perform two programs in November and December in Hillman Performance Hall, housed in the Marion Buckelew Cullen Center, 101 Walnut Lane.

The orchestra will present its first performance, Celebrate America!, on Sunday, November 3 at 3 p.m., featuring works by George Gershwin, Scott Joplin, George Whitefield Chadwick, Florence Price, Aaron Copland, and Richard Rodgers. The program will also include Georg Philipp Telemann’s Recorder Concerto in C, with Westminster Conservatory student Tegan Costello as soloist. The concert highlights a variety of musical themes that are distinctly American. There are no tickets required; a suggested admission of $10/person will be collected at the door. more

“TOTAL FREAK OUT”: This pumpkin was carved by Matt Derby for the Hopewell Valley Arts Council’s Ninth Annual Amazing Pumpkin Carve. This year’s event runs October 9 through 13 at Woolsey Park in Hopewell Township.

The Hopewell Valley Arts Council is celebrating a decade of community tradition with its 10th Annual Amazing Pumpkin Carve at Woolsey Park in Hopewell Township from October 9 through 13. Bringing together families, art lovers, and fall enthusiasts, this event features 30 massive pumpkins carved into creative masterpieces under a big top tent.

Since its inception, the Amazing Pumpkin Carve has grown into one of Hopewell Valley’s favorite fall events, drawing thousands of visitors each year. The pumpkins, carved by local artists, range from whimsical to spooky, showcasing the talent and creativity within the community. Rain or shine, attendees can enjoy the pumpkin displays inside the tent. more

GOLU EXTRAVAGANZA: West Windsor Arts brings the Southern Indian tradition of Navrati Golu to its gallery space with “From Ethereal to Real: A Navratri Golu,” an installation of intricately arranged, handcrafted dolls and heirlooms in settings that explore global warming through allegory, metaphor, and mythology. A related event is on Saturday, October 5, from 4 to 9 p.m.

Since expanding its programming to include more one-of-a-kind, community-building events — built by community members — West Windsor Arts has hosted dancing in the dark parties, game nights, holi celebrations, immersive classical musical performances, and more.

On Saturday, October 5, from 4 to 9 p.m., the arts center will bring the Southern Indian tradition of Navrati Golu to its gallery space. “From Ethereal to Real: A Navratri Golu” will feature an installation of intricately arranged, handcrafted dolls and heirlooms in settings that explore global warming through allegory, metaphor, and mythology. The evening will also include impromptu, live Indian classical music, a presentation on the significance of the golu, and fun art activities for children. more

“LOTUS FIELD, FALL”: Leni Paquet-Morante, whose work is shown here, is among the artists of Princeton Makes, which will host its second annual Art in the Courtyard — Fall Festival on Sunday, October 6 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Princeton Shopping Center courtyard.

Princeton Makes will host its second annual Art in the Courtyard — Fall Festival on Sunday, October 6 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Princeton Shopping Center courtyard. The festival is a celebration of creativity and community and will showcase the local artistic talent of Princeton and neighboring areas.

Art in the Courtyard is designed to give local artists and artisans the opportunity to spotlight their work. But the festival goes beyond artistic displays; it is a celebration of the entire Princeton and neighboring areas. Princeton Makes is focused on community building and welcomes everyone to contribute to a community art project to be made during the event. more

Princeton University Library presents “Monsters & Machines: Caricature, Visual Satire, and the Twentieth-Century Bestiary” in the Milberg Gallery at Firestone Library, on view through December 8.

The exhibition examines the global use of bestiary in visual satire during the period from the beginning of World War I through the end of the Cold War. It is curated by a team of PUL librarians: Thomas Keenan, Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies librarian; Lidia Santarelli, librarian for History, New York University; Deborah Schlein, Near Eastern Studies librarian; and Alain St. Pierre, librarian for History, History of Science, and African Studies. more

WINNING TEAM: “I very much enjoy helping our clients to look their best, and I enjoy helping the staff to accomplish their goals and reach their potential.” Master stylist and salon director at Enmoda Salon & Spa, Zachary Mosco, second from left back row, is very proud of his team of stylists, estheticians, and nail technicians shown here.

By Jean Stratton

You will definitely be “in style” at Enmoda Salon & Spa at 163 Bayard Lane.

The Spanish term “enmoda” can mean in style, and Princeton’s Enmoda lives up to its name. The master stylists, estheticians, nail technicians, and makeup specialists are all ready to help each client look their best.

Opened two years ago, the establishment has a clientele of men, women, and children, from 9 years old to 80-plus, all who are regular clients, reports salon director and master stylist Zachary Mosco. more

BLAINE GAME: Princeton University quarterback Blaine McAllister fires a pass last Saturday against Howard. Making his first career start, McAllister passed for one touchdown and ran for another as Princeton topped the Bison 30-13. The Tigers, now 1-1, start their Ivy League campaign by playing at Columbia (1-1) on October 5. (Photo by Steven Wojtowicz)

By Bill Alden

For Blaine McAllister, being patient over the last four seasons was rewarded last Saturday as he made his first start at quarterback for the Princeton University football team.

Toiling on the Princeton junior varsity team in 2021 and 2022 and making one varsity appearance last fall, senior McAllister got the starting nod against visiting Howard with opening day starter Blaine Hipa sidelined by injury. more

MO BETTER: Princeton University women’s rugby player Malinka Kwemo (carrying ball) wards off a tackler in a game earlier this season. On September 21, sophomore back Kwemo went 7 for 9 on conversion attempts as Princeton defeated Bowdoin 59-0 to post its first-ever victory in varsity 15s competition after losing 15 straight since 2022 when the program moved up to the varsity level. The Tigers, who fell 46-5 to Brown last Saturday to drop to 1-3, play at Quinnipiac on October 5. (Photo by Shelley Szwast, provided courtesy of Princeton Athletics)

By Bill Alden

Over its first two seasons as a varsity 15s program, the Princeton University women’s rugby team went winless, dropping all 13 games it played in 2022-23.

But heading into this fall, Princeton was confident that it was on the verge of a breakthrough win. more

BRIGHT STAR: Princeton High boys’ soccer player Azariah Breitman, right, chases after the ball in recent action. Last Thursday, senior forward and co-captain Breitman tallied two goals and an assist to help PHS defeat WW/P-North 7-1. The Tigers, who tied Westfield 2-2 last Saturday to move to 6-1-2, host Gill St. Bernard’s on October 5 and Steinert on October 8. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Azariah Breitman scored just one goal in the first five games this fall for the Princeton High boys’ soccer team.

In game six, though, senior forward and co-captain Breitman exploded for three goals in a 4-1 win over Hopewell Valley and that opened the floodgates for him. more

OUT OF THE WOODS: Princeton High girls’ volleyball player Charlotte Woods sets a ball in a game last fall. Last Wednesday, junior star Woods contributed seven kills and eight digs as PHS defeated Woodbridge 2-0 (25-15, 25-21). The Tigers, who improved to 12-0 with a 2-0 (25-18, 25-8) win over Princeton Day School last Monday, play at Immaculate Heart on October 5 and at Notre Dame on October 7. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As the Princeton High girls’ volleyball team hosted Woodbridge last Wednesday, Charlotte Woods didn’t take long to get into the flow.

“I feel like I was able to warm up and open up and take some really harder hits,” said junior outside hitter Woods. “The sets by Lois [Matsukawa] were awesome, — that made those big hits possible.” more

DOUBLE TAKE: Princeton High girls’ tennis first doubles player Maya-Alexandra Todorov, left, hits a backhand in action last fall as partner Ashna Bushan covers the net. Last Monday, the pair of Todorov and Bushan posted a 6-0, 6-1 win to help fourth-seeded PHS defeat 13th-seeded Middletown North 5-0 in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North 2 Group 3 state team sectional. The Tigers, who improved to 5-1, will play at Lawrence High on October 7 in a regular season match before hosting fifth-seeded Summit in the sectional quarterfinals on October 8. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Boasting a battle-tested core of veteran performers, the Princeton High girls’ tennis team has picked up where it left off last year.

After winning eight of its last nine matches in 2023, advancing the Central Jersey Group 3 final in the process, the Tigers have started 5-1 this fall with their latest victory coming last Monday when the fourth-seeded Tigers defeated 13th-seeded Middletown North 5-0 in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North 2 Group 3 state team sectional on October 8. more

PUSHING FORWARD: Hun School boys’ soccer player Luke Donahue, right, battles for the ball in a game earlier this season. Senior forward Donahue has tallied a goal and an assist so far this fall to help Hun get off to a 5-1-2 start. In upcoming action, the Raiders play at the Blair Academy on October 5 and at the Peddie School on October 8. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

It is the only loss for the Hun School boys’ soccer team so far this fall, but it proved to be a sign of the squad’s quality.

Facing perennial powerhouse Pennington on September 18, Hun battled the Red Hawks to a scoreless stalemate in the first half and the foes were locked in a 1-1 tie late in the second half before the Raiders yielded two late goals to fall 3-1. more

STEPPING UP: Princeton Day School field hockey player Sammy Dandy, right, goes after the ball in a game earlier this season. Sophomore Dandy has scored one goal so far this season for PDS. The Panthers, who lost 7-0 to Notre Dame last Monday to move to 3-5, play at Allentown on October 2 and at WW/P-North on October 7. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Undeterred by a steady rain that fell as it played at Hopewell Valley High last Friday afternoon, the Princeton Day School field hockey team came out firing.

Cashing in on some deft passing, PDS jumped out to a 1-0 lead with 6:41 left in the first quarter as Reagan Falconi blasted the ball into the cage, converting an insert by Olivia Herscovici on a penalty corner. more

September 25, 2024

Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) fall Artist-in-Residence Nathan Jackson, right, a nationally renowned Alaskan Tlingit artist, works with his wife, Dorica, on the ACP’s new totem pole at a public carving demonstration on Friday. The project, “Monumental Sculptures: Understanding the Totem Poles of the Northwest Coast,” honors and celebrates the Tlingit peoples of that region. Made from western red cedar, the 8-foot-high work will permanently reside in the ACP front lobby when completed. (Photo by Jeffrey E. Tryon)

By Anne Levin

An ordinance that could determine the future of the 23-acre property formerly occupied by Westminster Choir College was the subject of several comments during a public hearing at the meeting of Princeton Council on Monday evening, September 23. The ordinance, which was introduced on September 9, authorizes the acquisition of the site “by negotiation, purchase, condemnation, or eminent domain.”

At the close of the public hearing, Council voted unanimously in favor of the measure. Council President Mia Sacks, who led the meeting since Mayor Mark Freda is on vacation, called it “a historic evening for all of us.” To those who expressed concerns that the Westminster Conservatory of Music and the Westminster Community Orchestra would not be a part of the future plans for the site, Sacks said that the municipality is aware of their history and importance to the cultural life of the community.

The Conservatory and Orchestra are among the cultural organizations that operate on the Walnut Lane campus. Westminster Choir College was located there from 1935 until it was moved to the campus of Rider University in Lawrence Township in 2017 following Rider’s failed attempt to sell it to a Chinese company (Rider merged with the Choir College in 1991). more

By Donald Gilpin

Shannon Barlow

Princeton Public Schools (PPS) is starting the 2024-25 school year with a new food systems literacy coordinator, Shannon Barlow, and a new food service supplier, Pomptonian, that offers unlimited servings of fruits and vegetables to accompany each meal.

Those changes at PPS signal a whole new perspective on the significance of food, its role in school, and its role in the lives of the school community, according to PPS Science Supervisor Joy Barnes-Johnson.

“These paired developments will, over time, fundamentally change the way that all of us at the district — students, parents, faculty, staff, and administration — understand and use food for curriculum, health, wellness, community, and for the good of natural systems that are prerequisites to all life,” said Barnes-Johnson, as quoted in a press release from Princeton School Gardens Cooperative, Inc. (PSGC), which is collaborating with PPS to use campus resources to illustrate and amplify curriculum. more

By Donald Gilpin

With races for U.S. president and vice president, U.S. Senate, U.S House of Representatives, Board of Mercer County Commissioners, Princeton mayor and Council, and Princeton Board of Education (BOE) all on the line, the 2024 campaign season is approaching its final month. Vote-by-mail ballots are already available, early voting starts on October 26, and November 5 is Election Day.

On Tuesday, October 1, beginning at 6:30 p.m., the six Princeton BOE candidates will face each other in a Candidates’ Forum Webinar hosted by the Princeton Parent-Teacher Organization Council (PTOC).

In Princeton the race for three seats on the School Board, with one incumbent and five new candidates running, is drawing the most attention and generating the most lawn signs, while Mark Freda in the race for another term as mayor and incumbent Leighton Newlin and new candidate Brian McDonald in the race for two seats on Princeton Council are unopposed.

In the contest for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Robert Menendez, Democrat Andy Kim is running against Republican Curtis Bashaw; in the 12th District race for Congress incumbent Democrat Bonnie Watson Coleman is running against Republican Darius Mayfield; and in the county commissioners competition a slate of three Democrats is vying against three Republican candidates for three seats.

Information about the Princeton BOE candidates is available on the PTOC website at princetonptoc.weebly.com, in local and social media, and on candidates’ websites, as well as in a continuing flow of letters to the Town Topics Mailbox. For this article Town Topics asked the candidates to provide a statement of no more than 100 words on what they would like local residents to know about them and their candidacy. Their responses follow in reverse alphabetical order. more

GOING GREEN: This home on Birch Avenue is open again this year for the Princeton Green House Tour. An example of sustainable living, it is one of six included on Saturday, September 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free but reservations for time slots are necessary.

By Anne Levin

Last year’s Princeton Green House Tour was such a success that the planners of the event, the Princeton Environmental Commission (PEC) and the nonprofit Sustainable Princeton, are back with round two. On Saturday, September 28, the public can step inside six homes — two more than last year — to see examples of sustainable living.

“The response was tremendous, which is why at the end of the day we were all exhausted,” said Lisa Marcus Levine, the vice chair of the PEC. “But we said, ‘Let’s do it again.’” more

By Donald Gilpin

Aiming to help businesses manage their energy use, reduce carbon emissions, and take advantage of PSE&G’s programs and incentives, the Municipality of Princeton has launched its energy efficiency outreach campaign.

As part of Princeton’s participation in the Sustainable Jersey-PSE&G Energy Efficiency Partnership Program, local businesses are encouraged to upgrade to energy-efficient equipment and reduce their energy costs.

Bank of Princeton President and CEO Edward Dietzler noted that his bank had taken advantage of the PSE&G program. “I reached out to PSE&G, thinking they’d be able to demonstrate to us opportunities to save, make things more efficient, and upgrade the system,” he said. more

By Anne Levin

John Burkhalter is fascinated by colonial-era broadsheet newspapers. Scrolling recently through a database, he came upon an announcement from the New York Journal, dated August 11, 1774, for an evening of music and dance in Princeton at the “Sign of the College” tavern, which was located directly across from Nassau Hall. A man named William Whitehead had leased the tavern from Richard Stockton, the original owner of Morven.

“I was absolutely flabbergasted,” said Burkhalter, known for his performances of early music with The Practitioners of Early Musick. “In terms of 18th century music, this is one of most extraordinary documents.”

To celebrate this discovery, and in anticipation of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Historical Society of Princeton (HSP) and Morven Museum and Garden are collaborating with Burkhalter on a re-creation of the event. On November 8 at 7 p.m. at Morven’s Stockton Education Center, a reimagination of the evening of music and dance is planned. Burkhalter will play English and small flutes, and Donovan Klotzbeacher will play the harpsichord. Soprano Abigail Chapman and baroque violinist Elizabeth Rouget will also perform, and baroque dance specialist Susan Nabors Braisted will provide the dance component. more

By Stuart Mitchner

Looking ahead to William Faulkner’s September 25th birthday, I reread the 1956 Paris Review interview in which he says The Sound and the Fury (1929) is the novel that caused him “the most grief and anguish,” comparing himself to the mother who “loves the child who became the thief or murderer more than the one who became the priest.”

For what it’s worth — a phrase to be reckoned with in this column — the novel of Faulkner’s that has afforded me the most pleasure and induced the most awe is the one that became “the thief or murderer.” In the same interview, Faulkner says that he wrote it five separate times. “It’s the book I feel tenderest towards. I couldn’t leave it alone, and I never could tell it right, though I tried hard and would like to try again.”

I read The Sound and the Fury four separate times, first when I was 19. Having found my way through it, I began reading it over again the day I finished it. Half a year later, I went back to it and finished it in two weeks. Seven years later, I reread it on the other side of the world.  more

“GROUNDHOG DAY”: Performances are underway for “Groundhog Day.” Presented by Kelsey Theatre and Playful Theatre Productions, and directed by Frank Ferrara, the musical runs through September 29 at Kelsey Theatre. Above: Condescending and aloof TV meteorologist Phil Connors (John Fischer, front row, fifth from left) finds himself trapped in a small town whose residents are, for him, gratingly cheerful and enthused about the titular celebration. (Photo by John M. Maurer)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

Kelsey Theatre is presenting Groundhog Day. Adapted from the 1993 fantasy romantic comedy film starring Bill Murray, the musical portrays a big-city TV meteorologist who finds himself forced to relive the same day, apparently in perpetuity, in a small town that to him is gratingly good-natured.

Groundhog Day opens Kelsey’s “Season of Transformations,” which will include revivals of Jekyll & Hyde, Beauty and the Beast, and 1776. A brochure promises, “Transformations abound in this season — from the transformation of man into monster, and beast into prince, to the transformation of the colonies into the United States of America!” more

Kairy Koshoeva

Pianist Kairy Koshoeva is the soloist in the Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra’s first concert of the season on Sunday, September 29 at 7 p.m. at Princeton Alliance Church. 20 Schalks Crossing Road in Plainsboro.

The orchestra’s music director Chiu-Tze Lin conducts the concert, which includes Koshoeva performing the Rachamaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor. Koshoeva is on the faculty of the New School for Music Study in Kingston, and frequently collaborates as a guest artist for the Department of Music at Princeton University.

Among the awards she has won are the International Piano Competition in Vicenza, Italy; the N. Rubinstein Competition in Paris; the gold medal at the 2004 Rachmaninoff Awards in Moscow; and first prize at the Chautauqua Music Festival concerto competition in Chautauqua, N.Y. She has played internationally as well across the U.S. Her performances included appearing as a soloist with the Kansas City Symphony and at the Chautauqua Music Festival, as well as with the National Symphony of Kyrgyzstan and orchestras in Houston and Jefferson City. She has also performed with the Moscow chamber orchestra “Cantus Firmus.” more

Matthew Neenan
(Photo by Alexander Iziliaev)

The Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Dance at Princeton University announces Rennie Harris, Matthew Neenan, and Yue Yin as Caroline Hearst Choreographers-in-Residence for the 2024-2025 academic year: As guest artists, all three are creating new works or teaching repertory works that will be performed at the Princeton Dance Festival in November.

Launched in 2017, the Caroline Hearst Choreographers-in-Residence Program fosters the Program in Dance’s connections with the dance field. It provides selected professional choreographers with resources and a rich environment to develop their work and offers opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to engage with diverse creative practices. The artists share their work and processes with the Princeton community through workshops, conversations, residencies, open rehearsals, and performances. more