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Performing Arts
MUSIC AT MORVEN: The lush grounds behind Morven will serve as host to chamber musicians from the Princeton Symphony Orchestra this fall, starting September 24.
Princeton Symphony Orchestra Has Chamber Series for Fall
The Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) has announced a new chamber music series for fall with live performances held outside on the grounds of Morven Museum and Garden. The three-concert series showcases the talents of the orchestra’s individual instrument sections and features principal musicians.
Concerts take place on select Thursday evenings in September and October. All that is needed to make the setting complete are lawn chairs or a blanket. Seating consists of marked-off, socially distanced “pods” for up to two people, and are available for $35/pod.
The series opens Thursday, September 24 at 5:30 p.m. with the PSO Brass Quintet performing music of the Renaissance period, selections from Bernstein’s West Side Story, and more. The ensemble consists of Jerry Bryant, trumpet; Tom Cook, trumpet; Jonathan Clark, horn; Lars Wendt, trombone; and Jonathan Fowler, tuba.
On Thursday, October 8 at 5:30 p.m., the PSO Woodwinds perform Samuel Barber’s Summer Music, Valerie Coleman’s Umoja, and other selections. Musicians are Yevgeny Faniuk, flute; Lillian Copeland, oboe; Pascal Archer, clarinet; Charlie Bailey, bassoon; and Jonathan Clark, horn.
Plans are still underway for the third concert in the series, scheduled for Thursday, October 15 at 5:30 p.m.
Morven is located at 55 Stockton Street. For tickets and information, call (609) 497-0020 or check the PSO event calendar at princetonsymphony.org . Dates, times, artists, and programs are subject to change.
Arts and Culture Fund Raises Over $2 Million
More than $2 million has been raised by the New Jersey Arts and Culture Recovery Fund to help ensure the survival of the state’s economically devastated arts and cultural sector. Arts and culture are big business in New Jersey, and central to the success of communities statewide. From economic revitalization and jobs, to fostering dialogue and unity in the face of social and racial injustice, the arts and culture are critical tools for action and change.
In recognition of the Fund’s commitment to an equitable recovery, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has made a $500,000 grant to help bolster the Fund and ensure broad access. To help incentivize more giving, $150,000 is designated as a challenge grant, meaning donors who give toward the match can double the impact of their dollars.
“We’re firmly committed to supporting New Jersey’s artistic community, and to alleviating the financial devastation experienced by too many of the state’s arts and culture organizations,” said Foundation President Elizabeth Alexander. “We’re proud to join in partnership with the Colberts and Stew arts in leading the effort to expand this critical Fund,” she said, referring to the late night stars, Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart, both of whom have offered support.
“The support of the Mellon Foundation is remarkable, and we’re grateful for their tremendous commitment to the arts and culture nationwide,” said Jeremy Grunin, president of the Grunin Foundation and co-chair of NJACRF. “A fund like this gets off the ground because a diverse group of funders comes together and accepts the challenge. We simply cannot do the work we need to do on our own.”
In their latest show of support for their home state, Colbert and Stewart have stepped up to help the industry which is reeling from closures, cancellations, and layoffs caused by the pandemic.
“We’re watching hundreds of organizations and thousands of artists suffer, while many of them are still creating content for free to help us get through this strange time of isolation and uncertainty,” said Colbert. His wife, Evelyn McGee Colbert, who serves on Governor Murphy’s Restart and Recovery Commission, added, “Stephen and I know the value of a creative outlet – for ourselves, for our families, and for our community – and we can’t take for granted that this industry will survive without our help. Every contribution makes a difference.”
Together, the Colberts and Stewarts have pledged a combined gift of $100,000 that will go toward meeting the $1 million challenge posed by the NJ Pandemic Relief Fund last month, essentially doubling the value of their gift.
NJACRF is hosted by the Princeton Area Community Foundation, and co-chaired by Grunin and Sharnita C. Johnson of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. In addition to Grunin and Dodge, the NJACRF’s Steering Committee includes representatives from the Prudential Foundation, Stone Foundation of NJ, and E.J. Grassmann Trust, all contributors to the Fund, as well as the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and New Jersey Historical Commission. The fund is also supported by the NJ Pandemic Relief Fund, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and a growing list of donors.
For more information visit NJArtsCulture.org.
On Saturday, September 26 at 4 p.m., the wind and percussion sections of the Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey will perform a concert at the pavilion in Trenton’s Cadwalader Park, located on Parkside Avenue.
Daniel Spalding, music director, will conduct the concert, titled “Our American Heritage.” The event is free and open to all. Masks and social distancing are required. The rain date is Sunday, September 27 at the same time.
For information, call (609) 989-3369 or email mjack@ trentonnj.org.
Free “Watch Party” With Takacs String Quartet
The Takács String Quartet will make their 21 st appearance on the Princeton University Concerts series on Thursday, October 15, at 8 p.m. as part of a free “Watch Party” streamed live from Colorado. The appearance launches the Watch Party Series.
Violist Richard O’Neill will join the in works by Mozart, Bartók, Debussy, and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. The streaming festivities will conclude with a Live Q&A in which listeners are invited to speak directly with members of the quartet. To enhance the experience, Olsson’s Fine Foods is curating a special cheese platter “Sound Board” to complement the music, available for purchase and home delivery.
The concert stream will remain available for on-demand viewing until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, October 18. While this free virtual event is non-ticketed, attendees are encouraged to RSVP in advance at princetonuniversityconcerts.org for access to special related content leading up to the stream, including a brief video introduction to the evening’s program given by Princeton University Professor Emeritus Scott Burnham, who will include the history of Coleridge-Taylor’s background as a 20th-century English composer and activist of European and African descent.
“This will be a season opening unlike any other in the series’ 127-year-history,” said Princeton University Concerts Director Marna Seltzer. “While it is certainly disappointing to not be able to gather in person to hear the Takács Quartet perform, we are excited by the possibilities that a virtual concert can offer — especially the intimacy of experiencing the quartet in their hometown and the ability to interact with them directly through a Live Q&A. By conceiving this as a free Watch Party open to all, we hope that the community can come together once again in a festive, virtual way and cel ebrate the enduring power of music, especially during these difficult times.”
The series will continue in November with cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who performed at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and his sister, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason. Other planned virtual activity includes the continuation of the Collective Listening Project featuring weekly curated playlists, and the launch of a virtual Live Music Meditation series. More information is available at princetonuniversityconcerts.org.
The Takács Quartet, now entering its 46th season, is based in Boulder at the University of Colorado. Edward Dusinberre, H a r u m i Rhodes (violins), Richard O’Neill (viola), and András Fejér (cello) perform 80 concerts a year worldwide.
Tang Yuk Steps Down From Princeton Festival
The Princeton Festival, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving its communities with an annual summer festival of the performing arts, has announced that Richard Tang Yuk, executive and artistic director and one of the organization’s founders, has decided to leave the Festival.
Richard Tang Yuk
“After 16 wonderful years with the Princeton Festival, I am excited to pass the reins to its next leaders and watch the Festival continue to thrive and move to the next level,” said Tang Yuk. “I will forever cherish the great experiences I enjoyed at the Festival, which is so dear to my heart. They would not have been possible without the support and commitment of our board of trustees.” Gregory Jon Geehern, the Festival’s associate conductor and assistant to the artistic director, has been appointed acting artistic director. Geehern, a con17 • TOWN TOPICS, PRINCETON, N.J., ductor, pianist, singer, and scholar, prepared and led WE d many Festival choruses. “Everyone associated with the Princeton Festival is sorNES day, ry to see Richard leave,” said Benedikt von Schröder, chair of the board of trustees. “He was instrumental in building the Festival into a major presence in the cultural life of our community and our region. We hope to honor him SEPTE mb ER 23, 2020 with a special celebration in the near future. Part of Richard’s legacy is an outstanding staff, including Gregory Geehern. We are confident that they will maintain the Festival’s high artistic standards and provide the basis for future growth.”
Under Tang Yuk’s leadership, the Princeton Festival grew from two events and four performances in 2004 to 22 performances of 8 events plus 20 free lectures and workshops in 2019. Its offerings include opera, musicals, Baroque music, jazz, dance, and multi-media. This past June, when the pandemic made live performance impossible, it launched “Virtually Yours,” a successful online season with 50 separate events.
The next event in the Princeton Festival’s 2020 calendar is the finals of its annual piano competition, which this year will be presented online on September 23 at 6 p.m. It features performances from competition finalists from around the world. Tickets and information are available at theprincetonfestival.secure. force.com/ticket#.
Voices Chorale NJ Launches Fall Online Singer Program
During the current pandemic when singing together is not an option, Voices Chorale NJ is holding a fall program on online education. Participants will meet online through a web application on Monday nights from 7:30-9 p.m., September 28 through December 14.
Artistic Director David A. McConnell and guest musical educators will lead sessions designed around vocal development, ear training, sight singing, study of choral literature, and more. All members of the singing community are welcome.
The cost of the program is $115. Email info@voiceschoralenj.org for additional information and instructions.
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