The Princeton Symphony Orchestra (locally known as the PSO) is a professional U.S. orchestra based in Princeton, New Jersey. Rossen Milanov has been music director since 2009, leading the orchestra in critically acclaimed performances. [1] All orchestra concerts take place at the 900-seat Richardson Auditorium [2] Richardsonian Romanesque, a historic concert hall located on the campus of Princeton University.
The Princeton Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1980 by Portia Sonnenfeld (at the time also the director of the orchestra program at Princeton High School) and was originally a chamber ensemble known as the Little Orchestra of New Jersey. [3] Sonnenfeld's vision was supported by a dedicated board of trustees, including composer and philanthropist Edward T. Cone. [4]
After Sonnenfeld's death in 1986, Mark Laycock was appointed music director. During Laycock's 22-year tenure, the ensemble grew into a fully professional symphony orchestra and saw significant artistic growth. In 2009, after an extensive two-year search, the PSO appointed high-profile conductor Rossen Milanov as its third music director. [5] Today, the orchestra attracts large and diverse audiences from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
The orchestra performs six Classical Series concerts, two PSO POPS! concerts, and four Chamber Series concerts each season. The orchestra season runs September through May.
The PSO’s Classical Series concerts feature both classical masterworks and new music by living composers. The orchestra has been praised for offering "a model of what a new music premiere should be." [6] Past and upcoming Classical Series guest artists of particular note include violinists Leila Josefowicz, Jennifer Koh, and Lara St. John; cellist Joshua Roman; flutist Eugenia Zukerman; clarinetist David Krakauer; and pianist Anthony Hewitt. The PSO has also collaborated on concerts with the acclaimed choirs of Westminster Choir College. [7]
PSO POPS! concerts include a December holiday concert and a Broadway concert. Notable singers who have joined the orchestra for Broadway pops programs include Barbara Cook, Norm Lewis, and Brent Barrett. [8] [9] [10]
The PSO’s Chamber Series programs are designed to complement the themes explored in Classical Series concerts, presenting chamber music at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and at two local retirement communities.
The Princeton Symphony Orchestra has a stated mission to build understanding and appreciation of classical music in the Princeton community. To this end, the orchestra presents numerous concerts and other events free of charge, including Chamber Series concerts, lectures in collaboration with the Princeton Public Library, and lectures on new music by living composers. The PSO also collaborates with the Princeton Adult School to present adult education classes in connection with each Classical Series concert. [11] Some past program notes are available online. [12]
Music education initiatives are a central component of the orchestra’s activities. In 1995, the PSO debuted BRAVO!, an education program through which small ensembles of PSO musicians travel to local elementary schools and introduce students to the instruments of the orchestra. PSO BRAVO! has since expanded to include a program for middle school students that explores the connections between music and visual art, and masterclasses for high school and college instrumentalists, taught by PSO guest artists. Every spring, more than 2,000 Central New Jersey elementary school students attend the PSO BRAVO! children's concert. [13] Altogether, PSO BRAVO! serves 10,000 students annually.
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is an American orchestra based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The orchestra's home is Heinz Hall, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District.
Daniel Dorff is an American classical composer.
The New World Symphony is an American orchestral academy based in Miami Beach, Florida. Established in 1987, the organization is a training ensemble for young musicians in preparation for professional careers in classical music. Since 2011, the New World Symphony has its headquarters in the New World Center.
The Elgin Symphony Orchestra is a regional orchestra founded and headquartered in Elgin, Illinois. Its Music Director is Andrew Grams, who was named the 2015 Conductor of the Year by the Illinois Council of Orchestras. The Orchestra's season includes some 40 performances annually at the 1,200-seat Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin and the 440-seat Prairie Arts Center in Schaumburg.
The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra, and the resident summer orchestra of the Chautauqua Institution in western New York State. Founded in 1929, the ensemble plays concerts on most Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights throughout the Institution's nine-week summer season, in the Amphitheater of the facility. The CSO draws its members principally from US professional orchestras. In addition to standard concerts, the CSO also accompanies programs with the Chautauqua Ballet Company and the Chautauqua Opera Young Artists.
The Columbus Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Columbus, Ohio. The oldest performing arts organization in the city, its home is the Ohio Theatre. The orchestra's current Executive Director is Denise Rehg. Rossen Milanov is the orchestra's music director.
The New Jersey Symphony, formerly the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, is an American symphony orchestra based in the state of New Jersey. The New Jersey Symphony is the state orchestra of New Jersey, performing classical subscription concert series and specials in six venues across the state, and is the resident orchestra of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, New Jersey. In 2020 the orchestra launched New Jersey Symphony Virtual, featuring Concert Films, musicians performing in chamber ensembles and virtual education programs.
The Tucson Symphony Orchestra, or TSO, is the primary professional orchestra of Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1928, when the season consisted of just two concerts, the TSO is the oldest continuously running performing arts organization in the Southwest. The TSO's season now runs from September to May and consists of over 60 concerts, including a Classics Series of eight programs, a Pops Series of four programs, a Masterworks series of five chamber orchestra programs, a number of one-night only specials, and run-out concerts to surrounding areas, such as Oro Valley, Green Valley, Bisbee, Safford, Thatcher, and Nogales. The TSO also provides educational programming that reaches over 40,000 school children each season. Within the TSO are a number of standing chamber ensembles, including a string quartet, string quintet, piano trio, harp trio, brass quintet, and woodwind quintet. These ensembles help provide educational programming through school visits, perform recitals annually, and also perform at private and community events.
The New York Youth Symphony, founded in 1963, is a tuition-free music organization for the youth in New York City, widely reputed to be one of the best of its kind in the nation and world. Its programs include its flagship symphony orchestra, Chamber Music program, Jazz Band Classic, Apprentice Conducting, and Making Score. Its members range from 12 to 22 years of age.
The New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJYS) is a non-profit organization based in New Providence, New Jersey. Founded in 1979, it provides young instrumentalists from all around New Jersey with music performance and educational experiences. There are three string ensembles, three full symphony orchestras, three flute ensembles, chamber music programs, music theory classes presented in accordance with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (UK), a summer camp, and other various outreach activities. It operates under auspices the Wharton Institute of the Performing Arts. The symphony performs regularly in the United States and Europe. Helen Cha-Pyo has Artistic Director of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts and Conductor of the Youth Symphony since July 2018.
The RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra is a radio orchestra in Slovenia.
Founded in 1944, the Wichita Symphony Orchestra (WSO) is the oldest professional Symphony Orchestra in Kansas, performing out of Century II Concert Hall in downtown Wichita.
The Westminster Williamson Voices is an ensemble that specializes in choral music. It is named for Westminster Choir College's founder, John Finley Williamson, who believed that choral music performed at the highest level should be accessible to all. The Choir is directed by conductor, pedagogue, and writer Dr.James Jordan
Stephanie Ann Chase is an American classical violinist.
Bravo! Vail is an annual classical music festival held in Vail, Colorado. Its current artistic director is Anne-Marie McDermott.
Symphony in C (Orchestra), formerly known as the Haddonfield Symphony, is a professional training orchestra based in Camden, New Jersey. Founded in 1952, Symphony in C's mission to train young professionals is similar to that of the Chicago Civic Orchestra and Miami's New World Symphony. The orchestra's home is The Gordon Theater on the campus of Rutgers University–Camden, and its current music director is Stilian Kirov.
David Hattner is an American professional clarinetist and conductor currently serving as music director of the Portland Youth Philharmonic. Raised in Toledo, Ohio, Hattner attended the Interlochen Arts Camp and Arts Academy, experiences which inspired him to become a professional musician and conductor. He graduated from the Arts Academy in 1986 and enrolled in Northwestern University where he studied clarinet performance under Robert Marcellus. In 1988 he placed second in the International Clarinet Association's Young Artist Competition and was selected to join the American-Soviet Youth Orchestra. He earned a music degree with honors in 1990.
Rossen Milanov is a Bulgarian conductor. He is Music Director of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra & New Jersey's Symphony in C. He is also Principal Conductor of Orquesta Sinfonica del Principado de Asturias, in Spain and the former Music Director of Bulgaria's New Symphony Orchestra. He is the Music Director of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra.
Darryl Kubian is an American composer, thereminist, violinist, and audio/video engineer. His compositions have been commissioned and performed by North American orchestras, such as the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and Omaha Symphony, and he has written soundtrack scores for the Wildlife Conservation Society, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Pangolin Pictures, NHK, CBS, The Learning Channel, and others. Darryl performs and records as a thereminist, including chamber and solo works by Herb Deutsch, Martinu, and others, and has also been a featured soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia of New York, and the NJ Symphony on theremin. He was the featured theremin soloist for the Lincoln Center Festival production of Danny Elfman's Music from the Films of Tim Burton. Darryl Kubian is a member of the first violin section of the NJ Symphony, and was the principle second violinist of the Brooklyn Philharmonic. Indigo Fox Media, Kubian's New Jersey-based audio/video production company, has recorded artists such as the Emerson String Quartet, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, members of the NY Philharmonic, New Jersey Symphony, and the Metropolitan Opera, among many others. He is married to violinist JoAnna Farrer.
Brett Deubner is an American violist. He has performed as concerto soloist with over 70 orchestras on four continents.
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