By Mabel Pais

• Festival videos premiere Feb 1–5 at 5 pm at njsymphony.org and on YouTube and Facebook
• Feb 6 concert program features new performances led by Xian Zhang at NJPAC, plus at-home performances and highlights from 2019 and 2020 NJSO Lunar New Year Celebration concerts
• Guest performers include Xuefei Yang (guitar), George Li (piano), Harmony Zhu (piano), Yuxiao Chen (xun), Yang Yi (guzhang), Peking University Alumni Chorus, Starry Arts Group Children’s Chorus
• Festival and concert are free to the public
• NJSO hosts pre-concert VIP event with Zhang and special guests for donors
• Available on demand after premiere

“One of my proudest achievements as music director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra is starting our annual Lunar New Year Celebration.” – Xian Zhang, NJSO Music Director

 

 

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO) celebrates a virtual Lunar New Year festival and concert for the Year of the Ox. Festival videos premiere February 1–5 at 5 pm, leading up to a celebratory concert program featuring new NJSO performances led by Music Director Xian Zhang at NJPAC, plus at-home performances and highlights from the NJSO’s 2019 and 2020 Lunar New Year Celebrations. All videos will be available for free at njsymphony.org/LNY and on the NJSO’s YouTube and Facebook channels.

The festival and concert feature artists from across the globe, including Xuefei Yang (guitar), George Li (piano), Harmony Zhu (piano), Yuxiao Chen (xun), Yang Yi (guzhang), the Peking University Alumni Chorus and Starry Arts Group Children’s Chorus. NJSO Principal Cello Jonathan Spitz, Assistant Principal Cello Na-Young Baek and Principal Flute Bart Feller also perform on the concert program.  The festival features traditional performances, a pair of NJSO string quartets, Chopin’s Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, a Korean cooking demonstration by NJSO Principal Bass Ha Young Jung and a Chinese cooking demonstration by NJSO violinist Xin Zhao.

The concert features include Eastern traditional favorites such as the “Spring Festival Overture,” “Purple Bamboo Tune,” “Fisherman’s Song at Eventide” and “Gong Xi Gong Xi,” united with Western classical favorites such as Tchaikovsky’s

Andante Cantabile” for Cello and Orchestra and Piazzolla’s “Libertango.” During the concert premiere, featured artists will provide live text commentary on YouTube.

Zhang says: “This year, we have musical treats and special guests from around the world, including new performances from the Orchestra captured at NJPAC, heartwarming appearances from the Starry Arts Group Children’s Chorus and a worldwide collaboration from the Peking University Alumni Chorus performing Don Besig’s choral piece ‘Flying Free’ with me at the piano. I hope that this year’s virtual celebration fills our audiences with strength, joy and hope for better days in the year ahead.”

Event sponsors and VIP Supporters are invited to an exclusive pre-concert event with Zhang, NJSO President & CEO Gabriel van Aalst and special guests, and will receive recognition in the videos and event materials. Net proceeds from the Lunar New Year Celebration will support the artistic vision of Music Director Xian Zhang.

The Lunar New Year Festival & Celebration is part of NJSO Virtual 20–21, the Orchestra’s digital season. For more information, visit njsymphony.org/virtual

LUNAR NEW YEAR FESTIVAL PROGRAM

Festival videos premiere daily Feb 1–5 at 5 pm.

 Festival Day 1: Mon, Feb 1

LI KAICHOU “You Look so Good With a Smile”

Starry Arts Group Children’s Chorus | Rebecca Shen, director

TRADITIONAL “Fisherman’s Song at Eventide”

Ming Yang, violin

Jade Lucia Nieczkowski, piano

Festival Day 2: Tue, Feb 2

Korean Cooking Demonstration

Ha-Young Jung, NJSO Principal Bass

TRADITIONAL/arr. Zouye “A Wonderful Night”

NJSO Chamber Players

Xin Zhao, violin & commentary

James Tsao, violin

Frank Foerster, viola

Philo Lee, cello

Festival Day 3: Wed, Feb 3

CHOPIN Ballade No. 4 in F Minor

Harmony Zhu, piano

TRADITIONAL “Yang Guan San Die”

Yuxiao Chen, xun

Festival Day 4: Thu, Feb 4

TRADITIONAL “Blossoms on a Moonlit River in Spring”

Xuefei Yang, guitar

Chinese Cooking Demonstration

Xin Zhao, violin

 Festival Day 5: Fri, Feb 5

TRADITIONAL “Gao Shan Liu Shui” (High Mountains and Running Brook)

Yang Yi, guzheng

 TRADITIONAL/arr. Zouye “Spring Celebration”

NJSO Chamber Players

Wendy Chen, violin

Alexandra Neglia, violin

David Blinn, viola

Laura Andrade, cello

LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION CONCERT

Sat, Feb 6, at 7:30 pm

Xian Zhang, conductor & piano

Xuefei Yang, guitar

George Li, piano

Jonathan Spitz, cello

Na-Young Baek, cello

Bart Feller, flute

Peking University Alumni Chorus

Starry Arts Group Children’s Chorus | Rebecca Shen, director

 

 LI HUANZHI “Spring Festival Overture”

TCHAIKOVSKY Andante cantabile for Cello and Orchestra

LUIZ BONFA “Manhã de Carnaval”

SCHUBERT/arr. Liszt “Der Erlkönig”

TRADITIONAL “Purple Bamboo Tune”

TRADITIONAL “Fisherman’s Song at Eventide”

CHU WANG-HUA “Happy Days”

DON BESIG “Flying Free”

PIAZZOLLA “Libertango”

GU JIANFEN “Spring Dawn”

GU JIANFEN “Singing and Smiling”

TRADITIONAL “Farewell”

TRADITIONAL “Gong Xi Gong Xi”

Pre-Concert Virtual VIP Event

Feb 6 at 6:30 pm

Event sponsors and VIP Supporters will be invited to an exclusive event with Music Director Xian Zhang, President & CEO Gabriel van Aalst and special guests, and will receive recognition in the videos and event materials. Net proceeds from our Lunar New Year Celebration will support the artistic vision of Music Director Xian Zhang. For more information, email Renee Pachucki at rpachucki@njsymphony.org.

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO)

Named “a vital, artistically significant musical organization” by ‘The Wall Street Journal,’ the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra embodies that vitality through its statewide presence and critically acclaimed performances, education partnerships and unparalleled access to music and the Orchestra’s superb musicians.

Music Director Xian Zhang—a “dynamic podium presence” ‘The New York Times’ has praised for her “technical abilities, musicianship and maturity”—continues her acclaimed leadership of the NJSO. Embracing its legacy as a statewide orchestra, the Orchestra presents classical, pops and family programs, as well as outdoor summer concerts and special events.

In addition to its lauded artistic programming, the NJSO presents a suite of education and community engagement programs that promote meaningful, lifelong engagement with live music. Programs include school-time Concerts for Young People and the NJSO Youth Orchestras family of student ensembles, led by José Luis Domínguez. NJSO musicians annually perform original chamber music programs at community events in a variety of settings statewide through the NJSO Community Partners program.

The Orchestra’s online hub for free NJSO Virtual 20–21 content is njsymphony.org/virtual

Connect with the NJSO:Website: njsymphony.org

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @NJSymphony

YouTube: @NewJerseySymphony

Email: information@njsymphony.org

(Mabel Pais writes on The Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Spirituality, and Health & Wellness)