(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- The fully renovated State Theatre New Jersey presents Daniel Hope with Zurich Chamber Orchestra on Tuesday, March 21 at 7:30pm. Tickets range from $17.50-$70.
Music Director and violinist, Daniel Hope leads the venerated 76-year-old music institution, Zurich Chamber Orchestra (ZCO) in an invigorating program this spring. A protégé of renowned violinist/conductor Yehudi Menuhin, Hope is the first instrumentalist to be named Music Director of the acclaimed ZCO. Conducting from the violin, Hope leads the orchestra in a program featuring Ralph Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending; “Waltz of Moment” from “Silent Music” by Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov; as well as two timeless works for string orchestra—Elgar’s exhilarating Introduction and Allegro and Mendelssohn’s lively D minor violin concerto. The program ends with the crowd pleaser, Tchaikovksy's Serenade for String Orchestra.
In the 1940s, music student Edmond de Stoutz used his free time to regularly meet with a number of friends and make music together. The joy of pursuing their creative ideals and the group’s shared passion for chamber music gave rise to the desire of forming a chamber orchestra. This led to the first public concert of the ZCO in Zurich in 1945.
Seventy-six years later the Zurich Chamber Orchestra is one of the leading ensembles of its kind. For over 50 years, Edmond de Stoutz was inspiring and holding together the orchestra community. With his charismatic spirit he excited musicians and audience alike and helped establish a large supporting network around the orchestra. After his era, the conductors Howard Griffiths, Muhai Tang, and Sir Roger Norrington shaped the sound and musical ideas of the ZCO.
Today, the ZCO regularly visits international festivals such as the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the Rheingau Musik Festival, and the Gstaad Menuhin Festival/Odessa Classics. Guest performances in leading concert halls, tours throughout Europe, America, Asia, and South Africa as well as numerous critically acclaimed CD releases testify to the worldwide renown of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra.
For tickets, more information, or group discounts, call State Theatre Guest Services at 732-246-SHOW (7469) or visit online at STNJ.org. State Theatre Guest Services, located at 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick NJ, is open by phone and email only, Tuesday through Friday from 11:00am to 5:00pm. For in-person purchases, Guest Services is open Tuesday through Friday from 12:00pm to 4:30pm. Additional ticket and transaction fees may apply.
State Theatre New Jersey’s Orchestra Series is sponsored by The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation.
After major renovations, State Theatre New Jersey has reopened and celebrated its 100th Anniversary in December 2021 in a fully renovated theater including newly renovated lobbies, all new restrooms, upgraded HVAC systems, a new elevator for access to all levels, and brand-new theater seats. Originally built as a silent film and vaudeville palace, State Theatre’s historic significance was honored by PBS by featuring it in its documentary series, Treasures of New Jersey, in the fall of 2018. “Treasures of New Jersey: State Theatre New Jersey” can be streamed online.
Today, State Theatre is the largest performing arts center in Central New Jersey and has welcomed more than six million people through its doors since reopening as a non-profit performing arts center in 1988. State Theatre New Jersey is a cornerstone of the cultural vitality of Middlesex County and averages a total economic impact on New Brunswick and the surrounding area of more than $18 million a year. The mainstage programs have featured high-caliber artists such as Diana Ross, Tony Bennett, Kevin Hart, Ringo Starr, Melissa Etheridge, John Leguizamo, Harry Connick, Jr., Diana Krall, and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Program offerings include Broadway, orchestra, family, dance, comedy, rock/pop, jazz, Performances for Schools, and Sensory-Friendly Performances.
State Theatre New Jersey’s programs are made possible by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund.