Carlos Miguel Prieto – conductor
Paquito D’Rivera – guest artist & co-curator
Paquito D’Rivera Quintet
Amber Monroe – soprano
New Jersey Symphony
Daniel Freiberg Latin American Chronicles
Lush and intimate music for D’Rivera’s soulful clarinet one moment, and jaw-dropping virtuosity the next.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart/Paquito D’Rivera Adagio on a Mozart Theme
Paquito D’Rivera puts his own signature jazzy swing on this enchanting theme from the middle movement of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto.
George Gershwin/Paquito D’Rivera Medley for Jazz Quintet and Orchestra
Paquito D’Rivera, his phenomenal Quintet and the New Jersey Symphony spin a medley of Gershwin’s unforgettable hits.
Carlos Chávez Symphony No. 2, “Sinfonía India”
Mexico’s Chávez scored a global hit with his Second Symphony, based on the power of his country’s folk melodies.
Aaron Copland El Salón México
One night in Mexico City, Aaron Copland was brought by Carlos Chávez to a dance hall, throbbing with joy. Back home, Copland poured it all into this music.
Arturo Márquez Danzón No. 2
This will ring a bell for “Mozart in the Jungle” fans. Featured in Season Two, Márquez’s Danzón guarantees your feet gotta move.
José Pablo Moncayo Huapango
It starts so quietly you may miss it, then becomes a locomotive of delight filled with bright Mexican folk tunes.
About the New Jersey Symphony:
The Emmy and GRAMMY Award-winning New Jersey Symphony is redefining what it means to be a nationally leading, relevant orchestra in the 21st century. The Symphony is renewing its deeply rooted commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion by championing new, and often local, artists; engaging audiences for whom the inspiring depth and breadth of classical music will be a new experience; and incorporating the broadest possible representation in all aspects of our organization-all to better reflect and serve our vibrant communities.
Internationally renowned Chinese American conductor Xian Zhang began her tenure as the New Jersey Symphony’s current music director in 2016. Since her arrival, Zhang has revitalized programming with an industry-leading commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in mainstage concerts. Since 2021, Zhang has worked together with composer, violinist, educator and social-justice advocate Daniel Bernard Roumain, the orchestra’s Resident Artistic Catalyst, to offer programming that connects with diverse communities in Newark and throughout New Jersey. In 2024, Allison Loggins-Hull will succeed DBR as the orchestra’s next Resident Artistic Partner.
In the 2024–25 season, the New Jersey Symphony will present Voice of Nature: the Anthropocene with Renée Fleming, Billy Childs’ Diaspora, Daniel Freiberg’s Latin American Chronicles, Allison Loggins-Hull’s Can You See?, Qasim Naqvi’s God Docks at Death Harbor and Gabriela Ortiz’s Kauyumari. Classical favorites on the season include Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, “Choral,” Gustav Holst’s The Planets—An HD Odyssey, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and Igor Stravinsky’s Suite from The Firebird. Artistic partnerships include Paquito D’Rivera and his quintet, as part of the TD James Moody Jazz Festival; Nimbus Dance performing with The Firebird and God Docks at Death Harbor; Montclair State University Choruses performing on three programs; as well as Peking University Alumni Chorus and Starry Arts Children’s Chorus appearing on the Lunar New Year Celebration concert with Xian Zhang.