By Mabel Pais

The Boston Pops (BSO)

The iconic Boston Pops (BSO),under the masterful direction of Keith Lockhart, arrives at NJPAC’s Prudential Hall with a sparkling holiday celebration.

 The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents The Boston Pops on Tour, Sunday, December 15, 2019 at 4:00 p.m.

The iconic Boston Pops, under the masterful direction of Keith Lockhart, arrives at NJPAC’s Prudential Hall with a sparkling holiday celebration.

Since its founding in 1885, the Boston Pops has become one of America’s most beloved musical institutions, known for a rousing repertoire of light classical, Broadway show tunes, film score classics, American standards, and patriotic songs. The ensemble is featured regularly on the PBS series “Evening at Pops,”which attracts a cumulative audience of nearly 40 million viewers each season. The Boston Popsalso reaches listeners via a GRAMMY-nominated discography of more than 100 acclaimed recordings.

Currently in his 24^th season with the Boston Pops, conductor Keith Lockhart has led over 1,900 Boston Pops concerts (including performances at Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall) as well as 79 television performances, including dozens of new programs for “Evening at Pops,” and the annual July Fourth spectacular, broadcast nationally for many years.

For their welcome return to NJPAC, Lockhart and company arrive with a high-spirited holiday program of best-loved songs of the season, drawing from a repertoire that includes their peerless renditions of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” “Jingle Bells,” “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” “Sleigh Ride,” and many more.

Tickets to see The Boston Pops on Tour are available at NJPAC.orgor at the NJPAC Box Office or by calling 888.GO.NJPAC (888.466.5722).

About The Boston Pops

Now in its 139thseason, the Boston Symphony Orchestra gave its inaugural concert in 1881, realizing the dream of its founder, the Civil War veteran/businessman/philanthropist Henry Lee Higginson, who envisioned a great and permanent orchestra in his hometown of Boston.

Today the BSO reaches millions of listeners, not only through its concert performances in Boston and at Tanglewood, but also via the internet, radio, television, educational programs, recordings, and tours. It commissions works from today’s most important composers; its summer season at Tanglewood is among the world’s most important music festivals; it helps develop future audiences through BSO Youth Concerts and educational outreach programs involving the entire Boston community; and, during the Tanglewood season, it operates the Tanglewood Music Center, one of the world’s most important training grounds for young professional-caliber musicians. The Boston Symphony Chamber Players, made up of BSO principals, are known worldwide, and the Boston Pops Orchestra sets an international standard for performances of lighter music.

Today the Boston Symphony Orchestra continues to fulfill and expand upon the vision of its founder Henry Lee Higginson, not only through its concert performances, educational offerings, and internet presence, but also through its expanding use of virtual and electronic media in a manner reflecting the BSO’s continuing awareness of today’s modern, ever-changing, 21st-century world.

To learn more about The Boston Pops, visit bso.org.

THE UKRAINE SYMPHONY (NSOU)

“Rich with energy and unusually adventurous… Its strings can conjure up a vibrant songfulness; the woodwinds have a fruity, penetrating ripeness; the brass could endanger the walls of Jericho; the percussion might wake the dead.”  – The Sydney Morning Herald

For the first time ever, NJPACwelcomes

The National SymphonyOrchestra of Ukraine!

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents the National SymphonyOrchestra of Ukraine(NSOU) on Sunday, November 24, 2019 at 3:00 p.m.

Joined by the Van Cliburngold medalist, Olga Kernon piano, this thrilling ensemble garners standing ovations around the world. Classical music fans shouldn’t miss this opportunity to hear the Kiev-based orchestra perform works by the Russian masters, conducted by Volodymyr Sirenko.

Prepare yourself for a true once-in-a-lifetime experience. Known for “a program rich with energy and unusually adventurous,” the National SymphonyOrchestra of Ukraineis considered one of the finest in Eastern Europe.

NSOU will be joined by Russian-American pianist Olga Kern, widely considered one of her generation’s greatest pianists. With vivid stage presence, passionate musicianship, and extraordinary technique, she continues to captivate fans and critics alike.

Berezovsky: Symphonyin C
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2
Tchaikovsky: Polonaise (Eugene Onegin)
Tchaikovsky:SymphonyNo. 5

“Rich with energy and unusually adventurous… Its strings can conjure up a vibrant songfulness; the woodwinds have a fruity, penetrating ripeness; the brass could endanger the walls of Jericho; the percussion might wake the dead.”  – The Sydney Morning Herald

Classical Overtures

Join NJPAC for the “Classical Overtures,” held an hour prior to each classical concert. These interactive presentations are hosted by Maestro George Marriner Maull of New Jersey’s Discovery Orchestra and are free to ticket holders.

TICKETS

Tickets to see the National SymphonyOrchestra of Ukraine are available

at www.NJPAC.org or visiting the NJPACBox Office or calling 888.GO.NJPAC(888.466.5722).

 VAN CLIBURN AND THE CLIBURN

Harvey Lavan “Van” Cliburn Jr.(July 12, 1934 – February 27, 2013) was an American pianist who, at the age of 23, achieved worldwide recognition when he won the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958 (during the Cold War). Cliburn’s contributions to society were many and one of his greatest contributions was the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. In 1961, the pieces were falling into place, and the Van Cliburn Foundation was officially chartered. First held in 1962, the quadrennial Van Cliburn International Piano Competition quickly established itself as an event that inspires and engages the local community, while gracing the international stage.

To learn more about the Van Cliburn Foundation and The Cliburn (International Piano Competition) visit thecliburn.org

Russian-American pianist Olga Kern is recognized as one of her generation’s great artists.  With her vivid stage presence, passionately confident musicianship and extraordinary technique, the striking pianist continues to captivate fans and critics alike.  Olga Kern was born into a family of musicians with direct links to Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff and began studying piano at the age of five. She jumpstarted her U.S. career with her historic Gold Medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas as the first woman to do so in more than thirty years.To learn more, visit olgakern.com

About NJPAC
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, N.J., has the most diverse programming and audience of any performing arts center in the country, and is the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey – where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. NJPACbrings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the state’s and the world’s best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs,NJPACis shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAChas attracted more than 9 million visitors (including over 1.7 million children and families) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents.

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(Mabel Paiswrites on the Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Spirituality and Health & Wellness)