Gershwin’s “An American in Paris” and Berlioz’s “Harold in Italy” – in Princeton!

Roberto Díaz, photo by Charles Grove 

(PRINCETON, NJ) — At concerts on Saturday, May 13 at 8:00pm and Sunday, May 14 at 4:00pm, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) takes audience members to Paris and on a tour of Italy through George Gershwin’s An American in Paris and Hector Berlioz’s Harold in Italy, featuring internationally renowned violist Roberto Díaz as soloist. Edward T. Cone Music Director Rossen Milanov conducts the program which includes Westminster Choir College alumna Julia Perry’s Study for Orchestra. The concert takes place at Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall, on the campus Princeton University.

Roberto Díaz is president and CEO of the Curtis Institute of Music, following in the footsteps of renowned soloist/directors, such as Rudolf Serkin, Efrem Zimbalist, and Josef Hofmann. Former principal viola of the Philadelphia Orchestra, he collaborates regularly with leading conductors of our time on stages around the world. He has also worked directly with important 20th- and 21st-century composers, including Krzysztof Penderecki, Edison Denisov, and Ricardo Lorenz, and has had concertos written for him by Bright Sheng, Jennifer Higdon, and Roberto Sierra. His recording of Higdon’s Viola Concerto won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2018. Prior to his decade-long tenure as principal viola of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Roberto Díaz served as principal viola of the National Symphony under Mstislav Rostropovich, was a member of the Boston Symphony under Seiji Ozawa, and a member of the Minnesota Orchestra under Sir Neville Marriner. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the New England Conservatory of Music, and a diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music. Among his numerous recordings are the complete works for viola and piano by Henri Vieuxtemps, a Grammy-nominated disc of viola transcriptions by William Primrose, and the Brahms sonatas with Jeremy Denk, all on the Naxos label. Roberto Díaz plays the ex-Primrose Amati viola.

George Gershwin’s symphonic masterpiece An American in Paris is centered on an American tourist’s impressions of Paris in the Jazz Age; it is a treasured classic precisely because of its uniquely American character. French composer Hector Berlioz’s Harold in Italy was inspired by Lord Byron’s narrative poem Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, and depicts the contemplative travels of a young man through Italy. Julia Perry studied voice, piano, and composition at Westminster Choir College from 1943 to 1948 before going on to study with Nadia Boulanger in Paris and composer Luigi Dallapiccola in Florence, Italy. She wrote Study for Orchestra in 1952.

Tickets for the May 13 and May 14 performances at Richardson Auditorium start at $30; Youths 5-17 receive a 50% discount with an adult purchase. Visit the Princeton Symphony Orchestra website at princetonsymphony.org or call 609-497-0020.

Health and Safety: The Princeton Symphony Orchestra is closely monitoring and adhering to the New Jersey Department of Health’s COVID-19 Requirements. Attendees will receive information regarding safety procedures, entry, seating directions, etc. in advance of their selected live performance(s).

Accesibility: The Princeton Symphony Orchestra is committed to ensuring all programming is accessible for everyone, working with venues such as Richardson Auditorium to provide needed services. Contact ADA Coordinator Kitanya Khateri for questions about available services at kkhateri@princetonsymphony.org or 609-905-0973. Note: some services require at least two weeks’ notice to arrange.

The Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is a cultural centerpiece of the Princeton community and one of New Jersey’s finest music organizations, a position established through performances of beloved masterworks, innovative music by living composers, and an extensive network of educational programs offered to area students free of charge. Led by Edward T. Cone Music Director Rossen Milanov, the PSO presents orchestral, pops, and chamber music programs of the highest artistic quality, supported by lectures and related events that supplement the concert experience. Its flagship summer program the Princeton Festival brings an array of performing arts and artists to Princeton during multiple weeks in June. Through PSO BRAVO!, the orchestra produces wide-reaching and impactful education programs in partnership with local schools and arts organizations that culminate in students attending a live orchestral performance. The PSO receives considerable support from the Princeton community and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, regularly garnering NJSCA’s highest honor. Recognition of engaging residencies and concerts has come from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the PSO’s commitment to new music has been acknowledged with an ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming and a Copland Fund Award. The only independent, professional orchestra to make its home in Princeton, the PSO performs at historic Richardson Auditorium on the campus of Princeton University.