Princeton Pro Musica 2019-2020 Season

 

Out of respect for the CDC and Governor Murphy’s restrictions to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the concerts scheduled for March 15 and May 9 have been cancelled.  The PPM Box Office is closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 season.  

 

Sunday, November 3, 2019

4 PM Richardson Auditorium, Princeton University  Mozart – Great Mass in C Minor

PPM returned to the music of Mozart and performed his magestic setting of the mass text, which combines towering movements for double chorus with gorgeous duets for two sopranos: Clara Rottsolk and Molly Netter.  This program also included Mozart’s sparkling Clarinet Concerto.

 

 

Sunday, December 15, 2019

3 PM Patriots Theater in the War Memorial, Trenton, NJ  Messiah and More arranged by Ryan James Brandau

This warm and joyous holiday concert featured the “Christmas portion” of Messiah by George Frederic Handel alongside Joy to the World, our own maestro’s stirring suite of carols and holiday songs.

 

Cookies and Caroling: immediately post-concert December 15

Members of the audience joined singers of Princeton Pro Musica and Trenton Children’s Chorus for a brief reception in the “green room” behind the stage of Patriot’s Theater in the Trenton War Memorial by walking toward the stage in the hallway on either side of the auditorium.  Singers directed them to the brief reception featuring home-made cookies, varieties of sparkling water, and sing-along caroling accompanied by piano.

Dinner after Caroling! 

Patrons made their visits to Trenton part of a larger, fun experience for the entire family.  After viewing here eleven tantalizing options for dinner after the concert at restaurants located not far from the Trenton War Memorial that are dining partners of the Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey, they made reservations and brought their tickets or the Princeton Pro Musica concert program to the restaurant of choice to take advantage of specials offered to concert-goers.  Princeton Pro Musica was pleased to participate in the Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey’s Dining Partners program.  

Comments from last year’s audience members:

“What an unbelievable concert!!  One song was more beautiful than the last.  Thank you for this amazing performance!  We left floating to our car!”

“Bravo!  Great concert this evening!  What a spectacle and beautiful arrangements, indeed!” 

 

March 15 and May 9 performances cancelled.  

 

Sunday, March 15, 2020  – CANCELLED

4 PM Richardson Auditorium, Princeton University  James Whitbourn – Annelies

Featuring Lily Arbisser, soprano, PPM planned to honor the life and legacy of Anne Frank, seventy-five years after her death.  James Whitbourn’s haunting, moving music sets the words of her diary for chorus, soprano, and chamber ensemble.  Prior to the concert in Richardson Auditorium at 3 p.m., patrons were scheduled to hear renowned lecturer and music scholar Dr. Elayne Robinson Grossman speak about Annelies.  

 

Saturday, May 9, 2020  – CANCELLED

4 PM Princeton University Chapel  Power and Peace – Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem and the Te Deum

Featuring the brilliant Eric Plutz on the mighty Mander-Skinner organ of the Princeton University Chapel, PPM planned to present Duruflé’s exquisite Requiem, with powerful, festive settings of the Te Deum for choir, organ, and brass. 

 

 

Princeton Pro Musica 2018-19 Concert Season

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 p.m. Sunday, November 4, 2018  To Music, To Joy 

Richardson Auditorium, Princeton University

The opening concert of our 40th anniversary season featured Vaughan Williams’ gorgeous Serenade to Music, Brahms’ beautiful  Nanie and Alto Rhapsody, Debussy’s Sirenes, and Beethoven’s matchless celebration, Ode to Joy from the Ninth Symphony.   Featured soloists were: Lily Arbisser, soprano; Sarah Nelson Craft, mezzo-soprano; Christopher Hochstuhl, tenor; and Dashon Burton, bass-baritone.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 p.m. Sunday, December 9, 2018 Brandau’s Joy to the World: A Christmas Suite  

Patriots Theater at the War Memorial, Trenton, NJ

Our very own maestro’s stirring suite of carols and holiday tunes!  Richly orchestrated, including dazzling choral favorites by Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frederic Handel, Joy to the World: A Christmas Suite will fill you with the joy and warmth of the holiday season.  Guest artists for the holiday concert will be singers from the Trenton Children’s Chorus, soloist Richard Holmes, baritone, and soloist Nacole Palmer, soprano.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 p.m. Sunday, March 17, 2019  Orff’s Carmina Burana 

Guest artists professional dancers of Roxey Ballet Company and singers of Princeton GirlChoir

Richardson Auditorium, Princeton University

This wonderful celebration of poetry, song, and dance was SOLD-OUT.  Choreographer Mark Roxey completed choreography for all movements of this magnificent work that was also sold-out in 2017.  We were thrilled to bring it back for patrons and to have singers of the Princeton GirlChoir as guest artists in addition to dancers of the Roxey Ballet.  Learn more about Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana.  

 

 

4 p.m. Saturday, May 4, 2019  A Musical Feast – Grand Finale Concert 

Princeton University Chapel, Princeton, NJ

Princeton Pro Musica sings the festive music of George Frederic Handel including highlights from Messiah, Coronation Anthems, and Alexander’s Feast.  We will welcome founder and Artistic Director Emerita, Frances Fowler Slade, back to share the podium with Artistic Director, Ryan James Brandau.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You won’t want to miss soprano soloist, Sherezade Panthaki, whose voice has been praised as having, “astonishing coloratura with radiant top notes.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recall Princeton Pro Musica’s completed 2017-18 season:

War Requiem

Benjamin Britten

7:30 p.m. Friday, April 27 and Saturday, April 28 Richardson Auditorium, Princeton University

Princeton Pro Musica sang as a guest of the Princeton University Glee Club and Orchestra.The  Princeton High School Women’s Choir sang portions of the War Requiem written for youth choir.   Britten’s gripping, powerful response to war in the twentieth century combines the Latin Requiem with the haunting poetry of Wilfred Owen.

Soloists: Sarah Pelletier, soprano; William Burden, tenor; and Andrew Garland, baritone.

For Princeton Pro Musica subscribers, tickets for this guest appearance on Friday, April 27 and Saturday, April 28 were reserved.  Single tickets were sold only by the Princeton University Richardson Auditorium Box Office online and by telephone 609-258-9220 Monday through Friday between noon and 5 p.m.

 

Vespers

Claudio Monteverdi

7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 3, 2018 Princeton University Chapel, Princeton, NJ.

Princeton Pro Musica Chorus and Orchestra Choral Festival Guest Choirs Princeton High School Choir and Bridgewater-Raritan High School Choir.

Soloists: Clara Rottsolk, soprano; Melanie Russell, soprano; Timothy Parsons countertenor; John Russell, tenor; Steven Caldicott Wilson, tenor; Christopher Herbert, baritone; Jonathan Woody,bass-baritone.

The grandeur of multiple choirs, the beauty of the solo voice, and the splendor of the early Baroque orchestra combine in the magnificent space of the Princeton University Chapel.

 

Joy to the World: A Christmas Suite

Ryan James Brandau

4 p.m. Sunday, December 10, 2017 Patriots Theater in the War Memorial, Trenton, NJ Princeton Pro Musica Chorus and Orchestra Guest Artists Trenton Children’s Chorus, Soprano Margaret Dudley, and Baritone Brian Mextorf

Our own maestro’s stirring suite of carols and holiday songs, richly orchestrated, including favorite dazzling choruses by Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frederic Handel filled patrons with the joy and warmth of the holiday season.

 

Ein deutsches Requiem

Johannes Brahms

4 p.m. Sunday, November 5, 2017 Richardson Auditorium, Princeton University Princeton Pro Musica Chorus and Orchestra Rochelle Ellis, Soprano & Paul Max Tipton, Baritone.

Among the most sublime and moving of all choral masterworks, Brahms’ German Requiem offers deep consolation through beautiful choral and orchestral music.

 

 

Recall Princeton Pro Musica’s completed 2016-17 season:

Sunday, October 30, 2016

3 p.m. Pre-concert Lecture by Dr. Ryan James Brandau 4 p.m. Concert

Haydn Lord Nelson Mass with Polydora Ensemble

Richardson Auditorium, Princeton, NJ Guest Artists: Johanna Novom violin soloist and the Polydora Ensemble composed of: Jesse Blumberg, baritone; Nils Neubert, tenor; Helen Karloski, mezzo-soprano; and Margaret Dudley, soprano.

Princeton Pro Musica presented one of the most famous of Haydn’s great late masses, the “Lord Nelson Mass” (Missa in aguiistis). Works by Brahms and Mendelssohn rounded out the program. This concert featured the Polydora Ensemble, a team of four vocal soloists who, in addition to serving as oratorio soloists, specialize in the vocal chamber music of the nineteenth century. Renowned violinist Johanna Novom was the concertmaster and played the violin solo in Arvo Pärt’s engaging work, Fratres.

 

December 11, 2016

4 pm Concert

Holiday Classics with the Trenton Children’s Chorus

Patriots Theater in the War Memorial, Trenton, NJ Guest Artists: Trenton Children’s Chorus

Hundreds of patrons celebrated the holidays with Princeton Pro Musica joining the singers of Princeton Pro Musica, a full orchestra, and the Trenton Children’s Chorus for an afternoon that combined favorites by Handel and Bach with gorgeous carol arrangements and lush orchestrations by Artistic Director Ryan James Brandau. For many attendees, this concert was an unforgettable holiday music experience: “Princeton Pro Musica enabled me to experience the joy and heartwarming sentiment of the Christmas season”; “The Trenton Children’s Choir was wonderful”; A perfect way to get into the holiday spirit!”

 

8 pm Saturday, March 18, 2017

7 p.m. Pre-concert Talk: Ryan James Brandau

Britten Te Deum & Bernstein Chichester Psalms

Princeton University Chapel, Princeton, NJ Guest Artists: Tim Keeler, counter-tenor;  Eric Plutz, Princeton University Organist; TCNJ Percussion Ensemble, The College of New Jersey led by William Trigg. Princeton Pro Musica returned to the magnificent acoustic and space of the Princeton University Chapel to present two great works from the sacred literature: Britten’s Te Deum and Leonard Bernstein’s beautiful Chichester Psalms.  In this concert, Princeton Pro Musica was delighted to feature Tim Keeler, counter-tenor, Eric Plutz on the organ, and The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) Percussion Ensemble on twelve marimbas, xylophones, and other percussion instruments.  Beautiful smaller works by contemporary composers delighted and informed patrons including Nigra Sum by Pablo Casals and Triptych by Tarik O’Regan.  Patrons raved, “performance of Chichester Psalms was sublime”; “We are fortunate to have such an amazing group in Princeton”; and “very excited … that pipe organ was part of the program.”

 

Friday, April 28, 2017

7 – 10 p.m. Princeton Pro Musica’s Fourth Annual Cabaret Benefit

Back to Broadway

featuring Princeton Pro Musica singers with Kenneth Wasser, Guest Soloist Mercer Oaks Golf Course & Catering 725 Village Road West, Princeton Junction, NJ Singers of Princeton Pro Musica treated patrons to a wonderful mix of solos, duets, and ensembles from hit Broadway favorites including Les Miserables, The Music Man, The Fantastics, Fiddler on the Roof, and more!  From the opening ‘Wilkommen” from Cabaret to the finale “It’s a Grand Night for Singing” from State Fair, patrons tapped their toes and recalled wonderful productions they had attended.  Guest soloist, baritone Kenneth Wasser, and the Peter Laufer Trio delighted attendees performing additional Broadway selections.  Then, guests enjoyed the elegant hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, sumptuous buffet, tempting desserts, & coffee when they could tear themselves away from the silent auction, raffles, cash bar, and wine pull.  Patrons and friends enjoyed a fabulous evening while helping Princeton Pro Musica to produce thrilling concerts: tickets are $75 per person.

 

Sunday, May 21, 2017

4 p.m. Concert

5:15 p.m. Post-concert Talk-back with conductor Ryan James Brandau & choreographer Mark Roxey

Orff’s Carmina Burana

with Roxey Ballet and Princeton Girlchoir

Richardson Auditorium, Princeton, NJ

Princeton Pro Musica spent the year collaborating with choreographer Mark Roxey, dancers of the Roxey Ballet, and young women of the Princeton Girlchoir to delight the audience with Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana as they had never heard—or seen—it before!  Roxey Ballet created new choreography to enliven this one-of-a-kind piece of music that celebrates life, fate, love, and spring. Dance and music combined in a way that stimulated all of patrons’ artistic senses.