Overview

Xian Zhang conductor
Rob Kapilow conductor (Jan 20 & 21 only)
JCC Young People’s Chorus @ Thurnauer | Emma Brondolo, artistic director (Jan 20 & 21 only)
Young People’s Chorus of New York City® | Francisco J. Núñez, artistic director and founder (Jan 20 & 21 only)
Ember Choral Arts | Deborah Simpkin King, artistic director (Jan 20 & 21 only)
New Jersey Symphony

Daniel Bernard Roumain i am a white person who __ Black people (Jan 18 only)
This provocative piece for strings and percussion opens the concert with the feeling of a tender hymn, then it quickens with an edgy energy. Another vital contribution by our Resident Artistic Catalyst.

Still Darker America
Still wrote this in the 1920s to depict the struggles of his fellow African Americans, ultimately aiming to show “the triumph of a people over their sorrows through fervent prayer.” Tenderness and toughness mark this moving testament to resilience.

Rob Kapilow We Came to America (World Premiere, Commissioned by the Thurnauer School of Music at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades) (Jan 20 & 21 only)
In this nation of immigrants, we all have our stories. Inspired by in-depth source research, interviews with generations of immigrants, and melodies from many countries, composer Rob Kapilow has crafted an instant classic of compelling music for chorus and orchestra.

Bernstein Three Dances Episodes from On the Town
The musical that gave the world “New York, New York,” On the Town was a hit from its wartime premiere. The story of three sailors on leave in Manhattan is filled with Bernstein’s signature restless energy, and made huge waves of its own in the 1940s with a racially diverse cast.

Bernstein Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
The tragedy of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet set on Manhattan’s fire escapes and sidewalks. These Symphonic Dances from West Side Story are a fountain of songs you love, from “Tonight” to “Maria” and the manic shout of “Mambo!”