Princeton Symphony Orchestra announces Princeton Festival summer line-up

Angel Blue CREDIT Dario Acosta
Metropolitan Opera superstar soprano Angel Blue will kick off the 2024 Princeton Festival. Photo by Dario Acosta courtesy of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra.

The Princeton Symphony Orchestra has announced the artistic line-up for this year’s Princeton Festival, which will take place June 7-22 at Morven Museum & Garden and Trinity Church.

Events range from a concert featuring star soprano Angel Blue, a comic opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a tribute honoring Tina Turner, and a Juneteenth celebration with Black choral music, to a family day with Latin American music.

“We are offering Festival-goers a chance to come together through the shared experience of delightful summertime live musical performances, light in mood, but with exceptional artistry,” said Music Director Rossen Milanov.

The opening weekend begins with Metropolitan Opera superstar soprano Angel Blue with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra on Friday, June 7. Blue comes fresh off a season of performances in major houses both at home and abroad.

On June 8, The Music of Tina Turner will honor the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Three prominent artists including Broadway star and American Idol finalist LaKisha Jones, plus guest conductor Lucas Waldin and the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, will perform some of the trailblazing artist’s mega hits including “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “Simply the Best,” “Proud Mary,” and “River Deep, Mountain High.” 

Family Day on June 9 will feature child-centered activities culminating in a concert of Latin American family music featuring musical storytelling by Latin Grammy nominee Sonia De Los Santos.

The centerpiece of this year’s Princeton Festival is a production of Mozart’s comedic opera Così fan tutte on June 14, 16, and 18, sung in the original Italian with English subtitles. The opera will be directed by James Marvel, with scenic design by Blair Mielnik and costumes by Marie Miller. Performing the roles of the lovers are Aubry Ballarò as Fiordiligi, Alexis Peart as Dorabella, David Walton as Ferrando, and Benjamin Taylor as Guglielmo, with Calvin Griffin as the freewheeling Don Alfonso and Zulimar López-Hernández as the crafty maid Despina. Rossen Milanov will conduct all three performances.

Dance and orchestral worlds combine on June 15 for Interwoven: American Repertory Ballet + PSO Strings, a program of dance works performed by ARB dancers. The string ensemble will be conducted by Rossen Milanov. The evening features choreography by Arthur Mitchell and Meredith Rainey, with music by Glass, Grieg, Scripp, and Sibelius. 

The Princeton Festival will celebrate Juneteenth with a concert Honoring Black Choral Music. Choral conductor Vinroy Brown, Jr. of Westminster Choir College will lead a choir drawn from the community and anchored by the Capital Singers of Trenton. The program will feature Robert Ray’s iconic Gospel Mass with additional choral selections highlighting the joy and spirit of Black music.

Genre-bending, Juilliard-trained trio Empire Wild will take over the pavilion stage on June 21 with a program featuring two cellos and piano, with vocals. The group brings its signature mix of original music, inventive covers, and twists on the classical canon.

Across the way at Trinity Church, the award-winning Abeo Quartet will perform on June 13. In its debut Princeton Festival performance, the quartet will present works by Beethoven, Shostakovich, and Esmail. The Sebastians: Brandenburgs and More will also take place at Trinity on June 20. The acclaimed Baroque ensemble returns for its third Princeton Festival appearance with a program featuring three of J.S. Bach’s beloved “Brandenburg” concerti along with classic works by Telemann and Vivaldi.

Anchoring the Festival is An Evening with Sierra Boggess on June 22. Broadway superstar Boggess returns to the Princeton Festival with an intimate, cabaret-style solo concert featuring Broadway classics and her favorite songs. 

Princeton Festival tickets are on sale now, and prices range from $10 – $135. For dates, times, program information, and tickets, visit the Princeton Symphony Orchestra website.

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Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.