THE CAPITAL PHILHARMONIC of NEW JERSEY
Oh God...Beautiful Machine
Performance Date
Saturday, October 25th, 2025 7:30 pm
Event Location
Patriots Theater at the War Memorial
The Program
Commissioned by the late Lawrence M. Hilton, Oh God…Beautiful Machine is a powerful new work by Princeton University composer Vince di Mura and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa.
Conducted by Sebastian Grand. Join us for an unforgettable evening as we premiere Oh God...Beautiful Machine — a genre-blending symphonic celebration of the Earth. Featuring jazz, classical, and Chinese influences with a choir and song. (This piece is approx. 90 minutes). There will be a brief intermission.)
Arrive early for festival-style fun:
• Live music and vendor tables
• Pre-concert talk with the composer
• Pre-concert performance
• Subscribers get VIP access to the exclusive post-concert.
About this Performance
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CELEBRATE NEW YEAR'S EVE with CPNJ
New Year's Eve Celebration Concert
Performance Date
Wednesday, December 31, 2025 8:00 pm
Event Location
Patriots Theater at the War Memorial
The Program
Enescu, Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 (approx. 12 minutes)
Leroy Anderson, Blue Tango (approx. 3 minutes)
Enrique Granados, “Intermezzo” from Goyescas 5 (approx. 5 minutes)
Granados, “Andaluza” from Spanish Dances (approx. 4 minutes)
Gabriela Ortiz, Kauyumari (2021) (approx. 7 minutes)
Intermission
Johann Strauss Jr., The Beautiful Blue Danube (approx. 10 minutes)
Selections from Carmen (approx. 13 minutes)
Saint-Saens, Danse Bacchanal (approx. 8 minutes)
Champagne Polka (approx. 3 minutes)
About this Performance
After a stunning debut with us last fall, conductor Ruth Ochs returns to the podium as a Music Director finalist — this time to lead our most festive night of the year.
Celebrate the turning of the year with a program that dances across borders and centuries — from the swirling romance of Strauss’s Blue Danube to fiery selections from Bizet’s Carmen, featuring acclaimed mezzo-soprano Barbara Rearick. This joyful concert is filled with color, flair, and just the right amount of sparkle.
And the celebration doesn’t stop when the music ends — raise a glass at our post-concert champagne reception featuring live jazz performed by members of the orchestra.
Chamber Orchestra Concert
Performance Date
Sunday, March 1st, 2026 4:00 PM
Event Location
War Memorial Ballroom
The Program
Bohuslav Martinů (1890–1959): Nonet
for wind quintet, violin, viola, cello, and double bass
(approx. 15 minutes)
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Caroline Shaw (b. 1982): Entr’acte
for string ensemble
(approx. 13 minutes)
Benjamin Britten (1913–1976): Sinfonietta, Op. 1
for wind quintet and strings
(approx. 16 minutes)
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791): Symphony No. 29 in A Major, K. 201
for 2 oboes, 2 horns, and strings
(approx. 25 minutes)
About this Performance
Guest conductor Kenneth Bean — a rising star known for his engaging presence and musical sensitivity — leads this chamber orchestra program celebrating the interplay of winds and strings.
From the elegance of Mozart and the inventive textures of Caroline Shaw to Britten’s bold.Sinfonietta, each work showcases the ensemble’s distinct voices, culminating in Martinů’s vibrant Nonet, a joyful dialogue of instrumental color.
Tchaikovsky Symphony No.5
Performance Date
Saturday, April 11th, 2026 7:30 PM
Event Location
Patriots Theater at the War Memorial
The Program
Coleridge-Taylor - Ballade in A minor
(approx. 13 minutes)
Zoltan Kodaly - Dances of Galanta
(approx. 15 minutes)
Tchaikovsky - Symphony no. 5
(approx. 45 minutes)
About this Performance
Conductor Kyle Ritenauer leads a richly expressive program of sweeping Romanticism and vivid color. Coleridge-Taylor’s Ballade in A minor opens with lyrical power, followed by the folk-inspired brilliance of Kodály’s Dances of Galánta. The evening culminates in Tchaikovsky’s emotionally charged Symphony No. 5 — a masterwork of passion, fate, and triumph. A dynamic presence on concert stages across the U.S. and Europe, Ritenauer has conducted the New York Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, and the Juilliard Orchestra. He currently serves as Director of Orchestral Studies at Montclair State University.
An American Journey
Performance Date
Event Location
Sunday, May 17th, 2026 4:00 PM
New Jersey State Museum Auditorium
The Program
Chris Rogerson (b. 1988): Luminosity
(approx. 4 minutes)
Youth Concerto Competition Winner
(approx. 10–15 minutes)
​
Aaron Copland (1900–1990): Lincoln Portrait
(approx. 15 minutes)
Antonín DvoÅ™ák (1841–1904): Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95, “From the New World”
(approx. 40 minutes)
About this Performance
Conductor Joshua Gersen brings a fresh and inspiring perspective to this season finale, celebrating American voices through powerful storytelling and unforgettable sound. The program opens with Luminosity by local composer Chris Rogerson, includes Copland’s stirring Lincoln Portrait, and concludes with DvoÅ™ák’s New World Symphony — a heartfelt tribute to America’s spirit, just ahead of the Nation’s 250th anniversary. A former Assistant Conductor of the New York Philharmonic and a frequent guest with orchestras across North America, Gersen is known for his expressive style, adventurous programming, and deep commitment to music education and contemporary composers.