Independent Arts News Reporting 
Pictured Above: Soprano Angle Blue. Photo Credit: Dario Acosta.
The Princeton Festival - A Pre-Summer Night's Musical Dream
By: Lori Goldstein
Presenting world-class Performances June 7th through the 22nd, the Princeton Festival runs with accompanying events including pre-concert lectures and talks, pre-show dining offerings, family programming and more – something for everyone to enjoy.
In its third summer under the spacious outdoor pavilion at Morven Museum & Garden, the Princeton Festival promises a potpourri of musical genres June 7-22. “Whether it’s classical, opera, rock music, chamber music, Broadway, you name it—you most likely will find it in what we have in store as part of the festival programming this year,” says Princeton Symphony Orchestra conductor Rossen Milanov. “We are very happy that we can showcase the power and beauty of music by connecting with where people’s preferences are.”
The world-famous opera star, soprano Angel Blue, who has sung at major opera houses in over 40 countries, will perform at the opening night gala. Angel first sang with the PSO back in January 2023, when another soprano was not able to appear due to medical issues. “When Angel came onstage, it was a force of nature not only in terms of her vocal qualities and everything that she presents, she is such a warm and wonderful human being [that] it felt like we had known each other for a long time,” says Milanov.
Angel is a two-time Grammy Award winner, the first African American to receive the Beverly Sills Award from the Metropolitan Opera in 2020, and in 2022, she won the Richard Tucker Award. In recent seasons she has emerged as one of the most influential sopranos before the public today. Her most recent appearances at the Metropolitan Opera in April 2024 were as Magda in La Rondine and as Liù in Turandot.
On June 7, the Princeton audience will be treated to an opera recital, for which Angel has chosen the arias herself, including her favorites from the great opera composers Verdi and Puccini, along with Spanish arias that have long been in her repertoire. An in-depth conversation with Angel Blue, will appear in Arts News Now in June.
More powerhouse singing will be heard in the tribute to Tina Turner, when three prominent artists, including Broadway star and American Idol finalist LaKisha Jones, sing some of the iconic “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s greatest hits.
Pictured Above: Santino Fontana. Photo Credit: Nathan Johnson
Broadway actor Santino Fontana, best known for his starring roles in “Tootsie” and “Cinderella,” television appearances in “The Marvelous Maisel” and “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” will deliver a delightful evening of cabaret, singing American classics laced with humorous asides. Santino has said that he’ll literally put 30 song titles in a hat, ask audience members to pick a title from the hat which he’ll then perform. “This way, if the audience doesn’t like it, it’s their fault, quips Santino.
Later this summer, Santino will sing “Buddy’s Blues” in the concert version of “Follies” at Carnegie Hall. A 30-piece jazz orchestra album using orchestrations from his Lincoln Center American Songbook Concert will be released before the end of the year, as well as a cast recording of “I Can Get It for You Wholesale.” Santino will appear in the comedy film, “Lost & Found in Cleveland,” alongside other great actors including Martin Sheen, Stacy Keach, Dennis Haysbert, June Squibb, and Jon Lovitz. He’s also the reader of numerous audiobooks by such authors as Stephen King, Riley Sager, Caroline Kepnes, Alice Hoffman, and the sons of Ernest Hemingway.
Continuing the tradition of presenting light comic operas perfect for a summer evening, the Festival will feature Mozart’s romantic comedy, Così fan Tutte, about two officers who, on a bet, decide to test the fidelity of their fiancées by disguising their identities and exchanging partners. “It’s a love square,” Milanov says with a smile. “I have chosen probably his more delightful, and I would say, vocally entertaining piece, gorgeous as far as vocal writing.”
Pictured Above: Maestro Rossen Milanov. Photo Credit: Contributed.
Aubrey Ballarò will sing the incredibly demanding role of Fiordiligi. Festival audiences will remember her as one of the competing sopranos in The Impresario. Last summer’s creative team for The Barber of Seville—stage director James Marvel and scenic designer Blair Mielnik—will return for Così fan Tutte. “They are using some version of Japanese anime characters, so I expect that it will be richly visual.”
Another tradition of the Princeton Festival is its Juneteenth Celebration, which this summer will honor Black choral music. Conductor Vinroy D. Brown of Westminster Choir College, will lead a choir drawn from the community and anchored by the Capital Singers of Trenton. His program will feature Robert Ray’s archetypal Gospel Mass, along with other choral pieces highlighting the joy and spirit of Black music.
Milanov alludes to Antonin Dvorak, whom he considers one of the greatest nineteenth century composers. During his time spent in America, the Czech composer was exposed to a lot of spirituals, and incorporated them into his ‘New World’ Symphony. “Dvorak saw in that a very vital part of where the American music as a whole could go during the twentieth century,” says Milanov. “We have a lot of [American] composers who took that tradition very close to their heart,” including Florence Price, William Grant Still, Gershwin, Copland, and Bernstein.
“It’s music that does not necessarily belong to what people traditionally expect composers to be, which is white and male, so I’m very happy that we could dig a little bit further down into the roots of what music is in the United States, not only at the top of the pyramid, but also a little bit deeper down so that we have this absolutely beautiful concert that can appeal to so many people.” Prior to the concert there will be a flag raising, a Juneteenth talk, a “Let Freedom Ring Booth” and a Community Celebration featuring anti-racist groups, social justice and arts organizations.
Pictured Above: Sonia De Los Santos. Photo Credit: Hyphen Photography Inc.
Representing the cultural diversity of music has long been a focus of the Festival. “We always try to make sure that people who speak different languages or people that come from different cultural backgrounds will feel welcomed by seeing themselves, so to speak, on the stage,” says Milanov. Considering the prevalence of Spanish-speaking Americans and the fact that Spanish is the most widely spoken language worldwide, the Festival will present Sonia De Los Santos in an afternoon family-friendly concert. “We thought it might be very interesting for us to bring an artist who feels equally at home expressing herself and connecting with people through this very lively connection of Latin-American music…and also songs that we all know in English.” Nominated for a Latin Grammy®, Sonia was hailed by Billboard as “one of the Latin children’s music artists you should know.”
Chamber music aficionados will be pleased with the performances of several top-tier ensembles, including the energetic Sebastians, a Baroque chamber orchestra. They return this summer with an exciting program of three of the six great Brandenburg concerti by J.S. Bach, as well as Vivaldi’s concerto in G minor for two cellos.
“The Brandenburg Concerti are all so unique—different combinations of soloists and instruments,” says Jeffrey Grossman, artistic director of The Sebastians. “We perform a lot as Bach specialists, and use that expertise to bring out all of his many moods: from his most cheerful and invigorating to his tragic and pensive reflections. The Brandenburgs give us almost a perfect opportunity to do this, they’re so rich with exciting textures and colors. Even though they’re called concerti, they’re really chamber music, and we bring that collaborative spirit to each piece. We hope audiences will feel a part of that collective togetherness as we experience these masterpieces together.”
The Sebastians’ sound is distinctive because the musicians play on Baroque instruments that are markedly different from their modern counterparts. In the string family, the Baroque instruments use gut strings (instead of steel ones), the Baroque violin bow is tapered at one end; the woodwinds have fewer keys than their modern versions. The harpsichord is prevalent, as are two instruments that are akin to later instruments—the viola de gamba and the lute-like theorbo.
“We think that using historically accurate Baroque instruments gives us a real insight into the way this music speaks and sings,” says Grossman. “For example, in Brandenburg 6, Bach calls for two violas da gamba, instruments that were antiquated even in his day, and which have a beautiful, reedy, unique sound—modern groups use cellos instead, which are much less special! Or in Brandenburg 5, the way a Baroque flute blends with the harpsichord and the gut strings of a Baroque violin creates a unique timbral experience, even for listeners who know the Brandenburgs quite well. Modern string instruments use steel strings, which lack the warmth and humanness you’ll hear in our performance on historical gut strings. These aren’t just cosmetic or academic differences: we feel that using appropriate instruments helps us cut to the heart of these pieces, connecting across time to what Bach might have heard.”
Chamber music lovers will also enjoy the Princeton Festival debut of the Abeo Quartet. Formed at Juilliard in 2018 and a prizewinner at major chamber music competitions, the Abeo Quartet is quickly establishing itself as one of the leading string quartets of its generation. It will present works by Schubert, Shostakovich, and Esmail.
Pictured Above: Empire Wild. Photo Credit: Titilayo Ayangade.
Another Juilliard-incubated ensemble, Empire Wild, the genre-bending classical crossover trio, features two cellos, piano, and vocals. The group brings its signature mix of original music, inventive covers, and twists on the classical canon. “If you liked Time for Three, then Empire Wild will appeal to you,” assures Milanov.
The PSO’s valued partnership with American Repertory Ballet continues with a program of dance works with a string ensemble conducted by Maestro Milanov. The performance features choreography by Arthur Mitchell and Meredith Rainey, with music by Glass, Grieg, Scripp, and Sibelius.
As in past years, the Festival will offer a slew of accompanying events: pre-concert lectures, talks in the library, partnerships with a lot of businesses, including pre-show dining. “Even if you happen to overhear a rehearsal, you’re welcome to get a preview that way,” says Milanov. There will be something for everyone to enjoy. All you need to do is consult the Princeton Festival website for dates and times, and purchase your tickets to experience a pre-summer night’s musical dream.
To learn more about the Princeton Festival, visit princetonsymphony.org/festival.
