Princeton Orchestra Continues Anniversary With Pair Of Concerts

PRINCETON, NJ — The Princeton University Orchestra (“PUO”) continues its celebratory 120th season, and the 40th anniversary of director Michael Pratt, in two concerts on Thursday and Friday, Dec. 7-8, 7:30 p.m.
Returning to their performance home in Richardson Auditorium at Alexander Hall, the orchestra will present — as Maestro Pratt puts it — “a meal of rich and beloved core repertory works”:

• Gioachino Rossini’s “William Tell” Overture;
• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet” Overture-Fantasy with guest conductor DG Kim; and
• Antonín Dvořák’s monumental Seventh Symphony.

Tickets to these concerts, performed by one of the most celebrated university orchestras in the nation, are only $15 General Admission and $5 for students. They are available at music.princeton.edu or by calling 609-258-9220.

The Princeton University Orchestra is made up of Princeton undergraduate student musicians. Now in its 120th year, the orchestra plays a wide range of works by composers from the Classical period up through freshly composed works by Princeton composers.

Maestro Pratt’s programming choices for this special season reflect this celebratory spirit by passing on the baton to senior DG Kim in one work on the program, and by delighting in some of the most celebrated works in the orchestral repertory.

“The Overture to William Tell is the curtain raiser ne plus ultra; the cavalry bugles at the end maybe the most famous motive in all of Western music,” Pratt said. “Tchaikovsky’s treatment of Romeo and Juliet is the best known, and is a tone poem with brilliant action sequences and beautifully etched character sketches. Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony is one of the greatest symphonies between Beethoven and Mahler—inspiring heroism and melting, moving lyricism.”

Maestro Pratt has mentored countless students over his 40 years at Princeton University. The orchestra noted that DG Kim’s appearance as guest conductor with the ensemble is a testament to the many incredible opportunities that Pratt affords his students.

DG is a senior at Princeton in the Department of Electrical Engineering. He is currently the assistant conductor of the Princeton University Orchestra, conductor of Princeton Camerata and has held the post of the conductor of the Princeton Chamber Orchestra.

He has been an integral part of numerous music organizations from a leadership and organizational standpoint, including work as the president and founder of Ivy Orchestra, president and founder of La Vie en Cello, president of Princeton University Orchestra and president of Princeton Chamber Orchestra.

DG studies conducting with Pratt at Princeton University, and is pursuing a certificate in Musical Performance in Conducting. In addition, he studies cello performance with Alberto Parrini. Previously, he studied cello with Dr. John Marshall, Jonathan Koh and Astrid Schween.

In the spring, the orchestra will put on a rare performance of Britten’s War Requiem Op. 66 with the Princeton University Glee Club and Princeton Pro Musica, commemorating the centenary of the end of World War I. For more information on the upcoming season and other Princeton University Department of Music events, visit music.princeton.edu.

The attached image was provided by the Princeton University Orchestra