BEETHOVEN'S BROTHERHOOD OF MAN COMPOSITION TAKES FOCUS THIS SPRING

Celebrating the genius of Beethoven and his last symphony will take focus for the next two months as the Garden State Philharmonic wraps its 60th anniversary season at the Jersey Shore. Fans of classical music and those interested in the relationship between Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 and milestone human events have a great deal to look forward to this spring. Not only will the Garden State Philharmonic’s professional orchestra close its season with Beethoven’s Ninth! on May 22nd at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Toms River, but audiences will also benefit from a one night only showing of the documentary film Following the Ninth: In the Footsteps of Beethoven's Final Symphony at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts at Ocean County College on April 23rd. Tickets and program information can be obtained by calling (732) 255-0460 or by visiting GardenStatePhilharmonic.org.

On Saturday, April 23, 2016 at 7:00 p.m., the Garden State Philharmonic will be hosting a one night only viewing of the documentary film Following the Ninth: In the Footsteps of Beethoven's Final Symphony at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts at Ocean County College in Toms River. This special event is offered to elevate the depth of the experience for those attending the GSP’s live concert of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in May. Written and director by Kerry Candaele, the film follows the impact of Beethoven's last symphony on people's lives around the world. Filmed on five continents and in twelve countries, Following the Ninth is the story of four people whose lives have been transformed, repaired and healed by the 9th's message:' Alle Menschen werden Bruder (All People Are Connected).' At Tienanmen Square in 1989, students played the 9th over loudspeakers as the army came in to crush their protests for freedom. In Chile, women under the Pinochet dictatorship sang the 9th at torture prisons, and those inside took hope when they heard the music. In Japan each December, the 9th is performed hundreds of times, often with 10,000 people in the chorus. Part road trip, part adventure, Following the Ninth is a story about the power of music and human resilience in dark times. Admission to the movie showing is FREE to May 22nd Beethoven’s Ninth ticket-holding patrons. For those who have not yet finalized plans to attend the May concert, will be asked for a $5 per person donation. Maestro Anthony LaGruth will facilitate an open audience discussion immediately following the film.

The celebration of Beethoven’s genius continues on Sunday, May 22, 2016 at 2:30 p.m. with a live concert of Beethoven’s Ninth!, or Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, by the Garden State Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra joined by the voices of the GSP community chorus. Completed in 1824, the Symphony is considered by many to one of the best-known works in classical music and, among critics, one of Beethoven's greatest works. The symphony was the first example of a major composer using voices in a symphony (thus making it a “choral” symphony). The words are sung during the final movement by four vocal soloists and a chorus. Lyrics were taken from the words of Ode to Joy, a poem written by Friedrich Schiller in 1785 and revised in 1803, with additions made by the composer. This special afternoon concert by the Garden State Philharmonic, under the direction of Anthony LaGruth, will be performed at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church on Hooper Avenue in Toms River. Concert tickets range from $12 to $48, reflecting pricing options for senior citizens, students and groups of 10 or more. St. Joseph’s Food Pantry will be the GSP’s charity pairing partner for this program supporting the GSP’s 60th anniversary theme of feeding your soul and the hungry with music.

Tickets and program information about Following the Ninth in April, Beethoven’s Ninth! in May, and other upcoming events can be obtained by calling (732) 255-0460 or by visiting GardenStatePhilharmonic.org. The programs of the Garden State Philharmonic are made possible, in part, by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, the New Jersey State Council for the Humanities, Investors Bank, Investors Foundation, the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, The Florian J. Lombardi Foundation, OceanFirst Foundation, the Ocean County Library Foundation, the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and generous small business and individuals contributors just like YOU! Please consider making a donation today to support the Jersey Shore’s premiere professional orchestra – the Orchestra-in-Residence at Ocean County College.

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