MUSIC OF VIVALDI & RODRIGO OPENS BONJ 20TH GALA SEASON

Moods and Dreams Unforgettable Music—Unforgettable Artists Antonio Vivaldi's The Four Seasons Special guest Violinist Miranda Liu Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez International guitarist Stanley Alexandrowicz Antonio Vivaldi's nulla in mondo pax sincera Special Guest Soprano Maria Alu Conducted by Maestro Robert W. Butts WHEN: November 1, 2015 - 3:00 PM WHERE: Dolan Hall, The Annunciation Center, The College of Saint Elizabeth, 2 Convent Road, Morristown, New Jersey TICKETS:  Adults - $40; Seniors - $30; Students - under 22 with ID - $5 For more information and to order tickets, click here Soprano Maria Alu has been an audience favorite with BONJ on several occasions.   She has sung roles in productions, oratorios and recitals around the New York/New Jersey area as well as across the country.   Among her many great appearances with the orchestra were her unfortgettable performances as Cleopatra in Giulio Ceasre and The Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute.   She was also acclaimed for her moving performance of Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto with Opera at Florham.   In Baroque repertoire, she excelled in the virtuosic showpiece cantata Jauchzett Gott in Allen Landen by Johann Sebastian Bach. Violinist Miranda Liu: Praised by audiences and critics alike for her “perfect” (Oberbayerisches Volksblatt) and “brilliant” (Salzburger Nachrichten) technique, as well as for her mature and compelling interpretations, Miranda Liu is among the most important young violinists today. Her extensive musical knowledge and emotional intensity can be heard i n her performances of master works - from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras to the fresh new works of present day composers.Ms. Liu has performed in hundreds of concerts as a concerto soloist, recitalist,Ms. Liu has performed in hundreds of concerts as a concerto soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician throughout the USA, Austria, Germany and Hungary, as well as on concert stages in Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, France, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland. She performs regularly in prestigious concert halls such as: New York’s Carnegie Recital Hall, Philadelphia’s Verizon Hall, Providence's Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Miami Beach's New World Center, Zagreb's Croatian Music Institute, Bucharest's Radio Society Concert Hall, Budapest's Liszt Academy of Music, Vienna's Konzerthaus-Mozartsaal, Salzburg's Wiener Saal, Solitär, and Carabinierisaal, among many other venues. Classical Guitarist Stanley Alexandrowicz is internationally renowned for his thrilling virtuosity, poetic interpretations, and refined musicality. In addition to his command of the instrument’s standard repertoire, he has premiered and commissioned over 100 works by composers from Europe, Asia, the United States, Cuba, and Latin America.   A scholar and specialist in the field of 19th Century music, he often features unknown compositions by the Romantic guitar composer-virtuosi, playing on period instruments and revitalizing works which have lain dormant (often in manuscript form) for over a century. He has given lecture-recitals internationally on both Romantic and Contemporary music, including the Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton – USA), and, the International Guitar Research Centre (University of Surrey – UK).   In addition to his work as an international soloist, he collaborates regularly in chamber music performances with some of the world’s leading musicians ― including internationally renowned soprano Dominika Zamara ― bringing together the worlds of opera, lieder, song, and contemporary music in realizations of unmatched sonic beauty and deep musical intelligence.  (http://guitarergonomics.com) Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) composed his set of 4 concerti called The Four Seasons in 1729,  They remain among the most original and popular compositions of all time. Each is divided into three movements and relates stories of Spring-Summer-Autumn-Winter as related in accompanying sonnets most likely written by Vivaldi himself. The cantata  nulla in mundo pas sincera is a rarely heard work for soprano soloist and orchestra, edited by Maestro Robert W. Butts. Joaquin Rodrigo (1901-1999) was one the most important Spanish composers of the 20th century. His Concierto de Aranjuez, composed in 1939, has been a favorite of both guitarists and audiences since it was first performed. The duet with English Horn in the second movement is one of the most haunting in all concerti.