Princeton University Concerts (PUC) presents the New Jersey premiere of “Emily — No Prisoner Be” on Sunday, February 22, at 3 p.m. in Richardson Auditorium.
This semi-staged song cycle is inspired by Emily Dickinson’s poetry, which still resonates 150 years after her death. Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts, Musical America’s 2024 Composer of the Year, created this work for mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato — whose role in Puts’ “The Hours” at the Metropolitan Opera was hailed as “a stunning triumph” (Variety) — and the genre-defying Time for Three trio, whose recording of Puts’ Triple Concerto won multiple Grammy Awards in 2023.
The performers are no strangers to the Princeton University Concerts stage or to Princeton audiences. Time for Three made its PUC debut in 2012 and has also appeared as part of the Princeton Festival. The February 22 concert will mark DiDonato’s sixth performance with PUC.
Under the stage direction of Marie Lambert-Le Bihan, this ensemble of PUC fan-favorite artists embraces Dickinson’s fearless exploration of identity, society, and freedom.
“Dickinson’s beautifully spare poetry, combined with Joyce DiDonato’s iconic voice and the innovative music of Time for Three create a timeless musical experience,” says PUC Director Marna Seltzer. “More than simply a concert, this event will transcend the boundaries of form and draw upon the gifts of Emily Dickinson and these fantastic artists to connect us to truth, beauty, and humanity.”
“Emily—No Prisoner Be” made its debut at Bregenzer Festspiele in August, 2025, and will be performed in Kansas City, Chicago, and Carnegie Hall, in addition to its debut at Princeton University Concerts.
Multi-Grammy Award winner and 2018 Olivier Award winner for Outstanding Achievement in Opera, Kansas-born Joyce DiDonato entrances audiences across the globe, and has been proclaimed “perhaps the most potent female singer of her generation” by The New Yorker. She has towered at the top of the industry both as a performer, a producer, and a fierce advocate for the arts.
Her current season includes concerts for the Minnesota Orchestra and Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain, as well as re-opening Powell Hall with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in a Kevin Puts’ world premiere, “House of Tomorrow.”
Time for Three (Tf3) is a classically trained string trio featuring Nicolas Kendall on violin, Charles Yang on violin and guitar, and Ranaan Meyer on double bass. Since 2003, Time for Three has appeared alone and with symphonic and chamber orchestras all across the U.S.A. and in Europe. Their musical tastes are eclectic, ranging from classical to bluegrass to rock to jazz to hip-hop. The group refers to itself as a “classically trained garage band.”
The trio’s sixth album was released in 2022. “Letters for the Future” was recorded with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Xian Zhang. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo for 2023. Kevin Puts’ “Contact” also won the 2023 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition.
Emily — No Prisoner Be, Princeton University Concerts, Richardson Auditorium, Princeton University. Sunday, February 22, 3 p.m. $43 to $73. puc.princeton.edu or 609-258-9220.
Time for Three performs the New Jersey premiere of Kevin Puts’ ‘Emily — No Prisoner Be’ on Sunday, February 22, in Richardson Auditorium. Photo by Shervin Lainez.,
