Princeton University Concerts (PUC) is entering its 130th year of programming, continuing to bring the community access to the world’s most celebrated musicians, among friends.
The 2023-24 season includes the debuts and returns of the world’s greatest classical stars, including pianists Jonathan Biss, Hélène Grimaud, Víkingur Ólafsson, and Mitsuko Uchida; soprano Golda Schultz; violinist Isabelle Faust, cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras, and pianist Alexander Melnikov in concert together; genre-defying artists Dreamers’ Circus and Jon Batiste; and interdisciplinary events with authors Adam Haslett and Suleika Jaouad.
This season, PUC is also taking live music performance to another dimension! Mahler Chamber Orchestra will return to PUC, but as they never have before: in virtual reality. With the aid of VR headsets, audiences will be able to move around (or through/over/under!) the musicians as a multi-dimensional recording responds in real-time.
As is the case with the upcoming concerts in virtual reality, PUC encourages audiences to engage with live music in a multitude of new ways: seated on stage alongside the performers at a Performances Up Close concert; in a meditative state at a free Live Music Meditation event; at relaxed-format family concerts featuring the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and host Rami Vamos; by exploring music’s vital role in our lives at a Healing with Music event; or through making music together at PUC’s annual community Chamber Jam. For this year’s Chamber Jam, all are invited to sing alongside the acclaimed Chanticleer vocal ensemble in the Princeton University Chapel on Wednesday, October 11 at 7:30PM.
“I like to think that the ‘C’ of ‘PUC’ stands for community and collaboration as much as it stands for concerts,” says PUC Director Marna Seltzer. “Community is at the core of our mission to make classical music accessible to all. Collaboration is at the heart of what we do.
“This year, in particular, our vision for creating connection through music has blossomed into multiple partnership programs. It’s about creating pathways for the music to meet you where you are and speak to you in deep, perhaps surprising, ways.”
PUC has partnered with Princeton Public Library, The Princeton Garden Theatre, Arts Council of Princeton, local artist Diana Weymar, American Repertory Ballet, and The Singles Group (TheSinglesGroup.com) to offer events which foster community outside the concert hall: book clubs, documentary screenings, an Interwoven Stories embroidery workshop, Dance for PD® (Parkinson’s disease) classes, and a host of Do-Re-Meet facilitated social events paired with a concert. Many of these community events are free.
In the spirit of making classical music accessible to all, PUC recently launched the Admit All: Ticket Access Program to ensure that everyone can experience PUC concerts, regardless of financial circumstance. More information can be found at puc.princeton.edu/admit-all.
Single tickets for all PUC performances and events are now on sale both online at puc.princeton.edu or over the phone at 609-258-2800. Availability for many performances is already limited, and all events are expected to sell out quickly. Some free community events require pre-registration.
More details can be found at puc.princeton.edu.
Golda Schultz performs April 8, 2024. (Photo by Dario Acosta),
