New Jersey Symphony: Gil Shaham Plays Dvorak

Full of folk flavor and rustic rhythms, Dvorak’s only violin concerto is fiendishly difficult, but legendary violinist Gil Shaham, described by The New York Times as a virtuoso and a player of deeply intense sincerity, makes it sound easy. Shaham makes a welcome New Jersey return, joining conductor Xian Zhang for this virtuosic concerto brimming with Bohemian character, paired with Dvorak’s fizzing Carnival Overture, a musical celebration of life and all its joys serving as the perfect dessert at the end of the program, and Brahms’s most personal symphony, his Third, both bucolic and contemplative, reflecting the close friendship between the two composers.