By Mary Ann Bourbeau
RED BANK – Enjoy the sounds of classical music under the stars when the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra kicks off its free summer concert series in Marine Park at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 18. This year’s program features a medley of timeless classics, Broadway themes and patriotic favorites the whole family will love.
Music lovers can enjoy the two-hour concert in a beautiful setting overlooking the Navesink River. Audience members are welcome to bring chairs, blankets, kids and even a picnic.
“The setting in Red Bank is amazing because it’s right on the water,” said Erin Lunsford Norton, vice president of artistic planning for the New Jersey Symphony. “It’s a beautiful backdrop and a really fun experience for families.”
Gregory D. McDaniel conducts the 60-member orchestra, which will start off with the overture to “The Magic Flute” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, followed by Florence Price’s “Silk Hat and a Walking Cane” from “Dances in the Canebrakes” and Béla Bartók’s “Romanian Folk Dances.” Next comes Gioachino Rossini’s “William Tell Overture,” which many will recognize as the theme to “The Lone Ranger.”
After Richard Rodgers’ “Carousel Waltz,” the orchestra will kick off a jazz section with songs made popular by Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong, followed by highlights from Stephen Schwartz’s blockbuster Broadway hit, “Wicked.”
“It’s a really fun program this year,” said Lunsford Norton. “The theme is an overview of popular music through the years.”
Of course, presenting a full symphony outdoors sometimes clashes with Mother Nature.
“The string instruments don’t carry as well outdoors, so we have to amplify the entire orchestra,” said Lunsford Norton. “We’re also dealing with the weather, which can be unpredictable. The wind sometimes can be a problem. You’ll see musicians using clothespins to keep their music in place, so it doesn’t go flying. But it’s all worth it to enjoy classical music in a wonderful environment.”
The program ends, as always, with the “Armed Forces Salute,” a collection of songs from all six branches of the United States Military – the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Space Force.
“We always have a patriotic ending,” said Lunsford Norton. “It’s a tradition.
In case of rain, the event will take place at the Count Basie Center for the Arts.
The ensemble that would later be known as the New Jersey Symphony gave its first concert at the Montclair Art Museum in 1922. Its mission was to inspire, entertain and educate the diverse communities of New Jersey through the power of live symphonic music. The organization’s expansive educational offerings help build the next generation of listeners and musicians by offering community programs, performance opportunities for children in under-served communities, concerts for young people and the New Jersey Youth Symphony. The Symphony in the Park series began in 1984 in an effort to reach broader parts of the community.
Additional dates for Summer with the Symphony are June 21 at the Giralda Farms Music and Arts Festival in Madison; June 24 at Ocean County College in Toms River; June 25 at Raritan Bay Waterfront Park in South Amboy; June 27 at Branch Brook Park in Newark; and June 29 at Liberty State Park in Jersey City. The orchestra will also perform patriotic favorites in Provost Square Plaza in Jersey City July 2.
For more information, visit njsymphony.org.
The article originally appeared in the June 12 – 18, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
