Denyce Graves Withdraws from CARMEN

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Opera New Jersey and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) announce that mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves has withdrawn from her Carmen engagements due to a direct order from her doctor to rest her vocal cords for six to eight weeks.

The NJSO, Opera New Jersey and NJPAC are thrilled to announce that renowned mezzo-soprano Kirstin Chávez, dubbed "the Carmen of a lifetime" by Opera News, will perform the title role in the collaboration's performances.  Chávez has drawn acclaim for her Carmen performances with the New York City Opera, Opera Australia, Tokyo City Opera and other international opera companies.

Performances take place on Friday, February 5 (7:30 p.m.) at the Matthews Theatre Auditorium at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton; Sunday, February 7 (3 p.m.) at the State Theatre in New Brunswick; and Friday, February 12 (8 p.m.) at NJPAC in Newark. Tickets range in price from $25 to $125 in Princeton and from $25 to $109 in New Brunswick and Newark.

Tickets for all performances are available for purchase from the NJSO Box Office by phone at 1-800-ALLEGRO (255-3476) or online at www.njsymphony.org. Tickets for the NJPAC engagement may also be purchased through the NJPAC Box Office by phone at 1-888-GO-NJPAC (466-5722), online at www.njpac.org or in person at 1 Center Street in Newark.

Kirstin ChávezMezzo-soprano Kirstin Chávez is one of the most riveting and significant young artists performing today. Chávez has become one of the definitive Carmens of the day; she has performed the role in Bizet's Carmen with Oper Graz, New York City Opera, Opera Australia, Tokyo City Opera and Minnesota Opera, as well as other opera companies worldwide.

Career highlights include the title role in Orfeo and Sondra Finchley in Picker's An American Tragedy at the Metropolitan Opera, Rosina in The Barber of Seville with the San Diego, Santa Fe, Indianapolis and Orlando Operas and Dorabella in Così fan Tutte with the Orlando and Connecticut Operas. She has performed the role of Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier with the Florentine Opera, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro with New York City Opera and the Opera Company of Philadelphia, Hansel in Hansel and Gretel with the Atlanta Opera and Jo in Adamo's Little Women with Opera Pacific.

The New Jersey Symphony OrchestraThe New Jersey Symphony Orchestra is comprised of some of the country's finest musicians. The Orchestra is proud to have Jacques Lacombe as its Music Director Designate and Neeme Järvi as its Conductor Laureate. Artistic excellence, innovative programming and community engagement are hallmarks of its mission. To best serve the people of New Jersey, the orchestra brings its programs to seven different venues throughout the state. Education and outreach programs enrich the listening experience for children and adults alike. The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Broadcast Series, presented in part by the Merck Company Foundation, is a syndicated radio program broadcast regionally and throughout North America. Continental Airlines is the official airline of the NJSO.

For more information about the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, visit www.njsymphony.org or e-mail information@njsymphony.org. Tickets are available for purchase by phone 1-800-ALLEGRO (255-3476).

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra's programs are made possible in part by The New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, along with many other foundations, corporations and individual donors.

Opera New Jersey is recognized nationally as a leader among regional opera companies, providing high-quality opera performances and exceptional educational offerings. Opera New Jersey seeks to stimulate, promote and satisfy interest in opera, build a strong and diverse audience base for the art form and foster the development of emerging artists. Opera New Jersey has received three prestigious Citations of Excellence from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (NJSCA). The Citation is NJSCA's highest honor and recognizes arts organizations that "exhibit the highest standards of excellence in artistry, operations, governance, public benefit and fulfillment of areas of Council priority. Opera New Jersey is honored to be the recipient of multiple National Endowment for the Arts grants in recognition of its outstanding programming. For more information, visit www.Opera-NJ.org.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in the heart of an emerging downtown Newark, New Jersey, is the sixth largest performing arts center in the United States. Home of the Grammy® Award-winning New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, NJPAC has been widely cited as a catalyst in the revitalization of New Jersey's largest city, attracting more than 6 million visitors (including more than one million children) in its first 12 years of operation.

Programming has been made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.