Prokofiev asks for astonishing skill from every musician in his tour-de-force concerto. For his part, Strauss invites the artists to become storytellers in A Hero’s Life. With the New Jersey Symphony, Xian Zhang brings these two epics to life, and all the artists are joined by the young Italian-American violinist Francesca Dego.

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Xian Conducts Prokofiev & Strauss

Count Basie Center for the Arts

Don’t miss this big-screen battle with the score performed live by the New Jersey Symphony. The Resistance is in desperate need of help when they find themselves impossibly pursued by the First Order. While Rey travels to a remote planet called Ahch-To to recruit Luke Skywalker to the Resistance, Finn and Rose, a mechanic, go on their own mission in the hopes of helping the Resistance finally escape the First Order. But everyone finds themselves on the salt-planet of Crait for a last stand.

New Jersey Symphony

Apr 11, 2026

Xian Conducts Prokofiev & Strauss

May 29, 2026

Star Wars: The Last Jedi in Concert

New Jersey Symphony