Violinist Simone Porter, self-described as a human exclamation point, marks her highly anticipated return to the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) with high-energy performances of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219, “Turkish” at concerts November 14-15. Edward T. Cone Music Director Rossen Milanov conducts both performances at Richardson Auditorium on a program with Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel’s Overture in C and Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 88 in G Major, Hob. I:88.
Thrilled to showcase the rising star’s artistry, Maestro Milanov says, “Simone is one of these artists that always impresses with her emotional generosity and impeccable clarity. To collaborate with her is always exciting.”
Simone Porter has been recognized as an emerging artist of impassioned energy, interpretive integrity, and vibrant communication. She has debuted with the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Seattle and Pittsburgh Symphonies and with a number of renowned conductors, including Stéphane Denève, Gustavo Dudamel, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Simone made her professional solo debut at age 10 with the Seattle Symphony and her international debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London at age 13. In March 2015, Simone was named a recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant. February 2025 marked the release of her highly acclaimed first solo album ad tendo on the Bright Shiny Things label, which included pieces by Esa-Pekka Salonen and others. She performs on a 1740 Carlo Bergonzi violin made in Cremona, Italy on generous loan from The Master’s University, Santa Clarita, California.
While Hensel’s Overture in C was composed early in the 19th Century, its public premiere didn’t take place until 1992 when it was brought to light by the Women’s Philharmonic of San Francisco. Mozart’s fifth violin concerto reflects the 18th-century fashion among European composers of incorporating the sounds and rhythms of Janissary bands of the Ottoman Empire into Western music forms. Haydn’s Symphony No. 88 is famous for its slow movement, which was admired by the composer Johannes Brahms who reportedly said he wanted his ninth symphony to sound like it.
Concerts take place at Richardson Auditorium on the campus of Princeton University. The Saturday performance begins at 7:30pm, and Sunday’s 4pm performance includes a 3pm pre-concert talk hosted by Rossen Milanov.
Single tickets start at $42; there are also cost-saving Pick 3+ ticket packages available. Concerts take place on Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m.; Youths 5-17 receive a 50% discount with an adult purchase. For tickets and information visit the Princeton Symphony Orchestra website at princetonsymphony.org or call 609-497-0020.
