Richard Tang Yuk, artistic director of the Princeton Festival, unveiled the 2009 Festival Season at “Salsa Sensations,” the festival’s preseason fundraiser, which took place Nov. 15 at The Nassau Club in Princeton.
The season will run from Saturday, June 13, through Sunday, June 28. The theme is “Midsummer Magic.”
Now entering “its fifth year of bringing midsummer magic to New Jersey,” the festival will present:
• Benjamin Britten’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” in two performances at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton.
Based on William Shakespeare’s play, Britten’s opera is a magical evening of deception and misunderstanding, all revolving around the madness of love. Britten has written three tiers of music, more romantic for the mortals (lovers), folk-like for the rustics, and magical/ethereal for the fairies (a children’s chorus).
Maestro Tang Yuk will conduct, paired again with stage director Stephen LaCosse (as in the Festival’s previous productions of “Madama Butterfly,” “Carmen,” and “La Bohème”).
• A Young Artists’ Showcase of six performances of “The Fantasticks,” featuring rising young artists.
“Fantasticks” was the longest running musical in the world, created by the same two who wrote last season’s outstanding success “Mirette,” Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones, and famous for the hit song “Try to Remember.” Performances will take place at the “Black Box Theatre,” 185 Nassau St. in Princeton.
• A Choral Workshop — the festival’s first — led by Simon Carrington, well-known choral conductor, cofounder of the famous a cappella group The King’s Singers, and professor of choral conducting at Yale University. This venture is designed to bring professionals and amateurs together.
After several days of intensive work in choral performance, the Festival Chorus will perform Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem with mezzo-soprano and baritone soloists, accompanied by Eric Plutz on the great Aeolian-Skinner organ in the Princeton University Chapel. The Requiem, written in 1947 in memory of the composer’s father, incorporates haunting themes from Gregorian chant.
Interested singers, both professionals and experienced amateurs, choir directors, and music teachers will find complete information about the workshop and an application form at the Festival’s Web site, www.princetonfestival.org.
• The Concordia Chamber Players of New Hope will perform a program of chamber music in Taplin Hall on the Princeton University campus. Concordia has performed at the festival since its inception.
• Tenor saxophonist Bennie Wallace and his trio will offer an afternoon of jazz at the Lawrenceville School’s Clark Music Center.
Mr. Wallace’s playing has been described as an amalgamation of styles, including those of Coleman Hawkins, Sonny Rollins, and Charlie Rouse. He composed the scores for such films as “Betty Boop,” “White Men Can’t Jump,” “Blaze,” and “Bull Durham.”
Jazz afternoons have become a festival favorite, with appearances by the Mulgrew Miller Trio, Miguel Zenón Quartet, and Joe Locke and his quartet in previous seasons.
• The second annual Young Musicians’ Piano Competition will give pianists ages 6 to 24 an opportunity to display their talents. The two outside adjudicators will be piano soloists. The preliminary round of the competition will take place at Clark Music Center in Lawrenceville. Finalists will perform at Taplin Hall in Princeton.
• Lectures and film on the theme of “Midsummer Magic” will begin on May 28 at the Princeton Public Library and continue though the season.
The Princeton Festival aims to enrich the cultural life of the region by offering high-quality professional entertainment in the performing arts. Each summer, it attracts a diverse audience by presenting both traditional and lesser-known works of opera, chamber music, dance, jazz, musical theater, and orchestral music.
The festival features professional artists, designers, directors, and conductors and provides educational opportunities for aspiring artists through its Young Artists Program.
For more information, visit www.princetonfestival.org.

