Community Calendar

The American Classical Orchestra (ACO) begins its 42nd season with a concert led by Founder and Artistic Director Thomas Crawford on September 17 at Alice Tully Hall. New York City’s leading period instrument orchestra provides a rare opportunity for audiences to hear masterworks on such original instruments as valveless horns, gut strings, and wooden flutes. The opening program presents Haydn’s "Lord Nelson" Mass in D minor with award-winning soprano Shelén Hughes Camacho in her ACO debut, along with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1—the first of three Alice Tully Hall Celebrate Beethoven! concerts during 2026-27, continuing the Orchestra’s performance cycle of all nine symphonies begun last season to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s death.

The ACO will next appear in a salon concert of chamber music by Mozart and Haydn on October 21 at Columbus Citizens Club, 8 East 69th St.

“As we continue our Beethoven symphonies cycle this season, pairing his First Symphony with Haydn’s Mass for Troubled Times reveals two masters responding to the anxiety and drama of a changing world with equal defiance,” said Founder and Artistic Director Thomas Crawford. “Performing these works on period instruments isn't a history lesson—it delivers the warm and visceral sound of the moment directly to our audience."

Celebrate Beethoven!: Turning the Key
Thursday, September 17, 2026, at 7:30 PM
Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center
American Classical Orchestra
ACO Chorus
Thomas Crawford, conductor
Shelén Hughes Camacho, soprano
Franz Joseph Haydn: “Lord Nelson” Mass in D minor, Hob. XXII:11
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21
Haydn wrote this famous choral work in 1798 with the title Missa in Angustiis, or "Mass for Troubled Times,” as Napoleon’s forces were threatening much of Europe, including the composer’s native Austria. In honor of British Admiral Horatio Nelson’s defeat of Napoleon that year in the Battle of the Nile, the mass eventually took on its more familiar nickname “Lord Nelson.” The performance spotlights the young Bolivian soprano Shelén Hughes Camacho, a winner of the 2025 George and Nora London Foundation Competition, in her ACO debut. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 marks the beginning of a new musical path with sudden harmonic shifts and the use of sforzandi accents. ACO’s performances of the First, Fourth, and Fifth Symphonies in 2026-27 offer NYC’s only opportunity to hear these works this season on period instruments, as Beethoven intended for his first audiences.

Tickets: Priced at $35, $55 & $75, are available at aconyc.org; by calling ACO at (212) 362-2727, ext.4; or by visiting lincolncenter.org or calling CenterCharge at 212.721.6500.

International pianist Ching-Yi Lin presents “Heroic Journey,” a program that explores transformation, struggle, and triumph through music. From the dramatic intensity of Bach’s Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue to the brilliance of Chopin’s Heroic Polonaise, the program is anchored by Beethoven’s Eroica Variations and the transcendent final sonata, Op. 111, tracing a powerful emotional arc from conflict to resolution.

Originally from Yunlin, Taiwan, Dr. Lin holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University and has appeared at distinguished venues including Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center, Van Cliburn Concert Hall in Texas, Washington National Cathedral, and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. As a soloist, he has been recognized in numerous international competitions, earning awards at the Beethoven International Piano Competition in Singapore, the New York International Artists Association Competition, the NTD International Piano Competition in New York City, Second Prize at the Texas State International Piano Competition, Third Prize at the Marbella International Piano Competition, and the Wonderlic Piano Competition.

In addition to his solo career, Lin has collaborated with members of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and in 2024 he was featured as guest pianist in a special concert honoring Leon Fleisher at the Mohican Hills Concert Series. A dedicated educator, he has presented masterclasses and lectures at the College of Southern Maryland, Christopher Newport University, Ocean County College, Soochow University, the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and Virginia Tech; he served as a faculty associate at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University from 2021 to 2024 and has been a faculty member at Montgomery College since 2025.

hether you are a child of the 60s or you just love the music, you will hear the best of that amazing decade when the Strictly 60s Band returns to rock the Ocean County Library’s Bay Head Express Library from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, September 18. This program will be held outdoors in Centennial Park, directly behind Bay Head Borough Hall, 83 Bridge Avenue.

The New Jersey ensemble will take you on a musical journey with a spectacular playlist that includes the British Invasion, Motown, rock and roll, soul, surf, doo-wop, and rhythm & blues, plus music trivia and facts. Then it’s your turn to be a rock star during their interactive singalong.

This program is sponsored by a generous grant from the Ocean County Library Foundation. The Ocean County Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization now in its 25th year of enhancing services and opportunities to all library users.

In the event of inclement weather, the rain date for this program is 6 p.m. Thursday, September 24.

Please bring a blanket or chair for seating.

Registration is required for this free program. To register, visit tinyurl.com/Strictly60sOCL, visit your local OCL branch, or call 732-892-0662.

Playful Theatre Productions

Step through the looking glass into Wonderland, Frank Wildhorn’s high-energy pop-rock musical inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. When a grown-up Alice falls into a vibrant, topsy-turvy world, she must rediscover her confidence and take control of her story. Bursting with spectacle, humor, and heart, it’s a dazzling journey of self-discovery.

Fri. Sept. 18 & 25 at 8pm
Sat. Sept. 19 at 8pm

Matinees:
Sat. Sept. 26 at 2pm
Sun. Sept. 20 & 27 at 2pm

Join Jimmy Scalia as he recounts the achievements of renowned composer and record producer David Foster at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, September 19 at the Brick Branch of the Ocean County Library.

David Foster’s roster of artists is staggering, and includes Whitney Houston, Earth, Wind & Fire, Kenny Loggins, Seal, Michael Bolton, Natalie Cole, and Michael Buble. Scalia will showcase the beauty of some of the most powerful songs by these artists and more. Experience the beauty and electricity of this powerful music in an enlightening, feel-good presentation.

Jimmy Scalia is the official Bobby Darin archivist and works in cooperation with the Darin estate. He also hosts programs on New Jersey music, the Italian American songbook, the Apollo Theater, and the songwriters and singers of the Brill Building. He has authored several articles, including one published by the Library of Congress. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Registration is required for this free program. To register, visit tinyurl.com/FosterOCL, call 732-477-4513, or stop by the branch at 301 Chambers Bridge Road.

Celebrate Spanish Dance, Music, and Culture with
Alborada Spanish Dance Company at the Jackson Library

JACKSON – Join us for a joyous celebration of Spanish and Hispanic cultures in a dazzling display of beautiful traditional costumes and Flamenco dance and music by Alborada Spanish Dance Company at 3 p.m. Saturday, September 19 at the Jackson Branch of the Ocean County Library.

This performance will showcase the rich diversity of Spain’s dances and music in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Alborada embraces various Spanish dance art forms, enabling its audience to experience the breathtaking richness and beauty of the culture in full context.

Alborada Spanish Dance Company was founded in 1965 by Maria Alba. In 1980, the Company was revitalized under the direction of Alba and its current Artistic Director, Eva Lucena, who brought in a group of new dancers and choreographers. Alborada Spanish Dance Company was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in New Jersey in September 1995. On average, they reach at least 11,000 to 15,000 people annually through their programs.

This program is geared toward adults and seniors.

Registration is required for this free program. To register, visit tinyurl.com/SpanishDanceJA, call 732-928-4400, or stop by the branch at 2 Jackson Drive.

New York Polyphony returns to where it all began. Twenty years (nearly to the day!) after the ensemble’s debut at St. Mary the Virgin Times Square, the acclaimed quartet celebrates this milestone anniversary with a selection of favorite works. This specially curated program highlights the group’s stylistic range, featuring Renaissance masters including Byrd, Palestrina, and Crecquillon alongside contemporary composers Andrew Smith and Akemi Naito.

Step into an unforgettable evening with Concert of Dreams, featuring sixteen professional singers and a chamber orchestra in a program of fifteen enchanting and uplifting selections.

From the timeless “When You Wish Upon a Star” to the stirring “The Impossible Dream” and the hopeful “I Dream a World,” this concert brings together some of the most beloved dream-inspired music across stage and screen.

Full of beauty, emotion, and cinematic color, Concert of Dreams is a celebration of imagination and the music that inspires us to reach beyond what is and dream what could be.

Zach Hann returns to FlemingtonDIY and his old neighborhood for a trio performance. Joe Michaels (B) and Hugh Kline (D). Nice room with a cool vibe. All ages. Discount tickets for members, advance purchase and Cool Cat season patrons

Playful Theatre Productions

Step through the looking glass into Wonderland, Frank Wildhorn’s high-energy pop-rock musical inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. When a grown-up Alice falls into a vibrant, topsy-turvy world, she must rediscover her confidence and take control of her story. Bursting with spectacle, humor, and heart, it’s a dazzling journey of self-discovery.