NJ Festival Orchestra Welcomes Slovak Guitarist for Season Finale

Westfield, NJ — The New Jersey Festival Orchestra (NJFO) concludes its season with One Thousand and One Nights, presented in collaboration with the Slovak American Cultural Center (S-ACC). Showcasing international artistry and cultural exchange, the program features acclaimed Slovak guitarist Karol Samuelčík as guest soloist.

Performances will take place on Saturday, May 30, 2026 at 7:00 pm at The Presbyterian Church in Westfield, and Sunday, May 31, 2026 at 2:30 pm at the Sieminski Theater in Basking Ridge.

At the heart of the program, Samuelčík brings his artistry to Joaquín Rodrigo’s Fantasía para un gentilhombre, a work inspired by Spanish baroque dance traditions and celebrated for its elegance, lyricism, and expressive vitality.

“The Slovak-American Cultural Center is thrilled to partner—again—with the NJFO to introduce world-renowned guitarist Karol Samuelčík to American audiences,” writes S-ACC Board Member and longtime NJFO supporter Tanya Pulver. “Performing Joaquín Rodrigo’s celebrated Fantasía para un gentilhombre, Samuelčík promises to enchant listeners, pairing the concerto’s historic elegance with his signature vibrant energy and technical brilliance.”

Born in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, Samuelčík trained at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Bratislava, graduating with the institution’s highest honor, the Prize of the Rector. He has performed throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas, appearing with leading orchestras and in renowned venues including London’s Purcell Room and Shenzhen Concert Hall. A prizewinner of numerous international competitions, he is also an educator at the Academy in Bratislava, a recording artist, and a respected scholar, having published a landmark work on guitar technique in 2022.

The program culminates in Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, a cornerstone of the orchestral repertoire inspired by the legendary tales of One Thousand and One Nights. With sweeping melodies and vivid orchestral color, the work evokes a world of distant voyages, mystery, and imagination, bringing these timeless stories to life.

Blending international collaboration with evocative repertoire, One Thousand and One Nights offers a richly imagined and memorable close to NJFO’s season.

Tickets are available atwww.njfestivalorchestra.org/concerts or by calling (908) 232-9400. Student discounts are available.