# Music Across Borders: NJSO’s “Huyton Suite” Performance Resonates in Jersey City
Jersey City’s Nimbus Art Center recently hosted a moving musical journey through displacement, migration, and that shared ache for home. The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO) anchored the evening with Hans Gál’s “The Huyton Suite,” a chamber work rarely heard live these days.
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Gál wrote the piece back in 1940, while detained in a British internment camp. That history lingered in the air, tying together stories of refugees from the past with questions of belonging that still echo today.
The Historical Context of “The Huyton Suite”
Huyton Internment Camp, near Liverpool, holds a complicated spot in World War II history. The UK set it up to hold Germans and Austrians suspected of Nazi ties, but soon enough, the place filled with refugees—many Jewish—fleeing the horrors spreading across Europe.
A Composer’s Response to Displacement
Viennese composer Hans Gál found himself trapped inside those barbed wires. He responded the only way he knew how—by composing.
With just a flute and two violins available, Gál crafted “The Huyton Suite,” pouring his longing and uncertainty into the music. NJSO’s flutist Kathleen Nester joined violinists Héctor Omar Falcón and Maya Shiraishi to bring this fragile, aching work to life. Their performance let the tension and sorrow breathe, note by note.
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Adapting to Circumstances
Life has a way of throwing curveballs, doesn’t it? The concert itself had to adapt at the last minute. Organizers originally set it for Provost Square Plaza outdoors, but brutal heat and looming storms made that impossible.
Everyone shifted indoors to the Nimbus Art Center. The venue may have changed, but the music lost none of its impact.
A Thoughtfully Curated Program
The evening didn’t just stop with Gál. The NJSO rounded out the program with pieces that riffed on the same themes.
Bartók’s folk-flavored string duets and new works by NJSO Resident Artistic Partner Allison Loggins-Hull dug into homesickness and cultural identity. Dvorák’s “Going Home” from the “New World Symphony” showed up too, a melody that’s become woven into the fabric of the Civil Rights Movement.
What really stood out? The musicians leaned into ensemble playing, putting the music’s emotional core above showy solos. That choice forged a real, almost unspoken connection with the audience.
NJSO’s Growing Presence in Jersey City
This thoughtful concert was part of the Symphony’s “After Hours” series. The goal? To introduce Jersey City residents to the orchestra as it gets ready to set up its new headquarters in the neighborhood.
The programming choices tackled complex political and historical issues through music. In doing so, the NJSO showed respect for its future home and a real commitment to meaningful artistic dialogue.
If you’re on the hunt for things to do in Jersey City, cultural events like these NJSO performances are a sign of the city’s growing arts scene. Each city district brings something different, though downtown stands out lately for its artistic venues.
Thinking about where to stay in Jersey City to catch these performances? You’ve got plenty of options. The area around the Nimbus Art Center, for example, has several Jersey City hotels within easy walking distance of cultural attractions.
Coming in from out of town? The public transportation system here actually makes it pretty convenient for both residents and visitors to get to these events.
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Here is the source article for this story: On a Hot Night, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Conjures Dreams of Home
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