Fans of classical music will have an opportunity to hear the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra once again as it streams new performances during the pandemic.

Members of the orchestra recorded their parts remotely in the finale of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. The production launches the symphony’s series of virtual performances. It was forced to cancel in-person shows through June because of the pandemic.

“I think we are back in the mode of creating, which is what I live for,” says conductor Xian Zhang.

Zhang says that music is what people need right now – both for musicians and audiences alike.

“Since we just stopped, I almost lost a sense of what I should be doing now,” Zhang says. “It was a moment of being totally lost in a way.”

Last week, members of the Newark-based nonprofit orchestra reunited on the stage of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center to videotape performances without an audience present. Six newly recorded concerts will be streamed free of charge over the coming months.

The orchestra's virtual performance of Beethoven began streaming Thursday evening and is available on demand.