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JERSEY CITY, N.J. |  (NJCU) Multi-Style Strings professor and seven-time GRAMMY nominee Dave Eggar will join legendary rock band Foreigner for 10 dates during an orchestral tour in March, 2026, as part of the celebration of the band’s 50th anniversary.

Eggar, who had served as an adjunct professor in NJCU's Multi-Style Strings B.A. and M.M. programs—the first of its kind in the country—will bring his virtuosic cello skills to Foreigner's orchestral performances, showcasing the innovative cross-genre approach that defines NJCU's pioneering program. He joined the NJCU faculty in Fall, 2020, and has taught continuously since.

The orchestral concerts feature a 20-piece orchestra playing spectacular arrangements written by Eggar and conductor Chuck Palmer. Eggar and Palmer were the featured guest artists at the 2025 NJCU Multi-Style Strings Symposium in July.

Martha Mooke, the co-chair of NJCU’s Caroline L. Guarini Department of Music, Dance, and Theatre and Director of Multi-Style Strings program — herself a 2024 GRAMMY Award honoree — said “Dave was one of the first adjuncts I brought in along with Regina Carter when I started the Multi-Style Strings program.  Besides his stature as a cello and piano prodigy, Dave is a musical shape shifter, teaching and inspiring the students at NJCU to explore beyond their comfort zones. The work he has done with the Multi-Style Strings program, along with his musical partner Chuck Palmer has been nothing short of mind blowing!”

A musical prodigy who began playing cello and piano at age three, Eggar performed on Broadway and with the Metropolitan Opera at age seven before making his Carnegie Hall debut at 15—making him the youngest winner in the history of the Artists International Competition. He holds degrees from Harvard University and completed the Juilliard School's Doctoral Program.

Eggar's extensive performance resume includes collaborations with diverse artists ranging from Coldplay, Beyoncé, and Pearl Jam to Josh Groban, The Who, and Bon Jovi. He has graced stages at Carnegie Hall, Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, Sydney Opera House, Hollywood Bowl, and Red Rocks, among others.

His numerous accolades include recognition from Time Magazine, ASCAP, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Sony Records Elevated Standards Award in classical music, as well as honors from the Geraldine Dodge and Leonard Bernstein Foundations.

NJCU's Multi-Style Strings program embraces all styles of music, technology, and improvisation with a mission to support creative exploration, empower artistic identity, and provide practical tools essential for 21st-century string players. As the first program of its kind in the country, it prepares students for the evolving landscape of professional music performance.

Foreigner's highly anticipated orchestral tour will kick off on March 6, 2026 in Las Vegas and conclude on March 22, 2026 in San Jose, California, bringing the band's classic rock anthems to life with full orchestral arrangements. The tour features a special Las Vegas residency with five performances at The Venetian Theatre (March 6, 7, 11, 13, and 14) before heading to the West Coast.

Following the Vegas dates, the tour will travel through California, stopping in Redding, California (Redding Civic Auditorium), Folsom (Harris Center – Stage One), San Diego (The Rady Shell), Napa, California (Uptown Theatre), and concluding in San Jose (San Jose Civic).

With 10 multi-platinum albums and 16 Top 30 hits, Foreigner is one of the most popular rock acts in the world. Responsible for some of rock and roll’s most enduring anthems including “Juke Box Hero,” “Cold As Ice,” “Hot Blooded,” “Waiting For A Girl Like You,” “Feels Like The First Time,” “Urgent,” “Head Games,” “Say You Will,” and the worldwide #1 hit and member of Spotify’s exclusive Billions Club, “I Want To Know What Love Is,” Rock & Roll Hall of Famers FOREIGNER still rock the charts almost 50 years into the game with massive airplay and continued Billboard “Top 200” album success. Streams of FOREIGNER’s hits are over 15 million per week. FOREIGNER is Luis Carlos Maldonado on lead vocals, noted Dokken bassist Jeff Pilson, Michael Bluestein on keyboards, guitarist Bruce Watson, and Chris Frazier on drums.

The Foreigner orchestral tour represents another milestone in Eggar's career-long mission to 'not just cross over, but to cross through' multiple genres of music, maintaining the highest standards of artistic excellence across classical, reggae, bluegrass, jazz, pop, and world music.

�鶹��Ժ NJCU: 
�鶹��Ժ is a comprehensive public regional institution committed to providing a high-quality education to a diverse student population. Located in Jersey City, �鶹��Ժ, NJCU offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs and is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for learning, professional development, and community engagement. Consistent with our mission, NJCU is recognized as a top university for improving upward economic social mobility, ensuring students enrolled in our undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral programs have access to an affordable, diverse environment, and an exceptionally supportive faculty. This prepares them to go on to become the next generation of workers and leaders who improve their communities and the State of �鶹��Ժ.

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Contact: 
Ira Thor, Associate Vice President for University Communications and Marketing | ithor@njcu.edu | 201-200-3301