Chris Jamison, Finalist on 'The Voice', Makes First Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Appearance, 12/11

The holiday season brings family, fun, togetherness and music! Experience all of that and more at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's annual holiday celebration, Highmark Holiday Pops, on December 11-13 and December 19 and 20 at Heinz Hall.

Former Pittsburgh Symphony Resident Conductor Daniel Meyer returns to lead the orchestra and a sleigh full of guest artists in favorite carols, cherished holiday tunes, seasonal orchestral pieces and a Christmas carol sing-along. This year, several new faces take the stage for this most festive night of the year. Chris Jamison, a Pittsburgh native and singer-songwriter who is best known for finishing third on NBC's "The Voice," will join the orchestra to perform "Georgia on My Mind," a song he sang on the "The Voice," "This Christmas" and, as a special treat, an original song he wrote just for this concert!

Other guests during this holiday extravaganza include returning favorite Christopher Sanders, the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, dancers from Attack Theatre and the Three Rivers Ringers handbell choir, making its first appearance with the Pittsburgh Symphony.

Audiences also can enjoy Heinz Hall decorated beautifully for the holidays, complete with a 25-foot tree in the Grand Lobby!

A night of holiday music for the whole family, tickets to the Highmark Holiday Pops begin at only $24. Performances are Friday, December 11 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, December 12 at 2:30 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, December 13 at 2:30 p.m.; Saturday, December 19 at 2:30 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, December 20 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now and are available at the Heinz Hall box office, online atpittsburghsymphony.org/holidaypops or by phone at 412-392-4900.

The Pittsburgh Symphony would like to recognize and thank Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield for its 2015 title sponsorship of Highmark Holiday Pops. Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel of the Pittsburgh Symphony.

About the Artists

As music director of the Asheville Symphony and Erie Philharmonic, conductor DANIEL MEYER has reinvigorated both orchestras with his innovative programs, engaging presence and keen musical intellect.

He began the 2015-2016 season leading concerts with the Indianapolis Symphony and opened his season in Erie with a newly commissioned work for Cello and Orchestra by Michael Daugherty. He returns to Germany for concerts with the Wuettembergische Philharmonie, followed by concerts with the Tonkuenstler Orchestra in Vienna in a program of Golijov, Pleyel, and Schumann's Symphony No. 2. In the spring, Meyer returns to Vienna and to the Wiener Jeunesse Orchestra to lead performances at the Konzerthaus of Bernstein, Brahms and Elgar.

Meyer's eclectic and groundbreaking programs in both Asheville and Erie include works this season by Richard Danielpour, Jennifer Higdon, and John Adams in and amongst the masterworks of Beethoven and Brahms, Dvorak and Schumann; the Metamorphoses of both Strauss and Hindemith; and great vocal works including the Mozart and Verdi Requiems, Beethoven's Mass in C, and a Gala concert performance of Loewe's My Fair Lady. In Asheville last season, Meyer curated and led the inaugural Amadeus Festival, a sold out week of film, lectures, community events and concerts featuring Emmanuel Ax - an extension of his longtime dedication to music education and community involvement.

In recent seasons, Meyer has frequently conducted the Rochester Philharmonic and the Pittsburgh Symphony, as well as guest engagements with the Columbus, Phoenix, Eugene, Alabama and Knoxville Symphonies. At the Asheville Lyric Opera, he led a double bill of Puccini's Suor Angelica and Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci, Mozart's The Magic Flute and Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel. His critically acclaimed European debut took place with the Staatstheater Stuttgart Orchestra and violinist Thomas Zehetmaier, and he returned to Germany soon after for concerts with the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen.

Meyer has led the symphony orchestras of Utah, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Syracuse, Tallahassee, Youngstown, Lexington, Portland, Santa Barbara, Lansing and Wheeling. Summer festival appearances have included the Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom, the Aspen and Grand Teton Music Festivals, the Chautauqua Festival and the Brevard Music Center.

In 2003, Mariss Jansons invited Meyer to become resident conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony and music director of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony, where he served until 2009. He worked closely with Manfred Honeck, Mariss Jansons, Sir Andrew Davis and Charles Dutoit. He led the Pittsburgh Symphony on tour; conducted performances with Pinchas Zukerman, Sarah Chang and Marvin Hamlisch, among other notable soloists; and conducted the world premiere of Richard Danielpour's Pastime, a co-commission of the Pittsburgh and Atlanta Symphonies and the Brooklyn Philharmonic.

As music director of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony, Meyer led the PYSO on their first-ever tour to China and an international tour to Vienna, Prague, Leipzig and Budapest in programs including the world premieres of David Stock's Clarinet Concerto with soloist Richard Stoltzman, and John Harbison's Mary Lou: Four Symphonic Memories of Mary Lou Williams.

A native of Cleveland, Meyer studied conducting at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, and is a graduate of Denison University and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He composed and conducted works for ensembles at both schools, including a Stabat Mater for soprano, chorus and orchestra. At Boston University, Meyer received the Orchestral Conducting Honors Award and at Aspen was awarded the prestigious Conducting Prize from David Zinman.

Some people are just born to sing. It's as if their paths were pre-written, and it was only a matter of time until they wholeheartedly embraced that inherent gift. Singer and songwriter CHRIS JAMISON began honing his talent relatively early - in middle school to be exact. Growing up a triplet in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, he immersed himself in musical theater, performing as part of various groups and learning all of the Broadway standards inside and out. While attending Capital University in Ohio, he split his time between studying and marathon acoustic gigs at local restaurants and bars, drawing on influences ranging from Jason Mraz to Justin Timberlake. Despite "playing it safe" and pursuing a business degree, Jamison jumped at the opportunity to audition for the seventh season of NBC's The Voice, leaving college in the rearview. With Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine as his coach, he eventually finished third. His debut single "Velvet" impressively moved more than 77,000 digital downloads during its first-week of release as he eventually racked up more than 400,000 sales, making him "one of the best-selling artists in the show's history." Shortly after the show's conclusion, Republic Records signed Jamison. His signature sound immediately enchants. Merging a pop palatability, blue-eyed soul and an inimitable energy, he brings each song to life with swagger and style. His debut single for the label impacted this summer with more music on the horizon, and listeners will get to know him like never before.

Under the artistic direction of Peter Kope and Michele de la Reza, ATTACK THEATRE, now celebrating its 21st season, combines contemporary dance, live music and multimedia to create "wickedly entertaining stage productions" (Pittsburgh City Paper). Attack Theatre has performed and toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe and Asia including for the Avignon Festival, the 7th Next Wave Dance Festival/Japan, Indonesia Arts Festival, Monaco Danses Forum, the Spoleto Festival and the Broadway production of Squonk. A sought after collaborator, Attack Theatre has worked extensively with theater companies, in museums, performed in more than operas (including Carmen, Rigoletto, Eugene Onegin, Aida, Dead Man Walking and Samson and Dalila), and danced with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on numerous productions including a reimagining of Stravinsky's L'Histoire du Soldat with Pinchas Zuckerman. Known for their "audacious athleticism," (Dance Magazine), Attack Theatre has received "Best Dance Performance" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) and "Best Dance Company" (Pittsburgh City Paper) for multiple years, and the prestigious National Dance Project Touring Award (NEFA). In addition to their performance and touring schedule, Attack Theatre conducts extensive arts education residencies throughout the region for 9,000 students and teachers annually through master classes, residencies, in-school performances and workshops for teachers.

THREE RIVERS RINGERS (TRR) is Pittsburgh's premier handbell ensemble, founded in 2010 by five handbell musicians with the goal of achieving musical excellence, performing challenging repertoire and pushing the boundaries of the handbell art form. Composed of 19 accomplished handbell musicians, Three Rivers Ringers is a year-round community-based ensemble and holds biannual auditions.

Among its notable performances, Three Rivers Ringers performed at the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 2012 in front of 4,000 attendees, gave a concert for the American Guild of Organists' regional convention in 2015 and has even appeared in Love the Coopers, a major motion picture released in November 2015. Under the direction of Nancy R. Lutz, Three Rivers Ringers has become a growing fixture in the arts scene in Western Pennsylvania, giving 10 to 15 performances each year in winter and spring concert series throughout the region in addition to private bookings. The ensemble is recognized not only for holiday music during the winter, but for a variety of other programming, with past concert series featuring American composers, the music of dance, classical favorites, and sacred music. Three Rivers Ringers gave 14 concerts during the 2014-2015 season, and is honored to be a guest artist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for the Highmark Holiday Pops in December 2015.

As part of its educational mission, Three Rivers Ringers organizes and runs the Western Pennsylvania Handbell Festival (WPA), an annual educational event for beginning and intermediate level handbell ensembles with massed ringing, classes, and workshops with nationally recognized clinicians. Nancy Lutz is also a founding director of the WPA Handbell Festival, now in its 16th year. In addition to her work directing Three Rivers Ringers, Lutz served on the Board of Directors of the Handbell Musicians of America (the national guild) from 1999 to 2012. After retiring as appointed secretary, Lutz was presented with the first President's Award for her years of service.

The ensemble released its first commercial recording, Ringing in the Season, in December 2014, completely selling out the first print run. In July 2015, Three Rivers Ringers was commissioned to record its second CD, Jubilate, featuring the handbell compositions of Stanley Leonard, retired principal timpanist of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Three Rivers Ringers performs with a 6.5-octave set of Schulmerich handbells, a 5-octave set of Schulmerich handchimes, a 1-octave set of Malmark bass chimes and a 2-octave set of Schulmerich Silver Melody Bells.

An award winning actor and singer, CHRISTOPHER SANDERS has performed in venues around the world. Throughout his career, he has had the pleasure of performing with George Hearn, Eddie Mekka, Roddy McDowell, Carol Lawrence, John Raitt, Debbie Boone, Steve Kazee and Rosemary Clooney. Most recently he received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls and Emile deBecque in South Pacific. Additional theatrical credits include Javert (Les Miserables), Fred/Petruchio(Kiss Me Kate), Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde (Jekyll and Hyde), The Beast (Disney'sBeauty and the Beast), Don Quixote (Man of La Mancha), Chauvelin (The Scarlet Pimpernel), Juan Peron (Evita), title role Kopit and Yeston's (Phantom), Henry Higgins (My Fair Lady) and Cinderella's Prince/Wolf (Into The Woods). His concert work includes engagements with the Knoxville Symphony, Bangor Symphony, Pasadena Pops and The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber at the National Theatre and Concert Hall Taiwan. Sanders tours the country as the baritone for the legendary 1940's singing group - The Pied Pipers. In 2001, they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame along with the Bee Gees and The Lettermen.

Hailed as one of the finest choruses in the country, the MENDELSSOHN CHOIR OF PITTSBURGH (MCP) is proud of its long artistic partnership with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and looks forward to another exciting season at Heinz Hall. Primarily a volunteer chorus, the Mendelssohn Choir is composed of more than 100 singers whose passion and commitment enables them to perform alongside the world's greatest musicians. In addition to its performances with the PSO, the Mendelssohn Choir produces its own concerts in the community and operates the Junior Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, the region's premier young adult chorus. The Mendelssohn Choir began its 2015-2016 season with an all-Duruflé concert on October 11 at East Liberty Presbyterian Church, and bid farewell to Betsy Burleigh, MCP's much beloved music director. Burleigh is universally acknowledged for building upon the legacy left by Music Director Emeritus Robert Page, and taking MCP to new levels of excellence during her 10-year tenure with the Choir. Under her direction, MCP has earned high praise for its mastery of the great choral classics. The Mendelssohn Choir is engaged currently in the search for its next music director, who will be its seventh in its 108-year-old history. For the remainder of the season, Maria Sensi Sellner will be acting music director and will prepare the Choir for its forthcoming performances with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

As the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's "chorus of choice," the Mendelssohn Choir has performed with some of the world's foremost conductors including Lorin Maazel, Mariss Jansons, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Michael Tilson Thomas, Claudio Abbado, Mstislav Rostropovich, Leonard Slatkin, Charles Dutoit, André Previn, Sir Neville Marriner, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Helmuth Rilling, Ingo Metzmacher, Richard Hickox, Zdenek Mácal and Manfred Honeck. Performances of the Choir with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra are heard locally over WQED-FM (89.3) and distributed nationally by PRI. Committed to fostering the choral art form, the Mendelssohn Choir has numerous recordings, commissions and premieres to its credit, including works by Ned Rorem, Nancy Galbraith and Derek Bermel. The Choir's most recent recording released in fall 2011 is Mahler's Symphony No. 3 with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Children's Festival Chorus of Pittsburgh with Manfred Honeck conducting.

The PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, known for its artistic excellence for more than 120 years, is credited with a rich history of the world's finest conductors and musicians, and a strong commitment to the Pittsburgh region and its citizens. Past music directors have included Fritz Reiner (1938-1948), William Steinberg (1952-1976), Andre Previn (1976-1984), Lorin Maazel (1984-1996) and Mariss Jansons (1995-2004). This tradition of outstanding international music directors was furthered in fall 2008, when Austrian conductor Manfred Honeck became music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony. The orchestra has been at the forefront of championing new American works, and gave the first performance of Leonard Bernstein's Symphony No. 1 "Jeremiah" in 1944 and John Adams' Short Ride in a Fast Machine in 1986. The Pittsburgh Symphony has a long and illustrious history in the areas of recordings and radio concerts. As early as 1936, the Pittsburgh Symphony broadcast on the airwaves coast-to-coast and in the late 1970s it made the ground breaking PBS series "Previn and the Pittsburgh." The orchestra has received increased national attention since 1982 through network radio broadcasts on Public Radio International, produced by Classical WQED-FM 89.3, made possible by the musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. With a long and distinguished history of touring both domestically and overseas since 1900 - including 36 international tours to Europe, the Far East and South America - the Pittsburgh Symphony continues to be critically acclaimed as one of the world's greatest orchestras.

HEINZ HALL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS is owned and operated by Pittsburgh Symphony, Inc., a non-profit organization, and is the year-round home of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The cornerstone of Pittsburgh's Cultural District, Heinz Hall also hosts many other events that do not feature its world-renowned orchestra, including Broadway shows, comedians, speakers and much more. For a full calendar of upcoming non-symphony events at the hall, visit heinzhall.org

Editors please note:

Friday, December 11, 8 p.m.

Saturday, December 12, 2:30 and 8 p.m.

Sunday, December 13, 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, December 19, 2:30 and 8 p.m.

Sunday, December 20, 2:30 p.m.

Heinz Hall

PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

HIGHMARK HOLIDAY POPS

DANIEL MEYER, conductor

CHRIS JAMISON, vocalist

ATTACK THEATRE, dancers (Peter Kope and Michele de la Reza, choreography)

MENDELSSOHN CHOIR OF PITTSBURGH (Maria Sensi Sellner, director)

THREE RIVERS RINGERS (Nancy Lutz, director)

HAROLD SMOLIAR, piano

ANDREW REAMER, drums

JEFFREY GRUBBS, bass

CHRISTOPHER SANDERS, vocalist

Eddie Pola & George Wyle (arr. Hayes) It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh

Leroy Anderson A Christmas Festival

Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Selections from The Nutcracker

Entrance of the Children and March

Trepak

Lucas Richman "Reindeer Variations" from A Christmas Wish

Attack Theatre

Leroy Anderson Sleigh Ride

Johnny Marks (arr. Richman) When Santa Claus Gets Your Letter

Glen Ballard & Alan Silvestri (arr. Brubaker) Suite from The Polar Express

Hoagy Carmichael & Stugy Gorrell Georgia on My Mind

Mr. Jamison

Mr. Smoliar, Mr. Reamer & Mr. Grubbs

Donny Hathaway (arr. Fennell) This Christmas

Mr. Jamison

George Frideric Handel (orch. Mozart) "Hallelujah Chorus" from Messiah

Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh

Traditional (arr. Wilberg) I Saw Three Ships

Three Rivers Ringers

Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh

Traditional The First Noel

Three Rivers Ringers

Mykola Leontovich (arr. Bradford) Carol of the Bells

Three Rivers Ringers

Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh

Lucas Richman (adapt. Greaves) Hanukkah Festival Overture

Ralph Vaughan Williams Fantasia on Greensleeves

Attack Theatre

Morten Lauridsen O Magnum Mysterium

Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh

Chris Jamison TBD original song

Mr. Jamison

Traditional (arr. Richman) Christmas Sing-Along

Joy to the World

O Come, All Ye Faithful

Deck the Hall

Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh

Franz Gruber (arr. Harris) Silent Night

Mr. Jamison

Traditional (arr. Harris) We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Mr. Jamison

Three Rivers Ringers

Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh