Newton North High School cellist Hayden Ren will make debut as soloist.
The Boston Civic Symphony will present its annual Family Holiday Concert on Sunday, December 14 at the Boston Latin School Auditorium, once again performing with the Boston Latin School Concert Choir.
Led by Music Director Francisco Noya, the program will feature works by George Chadwick, Leroy Anderson, Russell Peck, and others. The event will also introduce cellist Hayden Ren, a student at Newton North High School and winner of the orchestra’s Concerto Competition, who will perform the first movement of Dvořák’s Cello Concerto with Associate Conductor Ken Yanagisawa.
Under the direction of Ryan Snyder, the Boston Latin School Concert Choir will join the orchestra for selections including the first movement of Vivaldi’s Gloria, John Rutter’s “The Very Best Time of Year,” and “When You Believe” from The Prince of Egypt, as well as the spirituals “Keep Your Lamps” and “Yonder Come Day.” The orchestra and choir will also lead the audience in a holiday sing-along before concluding the program with a joint performance of “Silent Night.” Reflecting on the concert’s blend of community and discovery, Noya said, “This concert is special to me because it blends discovery, tradition, and community in such a wonderful way. We open the world of the orchestra to new audiences, celebrate the promise of a young musician like Hayden Ren, and join our voices with our audience and the Boston Latin School Concert Choir. It truly captures the spirit of the season.”
Ren’s background includes first-prize awards in the New England Conservatory Prep Concerto Competition and the New England Philharmonic Young Artist Competition, and he has studied cello since age eight. Snyder, now in his twentieth year at Boston Latin School, leads a choral program that regularly collaborates with the Handel and Haydn Society and the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra. Yanagisawa, who serves as Associate Conductor of the Boston Civic Symphony and holds multiple conducting posts in the region, was named a 2025 Aspen Conducting Prize winner.
Founded in 1924, the Boston Civic Symphony continues its mission of uniting talented pre-professional musicians with classically trained amateur performers. Its roster includes emerging artists pursuing advanced musical study in Boston alongside long-standing members of the regional arts community.
The Family Holiday Concert will take place Sunday, December 14 at 3 p.m. at the Boston Latin School Auditorium, 78 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA. Tickets are free for Boston public school students.
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