Santa Barbara Symphony Continues Beloved Tradition of NEW YEAR'S EVE POPS

The Santa Barbara Symphony continues its beloved tradition of New Year's Eve Pops, this year with Dancing in the Streets: The Music of Motown and More, a symphonic tribute to Motown, on Monday, December 31st from 8:30 -10:30 pm, at the historic Granada Theatre.

Bob Bernhardt returns as guest conductor for this festive New Year's Eve tradition. This year the musical celebration also features the soulful vocals of three talented artists, American Idol finalist Michael Lynche; Broadway veteran Chester Gregory, who has starred on Broadway as Berry Gordy in Motown the Musical, and toured nationally with Dreamgirls and Sister Act; and New York City-based vocalist and songwriter Shayna Steele. Alongside the Santa Barbara Symphony, these talented vocalists will perform authentic arrangements and popular favorites including Dancing in the Street, Let's Groove Tonight and Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours, channeling all the great Motown artists like Marvin Gaye, Earth, Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder and more!

Guest pops conductor Bob Bernhardt is the principal pops conductor of the Grand Rapids Symphony, the Louisville Orchestra as well as the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, where he was music director for 19 seasons. For more than 25 seasons now, Bernhardt has served as a frequent guest of the Boston Pops, which he first conducted at the invitation of John Williams. He also has been a regular guest conductor of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony, the Detroit Symphony, the Cincinnati Pops, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Dallas Symphony, the Houston Symphony, the Seattle Symphony, the Grand Rapids Symphony and the Las Vegas Philharmonic.

Get your groove on and ring in the New Year with the Santa Barbara Symphony's New Year's Eve Pops, guaranteed to get you "Dancing in the Street!" For tickets click here or call the Granada Box Office at (805) 899-2222. To learn more about the Santa Barbara Symphony or its programming, visit www.thesymphony.org/.
About The Santa Barbara Symphony

The Santa Barbara Symphony, founded in 1953 on the belief that a special city deserves a special orchestra. Consistently lauded for its unique ability to present brilliant concerts, engage the community, and deliver dynamic music education programs, the organization prizes both innovation and artistic excellence, and is widely recognized as one of the region's premier cultural institutions. Its award-winning Music Education Center serves more than 10,000 students throughout Santa Barbara County each year. Charismatic Israeli conductor Nir Kabaretti was appointed music director of the Santa Barbara Symphony in 2006.