California Symphony presents First Annual Holiday Pops Spectacular

Contra Costa County's only professional orchestra, California Symphony, presents its first annual Holiday Pops Spectacular, featuring soprano Tina Lloyd Meals and Voices of Musica Sacra Chorus. Pops conductor Michael Berkowitz will helm this yuletide performance, featuring classics such as Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies and Sleigh Ride, and modern favorites including All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth and Jingle Bell Rock. Interspersed with sing-along medleys, this debut performance is designed to bring the whole family together for a holiday evening of fun. The Holiday Pops Spectacular will take place 7:30 pm Thursday, December 22, 2011 at the Lesher Center for the Arts (1601 Civic Center Drive, Walnut Creek). Tickets ($15-$55) can be purchased by calling the Lesher Center ticket office at 925-943-7469 or by visiting www.californiasymphony.org.

Michael Berkowitz, CONDUCTOR
Michael Berkowitz, called a "Drummer Conductor Extraordinaire" by the great composer-conductor Johnny Green, brings his professional experience and personal charisma to the stage in California Symphony's Holiday Pops Spectacular. He has made conducting appearances with the Boston Pops, London Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, Pittsburgh Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, and National Symphony Orchestras. He also conducted the orchestra for Liza Minnelli's Tony Award-winning Broadway production, Liza's at the Palace, and is currently the Principal Pops Conductor of the Santa Rosa Symphony. His many credits also include performances as a drummer for Henry Mancini, Liza Minnelli, Michael Crawford, Billy Joel, Sting, Elton John, and Bette Midler; conducting for Marvin Hamlisch, Roberta Flack, Maureen McGovern, Michael Feinstein, and Sarah Brightman.

FEATURED PERFORMERS
Soprano Tina Lloyd Meals has performed extensively in the San Francisco Bay Area, appearing with the San Francisco Opera Chorus, Pocket Opera, North Bay Lyric Opera, and Sonoma City Opera. Her roles include "Pamina" in The Magic Flute, "Countess" in The Marriage of Figaro, "Fiordiligi" in Cosi Fan Tutte, "The Witch" in Into the Woods, "Sister Robert Anne" in Nunsense, and "Micaela" in Carmen. A lively and engaging entertainer, she has also performed and recorded in performances at Yosemite's Ahwahnee Hotel for the Bracebridge Dinners.

Voices of Musica Sacra, under the direction of John Kendall Bailey, has been performing nationally and internationally since 1993, including concert tours to Germany, Austria, Italy, England, and Ireland. Since its first CD recording of Christmas repertoire in 1998, Voices of Musica Sacra has performed Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, John Rutter's Magnificat and Gloria, Vivaldi's Gloria, Fauré's Requiem, Handel's Messiah, Duruflé's Requiem, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, Orff's Carmina Burana, Stainer's The Crucifixion, Pergolesi's Magnificat, and many other well known choral works. In the summer of 2000, Voices of Musica Sacra took part in the premiere performance of The Golden Land: A California Cantata, a choral cantata composed by Lee Holdridge, and performed with the California Symphony under the direction of Maestro Barry Jekowsky. The choir has also been the guest of the Contra Costa Performing Arts Society, and of the Diablo Symphony Orchestra. In 2002, Voices of Musica Sacra participated in the world-wide "Rolling Requiem," singing Mozart's Requiem, in honor of those who perished in the 9/11 tragedy.

MUSICAL SELECTIONS
The evening's program will open with a medley of Anderson's classic carols, including Joy to the World; God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen; Silent Night; Hark the Herald Angels Sing; and O Come All Ye Faithful. It will continue with Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy/Waltz of the Flowers, March of the Toys from "Babes in Toyland," and Shubert's majestic Ave Maria. Audiences will have the opportunity to participate in the festivities with a Christmas pop sing-along, featuring well-known tunes Let it Snow, Let it Snow; Jingle Bell Rock; I'll be Home for Christmas; All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth; and The Christmas Song. California Symphony will round out this night of merriment with a sampling from holiday tradition, including O Holy Night, White Christmas, and Sleigh Ride.

California Symphony's 25th anniversary season continues Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 4pm with a concert helmed by guest conductor Robert Moody and featuring exciting young cellist Joshua Roman. The program will include Copland's Fanfare for The Common Man, Elgar's Cello Concerto, and Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2. The season continues with concerts March 4 and May 4-6. All concerts will be held at The Lesher Center for the Arts at 1601 Civic Center Drive, Walnut Creek. Single tickets ($20 Student to $69) are on sale now. For additional information call California Symphony at 925-280-2490 or visit www.californiasymphony.org.