South Florida Symphony Orchestra Celebrates The Joy Of The Season With Handel's MESSIAH And HOLIDAY POPS

South Florida Symphony Orchestra (SFSO) will light up the stage with the return of its popular holiday program  with performances of Handel's glorious Messiah, and timeless uplifting Holiday Pops on December 2, at 7:30 p.m., at The Parker in Fort Lauderdale and on December 3, at 4 p.m., at Barry University in Miami. Sebrina María Alfonso, music director, will conduct the performances featuring soloists Katherine Henly (soprano), Lisa Marie Rogali (mezzo-soprano), Chauncey Packer (tenor) and Neil Nelson (bass baritone), and the South Florida Symphony Chorus.

Jonathan Kandell of Smithsonian magazine writes, “A musical rite of the holiday season, the Baroque-era oratorio still awes listeners 250 years after the composer's death.” In 1789, Mozart posthumously paid Handel the supreme compliment of reorchestrating Messiah but even Mozart confessed himself to be humble in the face of Handel's genius describing his orchestrations: "When he chooses, he strikes like a thunderbolt." In 1823, Beethoven proclaimed Handel to be the ‘greatest' composer that ever lived.

“South Florida Symphony Orchestra is elated to usher in the holiday season with our world class musicians performing Handel's majestic and inspirational Messiah!,” said Jacqueline Lorber, president and CEO of South Florida Symphony Orchestra. “With dazzling special guest vocalists and Dr. Giselle Elgarresta Rios leading the South Florida Symphony Chorus, this holiday celebration is more than just a concert; it's a warm and inviting tradition that unites our community in the spirit of the season for people of all ages to treasure.”

SFSO's 2023 holiday program will open with a selection of time-honored Holiday Pops festive favorites including selections from The Polar Express, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Bocelli's The Prayer, plus audience sing-alongs. SFSO will then launch into Part I of Handel's Messiah. The performance culminates with the iconic “Hallelujah” chorus as sung by the South Florida Symphony Chorus, made-up of seasoned chorale singers and community talent, directed by Dr. Giselle Elgarresta Rios. Rios and Maestra Alfonso collaborated to create the South Florida Symphony Chorus in 2019, which made its debut at the Beethoven 250th celebration in February of 2020.

Upcoming concerts include masterworks from Brahms, Bernstein, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky and more, plus Symphony premieres by trailblazing female composers Florence Price, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich and Jessie Montgomery. SFSO will also host a 200th anniversary celebration of Beethoven's magnificent Symphony No. 9 on March 3 at Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Additional popular music performances including Maestra Alfonso conducting SFSO in a live performance of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone In Concert on April 5 and 6 and Classical Mystery Tour: A Symphonic Tribute to The Beatles on May 11, both at Broward Center for the Performing Arts (separately ticketed events).

Tickets for Handel's Messiah start at $15 for the December 2 concert at The Parker (707 NE 8th St, Fort Lauderdale) and can be purchased online at https://southfloridasymphony.org/handels-messiah or via the Broward Center for the Performing Arts Box Office at (954) 462-0222.

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