SCERA Welcomes Grammy Nominated Tenor Mark Masri 12/18-19

Classical and crossover tenor Mark Masri will share his jaw-dropping vocal range and his theatrical musical style at a Dec. 18-19 holiday concert entitled "Christmas Is...An Evening with Mark Masri" to benefit SCERA's charitable Endowment for the Arts.

"We brought Mark in for a concert with Laura Osnes during our 2016 summer season at SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre, and our audience was wildly enthusiastic about him," says Adam J. Robertson, SCERA's President and CEO. "Our staff have all become superfans and own almost all of his music, so we were in 100% agreement to bring him back, this time for a concert filled with holiday favorites, sacred pieces and some of his Christmas originals," Robertson adds.

The concerts will begin at 7 p.m. in the intimate 450-seat Showhouse at SCERA Center for the Arts, 745 South State, Orem, with reserved seating tickets at $20 each for patrons three and older. Additionally, SCERA is offering a limited-seating pre-show meet and greet and dinner from Landmark Catering @ 6:00pm prior to the concert for $15 per person. Tickets and dinner reservations are available at www.scera.org, by calling 801-225-ARTS, or at the main office at SCERA Center.

The singer/songwriter was a would-be medical doctor who left his medical studies to pursue music, his first and lifelong love. "Music is kind of like medicine," he has said. "It heals the body and soothes the soul."

A Canadian native, Masri began singing as a nine-year-old in his minister father's small church in Nova Scotia. When the family moved to Ontario when he turned 12, he sang in local churches and gave piano recitals. He was classically trained, and music has always been an integral part of his life.

Later he became a music producer, and after working in that position for a Canadian television network, he decided to work on his own music full-time. Masri released his first album in 2000. Self-titled "Mark Masri," it is the first of several new albums in subsequent years, including two Christmas CDs, from which he will pull his concert repertoire. He enjoys collaborations, including well-received duos with Olivia Newton-John, Jon Secada, and has shared the stage and recording studio with local favorites Gentri and Jenny Oaks Baker. He became the favorite guest vocalist of pianist and composer Jim Brickman, and was an integral part of Brickman's tours. Their original song "Christmas Is," has become one of Masri's signature hits, a fan favorite, and the title of his newest holiday album.

Nominated for both a Grammy and Juno Awards, he has received many GMA Canada Covenant Awards including pop album of the year, contemporary gospel song of the year, pop song of the year, traditional song of the year, traditional album of the year and inspirational song of the year.

Masri's concerts have taken him around the world, and he has sung a collection of classical songs in six languages. His style is diverse and ranges from theatrical pop and haunting soul to adult contemporary and gospel. He had headlined his own North American tour, performed with the Vivaldi Orchestra in Moscow, and was invited to be part of David Foster's PBS Special "The Hitman Returns."

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