Utah Symphony Presents Five Special Holiday Concerts For All Ages

The 2016 holiday season with the Utah Symphony will include both annual beloved traditions and rare events with special guest artists to please all ages. Whether it be a visit from Santa and a Rudolph sing-along with the orchestra or "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in concert; fantastic feats of strength and grace from the Cirque Musica acrobats or the beloved "Messiah Sing-In" when audience members join the Messiah Chorus and Utah Symphony musicians in Handel's beloved masterpiece, the 2016 holiday season with the Utah Symphony promises excitement and celebration for all audiences. Tickets for all holiday special events are available at www.utahsymphony.org or by calling (801) 355-2787.

NOV. 26/27 (SATURDAY & SUNDAY) - ANNUAL "MESSIAH SING-IN" PERFORMANCES FEATURE UTAH OPERA RESIDENT ARTISTS AND WESTMINSTER CHOIRS

The beloved annual "Messiah Sing-In" on and 27 at 7:30 PM at Abravanel Hall will launch the 2016 holiday season with the Utah Symphony. Eric Schmidt leads the Messiah Chorus-combined forces of Westminster Chamber Singers, Westminster Community Choir and members of the Utah Symphony Chorus-alongside the 2,000-voice Abravanel Hall audience in this traditional kick-off to the Salt Lake City holiday season. These concerts will also feature Utah Opera Resident Artists: soprano Abigail Rethwisch, mezzo-soprano Sarah Coit, tenor ChristIan Sanders and baritone Markel Reed. Tickets start at $14 and can be purchased at www.utahsymphony.org or by calling (801) 355-2787.

Of the glorious melodies that pour forth from the piece, composer George Frideric Handel said that the heavens seemed to open to him as he composed his beloved "Messiah." Handel's piece is an oratorio composed in 1741 with vocal and instrumental elements, utilizing scriptural texts from the "King James Bible" and the "Book of Common Prayer." While the structure of the concert resembles that of an opera, like all oratorios, it does not need theatrics, as the drama and beauty from its memorable melodies captures the revelatory emotions described in the text. Whether you bring your score from home or purchase a brand new one in the lobby, make sure to lend your voice to the largest choir in Salt Lake this holiday season.

DEC. 9/10 (FRIDAY & SATURDAY) - "CIRQUE MUSICA SPECTACULAR!" TAKES THE STAGE OF ABRAVANEL HALL TO THE TUNE OF HOLIDAY FAVORITES BY THE UTAH SYMPHONY

On December 9 at 7:30 PM and December 10 at 11 AM and 7:30 PM at Abravanel Hall, Utah Symphony will be joined by the cast of Cirque Musica with guest conductor Bob Bernhardt to perform entertaining acrobatics and dramatic feats of strength and grace to the tune of holiday favorites including classics from "O Holy Night" to "The Polar Express" and "Winter Wonderland." Tickets start at $31 and can be purchased at www.utahsymphony.org or by calling (801) 355-2787.

The visiting performers of Cirque Musica in this holiday spectacular have been prepared by Choreographer Antoinette Di Pietropolo. The cast of Cirque Musica will include: Ivan Arestov, Carole Demers, Roilan Hernandez, Ruslan Khusinov, Andrei Saladonau, Anatolie Sandu, Cristin Sandu, Svetlana Senchihina, Tatyana Senchihina, Jon Weiss, Nicole Weiss, Ashley Winn and their featured "flying" violinist Veronica Gan.

DEC. 17 (SATURDAY) - "HERE COMES Santa Claus!" ANNUAL FAMILY EVENT CONDUCTED BY ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR REI HOTODA RETURNS TO ABRAVANEL HALL

The family favorite "Here Comes Santa Claus!" will follow on December 17 at 11 AM and 12:30 PM featuring beloved holiday songs, a joyful sing-along and a special visit from Santa himself. This beloved tradition is in its 17th year at Abravanel Hall. Associate Conductor Rei Hotoda will deck the halls during the family-friendly, 45-minute long concerts. Bring the entire family and enjoy holiday classics such as "Carol of The Bells," "White Christmas" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Prior to both concerts on December 17, there will be children's craft activities provided by the USUO Education Department. Santa Claus will also make his appearance in the lobby prior to each concert. Tickets start at only $9 and can be purchased at www.utahsymphony.org or by calling (801) 355-2787.

DEC. 21 (WEDNESDAY) - MULTI-PLATINUM IRISH SINGING SENSATION "CELTIC WOMAN" JOINS UTAH SYMPHONY FOR SPECIAL "HOME FOR CHRISTMAS" CONCERT

On December 21 at 7:30 PM at Abravanel Hall under the baton of guest conductor Lloyd Butler, the Utah Symphony will be joined by the Irish sensation Celtic Woman for a special holiday performance, featuring music from the all-female music ensemble's second Christmas album, "Home For Christmas," including holiday favorites "Silent Night" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas." The ensemble of classically and traditionally trained Irish musicians includes Susan McFadden, Máiréad Carlin, Éahbha McMahon, and Tara McNeill. Tickets start at $53 and can be purchased at www.utahsymphony.org or by calling (801) 355-2787.

The group has been featured in numerous PBS specials and has released 12 albums to date: "Celtic Woman," "A Christmas Celebration," "A New Journey," "The Greatest Journey," "Songs from the Heart," "Lullaby," "Believe," "Home for Christmas," "Emerald Musical Gems," "Solo," "Decade," and "Destiny." Celtic Woman has undertaken a number of world tours, largely across the U.S. and Europe, and has also toured Australia, China, Japan, South Africa, among many other places. They have played for three different U.S. Presidents (Clinton, Bush & Obama), as well as a special performance at the Pentagon in Washington. Cumulatively, Celtic Woman has sold over 10 million albums and DVDs worldwide, and they have been at the top of the Billboard charts for world music several times.

DEC. 23/24 (FRIDAY & SATURDAY) & JAN. 3 (TUESDAY) - "HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE" SCREENING WITH LIVE SCORE BY THE UTAH SYMPHONY

Relive the magic of the film "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in high-definition on a giant screen while the orchestra performs John Williams' unforgettable score. Concerts will take place at Abravanel Hall on December 23 at 7:00 PM, December 24 at 12 PM (both are sold out) as well as the special additional concert due to high demand on January 3 at 6:30 PM. Tickets start at $45 and can be purchased at www.utahsymphony.org or by calling (801) 355-2787.

One of the most popular and successful American orchestral composers of the modern age, John Williams is the winner of 5 Academy Awards, 17 Grammys, 3 Golden Globes, 2 Emmys and 5 BAFTA Awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Best known for his film scores and ceremonial music, Williams is also a noted composer of concert works and a renowned conductor. Williams' scores for such films as "Jaws," "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial," "Schindler's List," as well as the "Indiana Jones" series, have won him multiple awards and produced best-selling recordings, and his scores for the original "Star Wars" trilogy transformed the landscape of Hollywood film music and became icons of American culture.

RELATED EVENTS
The Utah Symphony will also present two of these special holiday performances at the Browning Fine Arts Center in Ogden: "Cirque Musica Spectacular!" on December 8 at 7:30 PM, and "Here Comes Santa Claus!" on Saturday, December 13 at 2:30 PM. Tickets available at www.symphonyballet.org.