Celebrate the holiday season with your RPO

For Immediate Release: October 30, 2013
Media Contacts:   Sally Cohen, 585-749-1795, sally@sallycohenpr.com
RPO Info:  rpo.org, facebook.com/RochesterPhilharmonic, twitter.com/RochesterPhil, rochesterphilharmonic.blogspot.com

Rochester, NY – The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) kicks off Rochester’s holiday season with The Nutcracker, featuring the Rochester City Ballet (Jamey Leverett, artistic director), the Bach Children’s Chorus (Karla Krogstad, director), and 175 local children on Friday, November 28 at 2 p.m.  Five additional performances are: Friday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 29 at 2 & 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 30 at 2 & 7 p.m. RPO Principal Conductor for Education and Community Engagement Michael Butterman (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair) conducts Rochester’s only full-length, live-music performance of this magical holiday favorite in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, with sponsorship by Caldwell Manufacturing. Tickets start at $19/$12 for children 12 and under.

Then, for one night only, the RPO and the Rochester Oratorio Society (Eric Townell, director) present Handel’s Messiah on Saturday, December 13 at 7:30 p.m. in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Guest artists for this glorious masterwork include soprano Ilana Davidson, mezzo soprano Kirsten Sollek, tenor Lawrence Wiliford, baritone Zachary Coates and conductor James Feddeck. Tickets start at $24.

On Sunday, December 14 at 2 and 4:30 p.m. at the Performance Hall at Hochstein, a special holiday OrKIDStra with guest conductor Matthew Kraemer features the acclaimed 1982 animated short film, The Snowman (based on the Raymond Briggs classic) on the big screen. Live orchestral accompaniment of Howard Blake’s score includes the Amadeus Choral children’s choir (Amy Cochrane, director).  Also on the program: Albert Hague’s musical telling of Dr. Seuss’s beloved story, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, with baritone Steven Stull. Tickets are $15/$10 for children 12 and under.

Now in its 21st year, the RPO Gala Holiday Pops is Rochester’s most popular holiday musical tradition. Maestro Michael Butterman makes his Holiday Pops debut with four performances in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre:  Friday, December 19 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, December 20 at 2 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, December 21 at 2 p.m.  The Festival High School Chorale (Amy Story and Harold McAuliffe, co-directors) returns with special guest, soprano Sarah Jane McMahon (sarahjanemcmahon.com). This year’s Gala Holiday Pops is sponsored by KPMG LLP and First Niagara.

Except where noted, tickets for all of the above concerts start  at $23, and may be purchased in person at the Eastman Theatre Box Office (433 East Main Street) and at all Wegmans That’s T.H.E. Ticket! locations, by phone at (585) 454-2100, or online at rpo.org. The 2014/15 season is presented by Dawn & Jacques Lipson; the Pops series is presented by Canandaigua National Bank & Trust and Fibertech Networks.

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra has been committed to enriching and inspiring our community through the art of music since its founding in 1922. The RPO presents approximately 150 concerts and broadcasts a year, serving up to 200,000 people through ticketed events, education and community engagement activities, and concerts in schools and community centers throughout the region. Recently appointed 12th Music Director Ward Stare joins the ranks of former notable RPO music directors, including Eugene Goossens, José Iturbi, Erich Leinsdorf, David Zinman and Conductor Laureate Christopher Seaman. Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik has earned a national reputation for excellence in pops programming during his 20-year tenure with the RPO. With Michael Butterman as Principal Conductor for Education and Community Engagement (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair) – the first position of its kind in the country – the RPO reaches more than 13,000 children through its specific programs for school-aged children.

Media please note:  High-resolution images for Phils concerts are available on request or at:  https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B8FkJzlaIpThcVY4TS1ScWhlcDQ&usp=sharing; Pops at: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B8FkJzlaIpThNUxERDVDUkdmM0k&usp=sharing. Interviews and photo and footage opportunities can also be arranged.