Festive holiday concerts return to Tacoma

Symphony Tacoma will be presenting two festive holiday concerts in December as part of its 75th anniversary celebration.

The first concert will be Holiday Favorites with the Symphony Tacoma Voices. This is an annual presentation of music to delight the entire family. Featured at the concert will be selections from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky, a medley of songs from several holiday movies performed by the Symphony Tacoma Voices, and other favorites of the season that celebrate this special time of the year. In addition, Jacob Finkle from Seattle Jewish Chorus will be lighting the menorah while David Ludwig, composer-in-residence for the Tacoma Symphony, will be singing Candle Blessing. This concert will be at Pantages Theater on Sunday, December 5 at 2:30 pm.

The second concert will be Handel’s Messiah at St. Charles Borromeo Church. Sarah Ioannides will be the conductor for Symphony Tacoma and vocalists of the Symphony Tacoma Voices. Zachary Lenox, bass; John Marzano, tenor; Laurel Semerdjian, mezzo-soprano; and Tess Altiveros, soprano will be featured soloists. This concert will be a special tribute to the inaugural performance of the Symphony in 1946 and will be on Friday, December 17 at 7:30 pm.

Prices range from $24 to $85 for Holiday Favorites, and $30 for general admission and $84 for reserved seats for Handel’s Messiah. Such concerts are often promoted throughout a city and neighboring communities with poster printing.