Symphony Tacoma announcement.
Tacoma, WA—Symphony Tacoma will continue its tradition of celebrating the holidays with two concerts in December. From cherished holiday songs from diverse traditions to Handel’s Messiah, the programs capture the themes, spirit and “sounds of the season.”
Holiday Favorites
Sunday, December 4 | 2:30 pm
Pantages Theater
Sarah Ioannides, conductor
Symphony Tacoma Voices (Geoffrey Boers, director)
Tacoma Youth Chorus (Judith Herrington, director)
Elizabeth Galafa Ylaya, soprano
Tickets: $24-$87
On Sunday, December 4, the Pantages Theater stage will be teeming with singers and musicians as Symphony Tacoma presents Holiday Favorites, its annual collage of seasonal delights for the whole family. This year’s program features choral masterpieces and festive arrangements from various traditions that evoke the holiday spirit. Selections include numbers from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty, Handel’s Hallelujah, Lucas Richman’s Hanukkah Medley, Carol of the Bells, Winter Wonderland, and of course, the popular audience sing-along.
Joining the orchestra are a slew of talented voices. The 86-member Symphony Tacoma Voices includes professional singers and gifted amateurs. Under the direction of Geoffrey Boers, they perform regularly with Symphony Tacoma and in stand-alone engagements.
After a two year hiatus, Tacoma Youth Chorus will once again join ST Voices for the concert. TYC is Tacoma’s educational choral program for children in kindergarten through high school directed by Judith Herrington. The Concert Choir (grades 4-5) and Chamber Chorus (grades 5-8) will be featured for this year’s program. Edmonds-based soprano Elizabeth Galafa Ylaya, who previously performed the role of Anita in Symphony Tacoma’s concert production of West Side Story, rounds out the vocal line-up. Members of Tacoma Youth Symphony’s Brass Choir will serenade patrons as they arrive at the venue.
Holiday Favorites is sponsored by MultiCare, Columbia Bank, Stadium Thriftway, Merrill Gardens and Showcase Magazine. Tickets range from $24 to $87 and are on sale through the Symphony Tacoma Box Office at 253-272-7264 ext. 1 or online at symphonytacoma.org.
Handel’s Messiah
Friday, December 16 | 7:30 pm
St. Charles Borromeo Church
Geoffrey Boers, conductor
Symphony Tacoma Voices
Leann Conley-Holcom, soprano; José Luis Muñoz, countertenor; John Marzano, tenor; Jacob Herbert, bass
Tickets: $31 general admission | $49 reserved seats
Perhaps the world’s most well-known and beloved choral work, George Frederick Handel’s Messiah has transcended its time and place to become a “work of the people” shared by audiences and musicians around the world. Originally a feature of the Easter holiday, Messiah has become a Christmas season classic. Audience members customarily stand during its most well-known segment, the “Hallelujah Chorus,” following the tradition set by King George II who, according to legend, leapt to his feet when he first heard it.
This year’s performance will be conducted by Geoffrey Boers and performed by Symphony Tacoma musicians and vocalists of Symphony Tacoma Voices. Featured soloists include Leann Conley-Holcom, soprano; Jose Luis Munoz, countertenor; John Marzano, tenor; Jacob Herbert, bass.
Messiah is sponsored by MultiCare, Connelly Law and Tacoma Community College. Tickets ($31 for general admission and $49 for reserved seating) are available through the Symphony Tacoma Box Office at 253-272-7264 ext. 1 or online at symphonytacoma.org.
ABOUT THE SOLOISTS:
Elizabeth Galafa Ylaya, soprano
A Pacific Northwest resident since 2015, Elizabeth Galafa Ylaya teaches music to children ages 0 to 5 at Alley Bell Music in Edmonds. She also sings with Premier Vocal Entertainment, a women- and Black-owned company based out of Kirkland. Her repertoire includes everything from musical theater to opera to Motown. Ms. Galafa Ylaya holds a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from Stetson University and a master’s degree in vocal performance from the University of Michigan. She received an Encouragement Award at the 2018 Seattle Opera Guild Awards and was named a 2018 semi-finalist at the NATSAA Finals in New York City.
Leann Conley-Holcom, soprano
Leann Conley-Holcom is Director of Choral and Vocal Activities at Seattle University, where she conducts choirs and teaches conducting and voice. She also conducted choirs for the Pacific Boychoir Academy and Tacoma Youth Chorus. A professional ensemble singer, Dr. Conley-Holcom is a tenured member of the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus and performs with Solaris, Vox Humana, and True Concord Voices and Orchestra, which won a Grammy Award in 2016 for the album Far in the Heavens: Choral Music of Stephen Paulus. She holds degrees from Pacific Lutheran University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Washington.
José Luis Muñoz, countertenor
José Luis Muñoz has been described as “a fabulous countertenor” with “amazing, powerful expression.” A versatile performer, he is often heard premiering and creating new works and principal roles in such works as Bless Me, Ultima (Albuquerque), Kakitsubata (Cologne, Germany), and Don Quijote in the U.S. premiere of Mauricio Sotelo’s opera Dulcinea. Along with an artist diploma in early music studies from Cornish College of the Arts, Mr. Muñoz holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in both vocal and piano performance. He resides in Seattle.
John Marzano, tenor
Praised for his “light lyric tenor voice” and “fine musicality” (Boston Musical Intelligencer), John Marzano is a repeated performer with PLU Opera, Vashon Opera, Seattle Opera and Symphony Tacoma. Opera roles from recent seasons include Giuseppe in Verdi’s La Traviata, Hermosa in Offenbach’s L’ile de Tulipatan and Gherardo in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. Mr. Marzano holds a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from Pacific Lutheran University, where he studied under baritone Barry Johnson, and he also studied at the New England Conservatory.
Jacob Herbert, bass
A native of Portland, Oregon, bass-baritone Jacob Herbert has been praised by the Oregonian for his “consummate musicality.” While earning his Bachelor of Music in voice performance from Arizona State University, Mr. Herbert performed with the Phoenix Chorale and can be heard as soloist on their Grammy Award-winning album, Spotless Rose: Hymns to the Virgin. A strong proponent of Bach, Mr. Herbert has performed with Seattle Baroque and Seattle Pro Musica, the Oregon Bach Festival, Academia Internacíonal Teatro del Lago and the American Bach Series. He teaches voice and piano at Edmonds College in Lynwood.
