Our Holiday Concert is the best way for families to start their holiday festivities early. This year, we have an incredible list of guest artists to make this concert extra special.
Brynn Cartelli, 2018 winner of The Voice, Mary Lambert, two-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, Avery Sharpe’s Extended Family Choir, and many others will be joining us on stage for this unforgettable holiday concert! We’ve presented an eclectic holiday concert for many seasons before, but with the addition of these amazing guests, we guarantee A Holiday Celebration will be our biggest and best holiday concert in recent memory!
Music fans across the region may already know Brynn Catelli from her amazing victory on NBC’s The Voice. Brynn’s road to success started at age five when she learned how to play piano, which quickly became the foundation for all the music she created. She then picked up a guitar and began songwriting at age 11. Brynn loves all kinds of music but draws inspiration from Kelly Clarkson (her coach on The Voice), Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Stevie Wonder, Adele, Allen Stone, Stevie Nicks, Florence & The Machine, and Amy Winehouse just to name a few.
Since winning The Voice, Brynn has been nominated for a People’s Choice Award and will be touring with Kelly Clarkson in 2019.
Mary Lambert was working three restaurant jobs when her life changed in 2013 when she wrote and sang the hook for the Macklemore and Ryan Lewis song “Same Love.” The song quickly became a certified triple-platinum hit. Writing and singing the hook led to two Grammy nominations for “Song of the Year” and “Album of the Year”, as well as the iconic performance alongside pop legend Madonna at the 2014 Grammys.
Mary then signed with Capitol Records, where she released her debut album “Heart on My Sleeve” produced by Eric Rosse (Sara Bareilles, Tori Amos) and Benny Cassette (Kanye West). Her smash single, “Secrets” launched to No. 1 on the Billboard Dance charts, and was certified RIAA Gold in 2015. The New York Times called her debut album “refreshing and severely personal”.
In addition to her success as a singer-songwriter, Lambert’s training makes her a perfect fit for our Holiday Concert. She is a classically trained cellist with a Bachelors of Music Composition from Cornish College of the Arts.
Elise Barber, Cantor
Cantor Elise Barber will also join the orchestra for a selection of Jewish music. Ms. Barber received her cantorial ordination and M.A. in Jewish Studies from Hebrew College in Newton Centre, Massachusetts and received her B.A. in Theatre from American University in Washington, D.C. Ms. Barber is a proud alumna of The Zamir Chorale of Boston where she was also a featured soloist. She currently serves as the Cantor at Temple Beth El in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Avery Sharpe’s Extended family Choir will join the orchestra for a special selection of holiday gospel music. Avery Sharpe’s brother, Kevin Sharpe, will direct and conduct the choir during this concert.
In addition to these special guest artists and groups, audiences can expect to hear seasonal selections from the Springfield Symphony Chorus and the Children’s Chorus of Springfield, as well as the SSO’s own rendition of popular holiday works by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra led by Guest Conductor, Nick Palmer.
Call the Box Office at 413.733.2291 or follow this link to purchase your tickets to A Holiday Celebration.