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—DECK THE HALLS AT CARNEGIE HALL!—

FROM HANDEL’S MESSIAH TO THE POLAR EXPRESS,
THERE’S MUCH TO CELEBRATE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON AT CARNEGIE HALL



“The Nativity Triptych” Features Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and Handel’s Messiah,
Performed by Les Violons du Roy and Bernard Labadie, Plus
John Adams’ El Niño with Orchestra of St. Luke’s, December 11–13

The New York Pops Presents Sandi Patty and The Polar Express, December 18–19

Celebrating their 40th Anniversary, the New York String Orchestra Returns for
Annual Concerts with Conductor Jaime Laredo on December 24 & 28

For over a century, Carnegie Hall has been a place for audiences to gather and experience the transformative power of music during the holiday season. This year, this tradition continues with eight special concerts in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, each enhanced by the joyful ambience of the historic building. The concerts presented range from traditional classical concerts: Handel’s Messiah and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio; to modern works: Adams’ El Niño; to popular holiday favorites as performed by Sandi Patty and The New York Pops; as well as new holiday treats like concert readings of the beloved story The Polar Express.

Carnegie Hall’s “Nativity Triptych”
From December 11–13, Carnegie Hall presents a weekend devoted to sacred holiday music featuring performances of three landmark choral works based on the Nativity story, told from the perspectives of three very different composers. Acclaimed chamber orchestra Les Violons du Roy, choir La Chapelle de Québec, and Music Director Bernard Labadie, together with soprano Rosemary Joshua, countertenor David Daniels, tenor Jan Kobow, baritone Joshua Hopkins, and bass-baritone Andrew Foster Williams, are featured in two programs. On Friday, December 11 at 8:00 p.m., Les Violons du Roy performs Handel’s Messiah which positions the nativity within the larger context of Jesus’ life. The following evening, Saturday, December 12 at 8:00 p.m., the ensemble returns to Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage with Bach’s Christmas Oratorio—comprising six cantatas, each with beautiful chorales, that depict the birth of Jesus.

Audiences will then leap forward more than 250 years for the final concert of the series on Sunday, December 13 at 8:00 p.m. featuring the first Carnegie Hall performance of John Adams’ decidedly modern nativity oratorio El Niño, which draws on English, Spanish, and Latin sources ranging from pre-Christian prophets, Martin Luther’s Christmas Sermon, passages from the Gospel of Luke, several gnostic gospels from the Apocrypha, and mid-20th century Hispanic women writers including Rosario Castellanos. El Niño is performed in a concert version by the Orchestra of St. Luke’s; conductor John Adams; soprano Dawn Upshaw; mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung; bass-baritone Eric Owens; countertenors Daniel Bubeck, Brian Cummings, and Steven Rickards; the Westminster Symphonic Choir; and The Brooklyn Youth Chorus.

The New York Pops
The New York Pops, with guest conductor John Morris Russell, celebrates the holidays with three concerts over two days. On December 18 and 19 at 8:00 p.m., The New York Pops are joined by Sandi Patty and the Young People’s Chorus of New York City singing traditional Christmas carols and music for Hanukkah. Sandi Patty is one of the most highly acclaimed performers of our time, with 5 Grammy Awards, 4 Billboard Music Awards, 3 Platinum records, 5 Gold records, and 11 million units sold; she is simply known as “the Voice.”

On Saturday, December 19 at 2:00 p.m., The New York Pops return for a Carnegie Hall Family Concert narrated by television and Broadway star John Tartaglia. The program features the Young People’s Chorus performing the beloved children’s tale The Polar Express, as well as popular holiday tunes certain to warm the hearts of children of all ages. Based on the story by Chris Van Allsburg, The Polar Express depicts the story of a young boy who embarks on a journey of self-discovery when he boards a powerful magical train headed to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. The performance features images from Allsburg’s 1986 Caldecott Medal winning children’s book while the score by Alan Silvestri includes the new holiday classic “Believe” from the 2004 feature film.

New York String Orchestra
Conductor Jaime Laredo leads the New York String Orchestra in two concerts during the last week of December in celebration of their 40th Anniversary. The concerts are the culmination of the New York String Orchestra Seminar, a national program for highly gifted 15 to 22-year-old musicians held under the auspices of Mannes College The New School for Music. Founded in 1969, notable alumni of the orchestra’s seminar include cellist Yo-Yo Ma and violinists Cho-Liang Lin and Gil Shaham, among others. On Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24 at 7:00 p.m. in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, the orchestra performs Mozart’s Symphony No. 38 in D Major and is joined by alumni violinists Cho-Liang Lin, Kyoko Takezawa, and Bella Hristova for Bach’s Concerto for Three Violins in D Major and the Orion String Quartet, three members of which are alumni, for Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro. The orchestra returns on Monday, December 28 at 8:00 p.m. with pianist Peter Serkin performing Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor as well as Ralph Vaughn Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C Minor. To help celebrate the seminar’s 40th Anniversary, this year’s orchestra will have the thrill of additional distinguished seminar alumni also joining them to perform the Vaughn Willams and Beethoven works.


Program Information
Friday, December 11 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
LES VIOLONS DU ROY
La Chapelle de Québec
Bernard Labadie, Music Director and Conductor
Rosemary Joshua, Soprano
David Daniels, Countertenor
Jan Kobow, Tenor
Andrew Foster Williams, Bass-Baritone

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL Messiah

Tickets: $31, $37, $47, $63, $85, $93
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Saturday, December 12 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
LES VIOLONS DU ROY
La Chapelle de Québec
Bernard Labadie, Music Director and Conductor
Rosemary Joshua, Soprano
David Daniels, Countertenor
Jan Kobow, Tenor
Joshua Hopkins, Baritone

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH Christmas Oratorio

This concert and the Choral Classics series are made possible, in part, by an endowment fund for choral music established by S. Donald Sussman in memory of Judith Arron and Robert Shaw.

Tickets: $31, $37, $47, $63, $85, $93
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Sunday, December 13 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
ORCHESTRA OF ST. LUKE'S
John Adams, Conductor
Dawn Upshaw, Soprano
Michelle DeYoung, Mezzo-Soprano
Eric Owens, Bass-Baritone
Daniel Bubeck, Countertenor
Brian Cummings, Countertenor
Steven Rickards, Countertenor
Westminster Symphonic Choir
Joe Miller, Conductor
The Brooklyn Youth Chorus
Dianne Berkun, Director
Mark Grey, Sound Design

JOHN ADAMS El Niño

Tickets: $28, $33, $41, $54, $72, $79
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Friday, December 18 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 19 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
THE NEW YORK POPS
John Morris Russell, Guest Conductor
Sandi Patty, Guest Artist
Young People's Chorus of New York City
Francisco J. Núñez, Founder and Artistic Director

CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS WITH SANDI PATTY!

Tickets: $33, $37, $46, $74, $94, $104
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Saturday, December 19 at 2:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
CARNEGIE HALL FAMILY CONCERT: THE NEW YORK POPS
John Morris Russell, Guest Conductor
John Tartaglia, Narrator
Young People's Chorus of New York City
Francisco J. Núñez, Artistic Director

THE POLAR EXPRESS

Pre-concert activities will take place one hour before each performance and are free to all ticket holders.

Carnegie Hall Family Concerts are made possible, in part, by generous endowment gifts from Mr. and Mrs. Lester S. Morse Jr., and the Henry and Lucy Moses Fund.

Tickets: $9
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Thursday, December 24 at 7:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
NEW YORK STRING ORCHESTRA
Jaime Laredo, Conductor
Cho-Liang Lin, Violin
Kyoko Takezawa, Violin
Bella Hristova, Violin
Orion String Quartet
   Daniel Phillips, Violin
   Todd Phillips, Violin
   Steven Tenenbom, Viola
   Timothy Eddy, Cello

EDWARD ELGAR Introduction and Allegro, Op. 47
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH Concerto for Three Violins in D Major, BWV 1064
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Symphony No. 38 in D Major, K. 504, "Prague"

This concert is made possible, in part, by an endowment fund for young artists established by Stella and Robert Jones.

Tickets: $19, $38, $49
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Monday, December 28 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
NEW YORK STRING ORCHESTRA
Jaime Laredo, Conductor
Peter Serkin, Piano

RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
JOHANNES BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 15
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67

This concert is made possible, in part, by an endowment fund for young artists established by Stella and Robert Jones.

Tickets: $19, $38, $49

Bank of America is the Proud Season Sponsor of Carnegie Hall.

Ticket Information
Tickets are available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, 154 West 57th Street, or can be charged to major credit cards by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or by visiting the Carnegie Hall website, carnegiehall.org.

For Carnegie Hall Corporation presentations taking place in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, a limited number of seats, priced at $10, will be available day-of-concert beginning at 11:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 12:00 noon on Sunday until one hour before the performance or until supply lasts. The exceptions are Carnegie Hall Family Concerts and gala events. These $10 tickets are available to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis at the Carnegie Hall Box Office only. There is a two-ticket limit per customer.

In addition, for all Carnegie Hall presentations in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage a limited number of partial view (seats with obstructed or limited sight lines or restricted leg room) will be sold for 50% of the full price. For more information on this and other discount ticket programs, including those for students, Notables members, and Bank of America customers, visit carnegiehall.org/discounts.


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Images from top of release: Sandy Patti; John Adams (© Chris Lee); John Tartaglia (© Steve J. Sherman); Les Violons du Roy (© Luc Delisle); Dawn Upshaw (© Steve J. Sherman)

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