San Francisco Symphony Announces Holiday Concert Schedule

The San Francisco Symphony's 2016 holiday season at Davies Symphony Hall offers a festive array of concerts for all ages, from its traditional Christmas classical concerts to classic pop vocalists Gladys Knight and Patti Austin performing with the Orchestra; favorite films like Singin' in the Rain, The Snowman, and a Rodgers and Hammerstein music and film night; family-friendly events like A Charlie Brown Christmas-Live!, the circus feats of Cirque de la Symphonie, and the Orchestra's annual Deck the Hall concerts for children. Traditional Christmas and holiday music lovers can enjoy presentations such as Handel's Messiah, Holiday Brass, and A Classic Christmas. Linda Ronstadt narrates Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf with the SF Symphony Youth Orchestra, Mariachi Sol De México® de José Hernàndez presents A Merri-achi Christmas, and the a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock brings its unique and uplifting holiday show. To ring in the new year, television and Broadway stars Jane Krakowski and Tituss Burgess (ofUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and 30 Rock fame) join the SF Symphony in their first-ever concert collaboration.

The festivities start when vocalist Patti Austin brings the iconic music of Ella Fitzgerald to Davies Symphony Hall on November 30, with conductor Edwin Outwater leading the Orchestra. R&B legend Gladys Knight sings her classic hits and holiday songs December 12 and 13 with the Orchestra, led by Gail Deadrick. Sweet Honey in the Rock brings its soulful a cappella blend of inspiring songs on December 23. As they have done for over 30 years, Sweet Honey in the Rock's performances include a Sign Language Interpreter in order to make their music and message accessible to the deaf and hard-of-hearing.

For those who love the classical music associated with the Christmas season, on December 7 and 8 the SF Symphony performs A Classic Christmas, which offers works by some of the greatest composers reflecting on holiday traditions, including selections from Britten's A Ceremony of Carols, Tchaikovsky's Suite from The Nutcracker, and selections from Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel. The SFS is led by SFS Resident Conductor Christian Reif, and is joined by the Pacific Boychoir. Other classical music holiday concerts include Holiday Brass featuring members of the SF Symphony brass section led by Edwin Outwater onDecember 11, and performances of Handel's Messiah December 15­-17, conducted by Patrick Dupré Quigley and featuring soprano Lauren Snouffer, countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, tenor Zachary Wilder, and bass-baritone Christian Van Horn.

As always, the Symphony's holiday line-up also includes several programs particularly well-suited for children and families, starting with two Deck the Hall concerts on December 4. This festive children's concert and party features Symphony musicians and special guests, including the San Francisco Boys Chorus, San Francisco Ballet School trainees, members of Beach Blanket Babylon, TURFInc. dancers, and the Young Women's Choral Project. OnDecember 11, the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra performs Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf with guest narrator Linda Ronstadt, who returns to perform with the SFSYO for the first time since 2009. Led by new Wattis Foundation Music Director Christian Reif, the SFSYO also performs favorite holiday repertoire. Also on December 11, the ever-popular presentation of A Merri-Achi Christmas returns, with Mariachi Sol De México® de José Hernàndez performing its blend of Mexican and American holiday favorites.

On December 14, the acrobats, strongmen, and performing artists of Cirque de la Symphonie join the SF Symphony musicians for a holiday show, executing their jaw-dropping feats to the thrilling music of composers like Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, Bizet, and others, mixed with plenty of holiday hits. The Snowman film, the 1982 animated gem from DiAnne Jackson, plays on the big screen as the Orchestra performs the live score in accompaniment in the Christmas Spectacular concerts December 16-18. Tony Award-winning actress and vocalist Ruthie Ann Miles joins the Orchestra and conductor Randall Craig Fleischer for holiday songs and sing-a-longs, and the Pacific Boychoir also performs.

A Charlie Brown Christmas-Live! returns December 21­-24 with seven performances by the Orchestra of Vince Guaraldi's score for this special stage show, with singers, actors, and dancers all bringing Charles Schulz's beloved Peanuts characters and the Christmas classic animated TV special to life. Ruthie Ann Miles sings holiday songs with the Orchestra and Chorus and joins in a sing-a-long of Christmas carols with the audience. The decked-out lobby of Davies Symphony Hall features kid-friendly refreshments and Peanuts-themed activities.

Holiday season film presentations start with Rodgers and Hammerstein at the MoviesDecember 2 and 3, when Tony nominee and vocalist Laura Osnes sings with the Orchestra to film clips from South Pacific, The King and I, Oklahoma! and Carousel on the big screen, and songs from The Sound of Music and Cinderella. Ted Sperling conducts and co-hosts. The Orchestra also performs live along with the classic movie Singin' in the Rain, starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds, December 9 and 10.

The Symphony's annual New Year's Eve Celebration December 31 is headlined musical theater and television stars Jane Krakowski and Tituss Burgess, both of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and 30 Rock fame. This performance marks the co-stars' first ever full-length concert collaboration together.

Throughout the month of December, the lobbies of Davies Symphony Hall are transformed into a Christmas wonderland, complete with towering trees decorated with handmade ornaments made by children and volunteers from local schools and community groups.

Tickets for all holiday concerts are on sale now at sfsymphony.org, by phone at 415-864-6000, and at the Davies Symphony Hall box office on Grove Street between Franklin Street and Van Ness Avenue.

Calendar editors, please note:
SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY'S 2016 HOLIDAY CONCERTS

All concerts are at Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco

Patti Austin SINGS Ella Fitzgerald
Wednesday, November 30, 2016 at 7:30 pm

Patti Austin
Edwin Outwater conductor
San Francisco Symphony

Jazz singer Patti Austin, whose exploration of greats such as George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald have earned acclaim, helps the SFS kick off the Centennial celebration of Ella Fitzgerald's birth with fully orchestrated charts of great American Songbook favorites.

Tickets: $25-$95. Tickets are available at sfsymphony.org, by phone at 415-864-6000, and at the Davies Symphony Hall Box Office, on Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street in San Francisco.

RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN AT THE MOVIES
Friday, December 2, 2016 at 7:30pm
Saturday, December 3, 2016 at 7:30pm

Ted Sperling conductor and co-host
Laura Osnes vocalist and co-host
San Francisco Symphony

Prologue and "The Sound of Music" from The Sound of Music [Osnes]
Overture from The Sound of Music [orchestra only]
Selections from the film Carousel [with film clips]
The Carousel Waltz

"If I Loved You"
"June Is Bustin' Out All Over"
"I Have Confidence" from The Sound of Music [Osnes]
"Mister Snow" from Carousel [Osnes]
"Wonderful Guy" from South Pacific [Osnses]

Selections from the film South Pacific [with film clips]
Overture
"There is Nothin' Like a Dame"
"Some Enchanted Evening"
"Dites-Moi"
Finale
"In My Own Little Corner" from Cinderella [Osnes]
"Hello, Young Lovers" from The King and I [Osnes]
Selections from the film The King and I [with film clips]
The March of the Siamese Children
"Getting To Know You"
"Shall We Dance?"
Selections from the film Oklahoma [with film clips]
Main Title
"Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'"
"Surrey with the Fringe on Top"
"Oklahoma"

The Orchestra accompanies a selection of film clips from South Pacific, The King and I, Oklahoma! and Carousel. Laura Osnes performs additional live selections from the above films, as well as songs from The Sound of Music and Cinderella. Osnes starred in the recent revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella on Broadway, for which she earned a Tony nomination, and played Nellie Forbush in the acclaimed Lincoln Center Theater production ofSouth Pacific.

Tickets: $25-$85. Tickets are available at sfsymphony.org, by phone at 415-864-6000, and at the Davies Symphony Hall Box Office, on Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street in San Francisco.

DECK THE HALL
Sunday, December 4, 2016 at 11am and 3pm

Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, conductor
San Francisco Boys Chorus
Ian Robertson, director
San Francisco Ballet School Trainee Program dancers
Helgi Tomasson, director
Patrick Armand, associate director
Young Women's Choral Project
Susan McMane, director
TURFinc dancers
Johnny Lopez, leader
Beach Blanket Babylon
Members of the San Francisco Symphony

GARY FRY Christmas Morning
San Francisco Boys Chorus
Young Women's Choral Project
San Francisco Symphony
TCHAIKOVSKY Dance of the Reed Flutes from The Nutcracker
SF Ballet School Trainee Girls
San Francisco Symphony
Traditional, arr. KESSLER "O Chanukah"
San Francisco Symphony
TCHAIKOVSKY Russian Dance (Trepak) from The Nutcracker
SF Ballet School Trainee Boys
San Francisco Symphony
MOZART The Sleigh Ride from Three German Dances, K. 605
San Francisco Symphony
arr. HUFF AND ROBERTSON "Swing a Christmas Carol"
San Francisco Boys Chorus
San Francisco Symphony
TCHAIKOVSKY Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker
TURFinc
San Francisco Symphony
Various, arr. KECK / Selections with Beach Blanket Babylon
Beach Blanket Babylon
San Francisco Symphony
MARKS, arr. NORRIS "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"
ROLLINS/NELSON "Frosty the Snowman"
Traditional, arr. FINNEGAN "Deck the Halls"
All Guest Artists
San Francisco Symphony

This annual children's holiday concert and party has become a favorite SF family tradition. Performers from children's choruses, characters from Beach Blanket Babylon, the SF Ballet School trainee boys and girls, and the SF Symphony join together to make magical holiday memories. This year, TURFinc joins the Orchestra for the first time. Turfing is a form of street dance that originated in Oakland.

Tickets: $42-$60 (concert only). Tickets are available at sfsymphony.org, by phone at 415-864-6000, and at the Davies Symphony Hall Box Office, on Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street in San Francisco.

VIP Packages begin at $300 and offer a special way to experience Deck the Hall that includes premium concert seats, early entry in to the hall, a VIP reception with kid-friendly treats and drinks and a keepsake photo with Santa! Packages at the Archangel level and above include tickets to attend the intimately charming Tree Lighting Ceremony, a special event onNovember 30, 2016 when we light the trees in Davies Symphony Hall for the first time. Call the Volunteer Council for details at 415-503-5500.

Proceeds from this event support Deck the Hall Community Day on Monday, December 5, which treats over 4,000 children from public programs to this holiday concert, free of charge, providing many of them with their first opportunity to visit a concert hall and hear a live orchestral performance.

Recommended for ages 7 and older. Group discounts not available.

A CLASSIC CHRISTMAS
Wednesday, December 7, 2016 at 7:30pm
Thursday, December 8, 2016 at 7:30pm

Christian Reif conductor
The Pacific Boychoir, Kevin Fox, director
Julie Adams soprano (Gretel)
Renée Rapier mezzo-soprano (Hansel)
Catherine Cook soprano (The Witch)
San Francisco Symphony

BRITTEN Selections from A Ceremony of Carols
TCHAIKOVSKY Suite from The Nutcracker
HUMPERDINCK Selections from Hansel and Gretel
TBD Christmas Carols with Orchestra

Classic carols and holiday cheer from the symphonic canon. Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, Britten's Ceremony of Carols, and a condensed version of Humperdinck's storybook operaHansel and Gretel (in English). Adams and Rapier return to the SF Symphony after their performances with the Orchestra in scenes from Hansel and Gretel in the 2016 Stern Grove Festival free concert.

Tickets: $15-$90. Tickets are available at sfsymphony.org, by phone at 415-864-6000, and at the Davies Symphony Hall Box Office, on Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street in San Francisco.

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN - FILM WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA
Friday, December 9, 2016 at 7:30pm
Saturday, December 10, 2016 at 7:30pm

Sarah Hicks conductor
San Francisco Symphony

BROWN & FREED Singin' in the Rain [with film]

Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds star in the classic 1952 film, directed and choreographed by Kelly and Stanley Donen. The Orchestra, led by Sarah Hicks, performs the film score live along with the film.

Tickets: $20-$79. Tickets are available at sfsymphony.org, by phone at 415-864-6000, and at the Davies Symphony Hall Box Office, on Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street in San Francisco.

PETER AND THE WOLF with the SFS YOUTH ORCHESTRA and Linda Ronstadt
Sunday, December 11, 2016 at 11 am

Christian Reif conductor
Linda Ronstadt narrator
San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra

PROKOFIEV Peter and the Wolf, Opus 67
Additional Holiday repertoire TBD

Vocalist Linda Ronstadt's career in popular music has spanned decades, with hits like "Different Drum," "Blue Bayou" and "You're No Good," and she has been influential in genres ranging from pop to country and Mexican music. Although she retired from singing in 2011 and publicly announced her diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease in 2013, she has been making regular speaking engagements; this is her fourth time narrating Peter and the Wolf with the SFS Youth Orchestra and her first appearance with them since 2009. The newly-appointed SF Symphony Youth Orchestra Music Director, Christian Reif, conducts the SFSYO in Peter and the Wolf and other holiday classics.

Tickets: $15-$70. Tickets are available at sfsymphony.org, by phone at 415-864-6000, and at the Davies Symphony Hall Box Office, on Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street in San Francisco.

HOLIDAY BRASS
Sunday, December 11, 2016 at 3 pm

Edwin Outwater conductor
Members of the SFS Brass Section

The SF Symphony's brass musicians perform a mix of classical and popular holiday repertoire.

Tickets: $15-$70. Tickets are available at sfsymphony.org, by phone at 415-864-6000, and at the Davies Symphony Hall Box Office, on Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street in San Francisco.

A MERRI-ACHI CHRISTMAS WITH MARIACHI SOL DE MEXICO® DE JOSE HERNANDEZ
Sunday, December 11, 2016 at 8 pm

The ever-popular A Merri-Achi Christmas returns, with Mariachi Sol De México® de José Hernàndez performing its rousing blend of Mexican and American holiday favorites.

Note: The San Francisco Symphony does not perform on this concert.

Tickets: $15-$90. Tickets are available at sfsymphony.org, by phone at 415-864-6000, and at the Davies Symphony Hall Box Office, on Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street in San Francisco.

Gladys Knight WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY
Monday, December 12, 2016 at 8pm
Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at 8pm

Gladys Knight
Gail Deadrick conductor
San Francisco Symphony

Gladys Knight, "The Empress of Soul," is still bringing it at 72: her classic hits like "MidnightTrain to Georgia," "Save the Overtime for Me," "I Heard it Through the Grapevine," "I've Got to Use My Imagination," and her favorite holiday songs will bring back old-school smiles when she sings them along with the San Francisco Symphony.

Tickets: $40-$130. Tickets are available at sfsymphony.org, by phone at 415-864-6000, and at the Davies Symphony Hall Box Office, on Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street in San Francisco.

CIRQUE DE LA SYMPHONIE HOLIDAY SHOW
Wednesday, December 14, 2016 at 8pm

Randall Craig Fleischer conductor
San Francisco Symphony

A talented team of acrobats and other performers descends upon Davies Symphony Hall for acts in coordination with composers like Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, Bizet, and others, mixed with plenty of holiday hits.

Tickets: $25-$80. Tickets are available at sfsymphony.org, by phone at 415-864-6000, and at the Davies Symphony Hall Box Office, on Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street in San Francisco.

MESSIAH, PATRICK DUPRÉ QUIGLEY CONDUCTING

Thursday, December 15, 2016 at 8 pm
Friday, December 16, 2016 at 8 pm
Saturday, December 17, 2016 at 8 pm

Patrick Dupré Quigley conductor
Lauren Snouffer soprano [SFS debut]
Anthony Roth Costanzo countertenor [SFS debut]
Zachary Wilder tenor [SFS debut]
Christian Van Horn bass-baritone [SFS debut]
San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Ragnar Bohlin director
San Francisco Symphony

HANDEL
Messiah

Tickets: $15-$169. Tickets are available at sfsymphony.org, by phone at 415-864-6000, and at the Davies Symphony Hall Box Office, on Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street in San Francisco.

CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR, FEATURING THE SNOWMAN
Friday, December 16, 2016 at 4pm
Saturday, December 17, 2016 at 2pm
Sunday, December 18, 2016 at 11am and 2pm

Randall Craig Fleischer conductor
Ruthie Ann Miles vocalist
Pacific Boychoir, Kevin Fox, director
San Francisco Symphony

Jazzy Christmas favorites with Ruthie Ann Miles, the SF Symphony, and the SFS Chorus
Selections sung by Pacific Boychoir
Howard Blake The Snowman (film)

Children of all ages claim this 26-minute animated made-for-television film as one of their all-time holiday favorites. Actress and vocalist Ruthie Ann Miles, who won the 2015 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Lady Thiang in the Lincoln Center Theater production of The King and I on Broadway, joins the Orchestra and conductor Randall Craig Fleischer in a selection of holiday songs. Miles's other notable successes include her roles off Broadway in Avenue Q (Christmas Eve) and Here Lies Love (Imelda Marcos). The Pacific Boychoir joins these performances in Christmas and holiday-inspired music.

Tickets: $25-$70. Children 18 and under receive a 50% discount (subject to availability). Tickets are available at sfsymphony.org, by phone at 415-864-6000, and at the Davies Symphony Hall Box Office, on Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street in San Francisco.

CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR, FEATURING A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS-LIVE!
Wednesday, December 21, 2016 at 2pm and 8pm
Thursday, December 22, 2016 at 11am and 2pm
Friday, December 23, 2016 at 11am and 2pm
Saturday, December 24, 2016 at 2pm

Randall Craig Fleischer conductor
Ruthie Ann Miles vocalist
The Cast of A Charlie Brown Christmas
San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Ragnar Bohlin, director

Carols and holiday songs performed by Ruthie Ann Miles, SF Symphony, and SFS Chorus
GUARALDI (arr. Firth)

A Charlie Brown Christmas-Live!

Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy, and the whole Peanuts gang return to Davies Symphony Hall and bring this television classic to life. With live actors, an animated backdrop, and Vince Guaraldi's timeless music performed by the San Francisco Symphony. This family-friendly concert begins with favorite carols and holiday songs performed by the SF Symphony and SF Symphony Chorus with vocalist and Tony Award winner Ruthie Ann Miles.

Tickets: $30-$80. Children 18 and under receive a 50% discount (subject to availability). Tickets are available at sfsymphony.org, by phone at 415-864-6000, and at the Davies Symphony Hall Box Office, on Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street in San Francisco.

CELEBRATING THE HOLYDAYS WITH SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK
Friday, December 23, 2016 at 8pm

Sweet Honey in the Rock

Six powerful and inspiring African American women-including a Sign Language Interpreter-make up Sweet Honey in the Rock, an a cappella vocal ensemble with a mission of combining empowerment, education, and entertainment. Celebrating the Holydays is their signature Christmas show. As they have done for over 30 years, Sweet Honey in the Rock has counted a Sign Language Interpreter as part of their group for over 30 years, illustrating their commitment to making their music and message accessible to the deaf and hard-of-hearing.

Note: The San Francisco Symphony does not perform on this concert.

Tickets: $15-$75. Tickets are available at sfsymphony.org, by phone at 415-864-6000, and at the Davies Symphony Hall Box Office, on Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street in San Francisco.

NEW YEAR'S EVE CELEBRATION WITH Jane Krakowski, Tituss Burgess, AND THE SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY
Wednesday, December 31, 2016 at 8pm

Edwin Outwater conductor
Jane Krakowski vocalist
Tituss Burgess vocalist
San Francisco Symphony

Jane Krakowski and Tituss Burgess, well known to fans of Tina Fey and Robert Carlock'sUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Netflix series (Burgess plays Schmidt's roommate, Titus Andromedon, and Krakowski is her out-of-touch boss, Jacqueline Voorhees) and 30 Rock(Krakowski starred as Jenna Maroney and Burgess guest starred as D'Fwan), display their musical theater talents in the 2016 New Year's Eve concert and celebration with the San Francisco Symphony. Burgess is a well-established and lauded Broadway actor and singer, and joins Krakowski and the Orchestra in a broad range of repertoire in their first ever full-length concert collaboration. The concert ends at 10 pm, allowing guests plenty of time to watch fireworks or celebrate around San Francisco or at home with friends and family.

Tickets: $60-$180. Tickets are available at sfsymphony.org, by phone at 415-864-6000, and at the Davies Symphony Hall Box Office, on Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street in San Francisco.

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