HSO Adds a Fourth Holiday POPS! Concert Due to Popular Demand

Thursday, December 10, 7:30 p.m. performance now on sale.

HARTFORD, November 20, 2009 – Due to strong ticket sales, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra has announced a fourth performance of the 2009 Holiday POPS! Spectacular on Thursday, December 10 at the earlier curtain time of 7:30 p.m., in the Belding Theater at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. Select seats are still remaining for other performances on Friday, December 11, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Joining in the wintry celebration will be singers from the Hartford Chorale and Connecticut Children’s Chorus, as well as ballet dancers from the Hartt Community Division. The 2009-2010 POPS! Series is presented by United Technologies Corporation.

“Kids from one to ninety-two” will revel in festive carols and seasonal favorites, including Sleigh Ride, Silent Night, White Christmas, Troika Song, and Carol of the Bells, all performed by the HSO and the Hartford Chorale. Ballerinas from the Hartt Community Division will twirl onto the stage for selections from The Nutcracker and the Connecticut Children’s Chorus will join in the festivities for a holiday sing-along, as arranged by Hartt School Musical Theater Director Michael Morris. There will even be a special guest appearance from one of the world’s biggest celebrities – Santa Claus – in his musical debut with the HSO.

“We are excited to bring our annual Holiday POPS! Spectacular to the Belding Theater this year,” says HSO Executive Director Kristen Phillips. “The intimate setting of this theater will surround our audience with the sights and sounds of this Holiday winter wonderland.”

The Hartford Chorale, under the direction of Richard Coffey, is the primary symphonic chorus of the Greater Hartford community, particularly in its critically acclaimed collaborations with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. Through such collaborations and with other organizations, the Chorale seeks to reach and inspire the widest possible audience with exceptional performances of a broad range of choral literature, including renowned choral masterpieces.

The Connecticut Children’s Chorus (CCC), under the direction of Stuart Younse and Sallie Ferrebee, is the Hartford region’s most comprehensive youth chorus program and a division of the Hartt School Community Division. CCC continues to thrive as our region’s premiere children’s chorus, boasting performance invitations with the region’s best professional ensembles and provides strength and excellence in training Connecticut’s youngest talented voices. Past activities have included performances with the Hartt Opera, CONCORA, and the Nashville Children’s Chorus.

The Hartt Community Division of the University of Hartford is a comprehensive community arts school providing instruction in music and dance for individuals of all ages and experience levels. It is a division of The Hartt School, one of the seven colleges of the University of Hartford. One of the largest schools of its kind, the Community Division is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Community and Pre-College Art Schools, is an active member of National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, and is viewed as a national model for community schools based on university campuses.

EDITORS: To request an interview, photos, or press access to this event, please contact Katie Bonner at (860) 246-8742 ext. 317 or at kbonner@hartfordsymphony.org. Please update calendar listings to reflect performance schedule and admission information above.

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CALENDAR LISTING:

HARTFORD SYMPHONY HOLIDAY POPS! SPECTACULAR

Hartford Symphony Orchestra with Edward Cumming, Music Director; Hartford Chorale: Richard Coffey, music director; Connecticut Children’s Chorus: Sallie Ferrebee and Stuart Younse, directors; Dancers from the Hartt Community Division

Thursday, December 10, 2009 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, December 11, 2009 at 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 3:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 8:00 p.m.

Belding Theater at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts

Program: Seasonal favorites including Sleigh Ride, Silent Night, Chanukah Candle Blessing, White Christmas, Troika Song, Selections from The Nutcracker, and Carol of the Bells

Ticket Prices: $32.50 – $72.50; $12.50 with a student I.D.

Tickets are available in person Monday through Friday between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. at Hartford Symphony Orchestra Ticket Services, 99 Pratt Street, Suite 500 in Hartford, by calling (860) 244-2999, or online 24/7 at www.hartfordsymphony.org.

The Hartford Symphony Orchestra participates in the Greater Hartford Arts Council’s Let*s GO Arts! program that offers 2-for-1 tickets to arts and entertainment events, and discounts at restaurants and clubs. Let*s GO Arts! members can receive 2-for-1 full price tickets to HSO Masterworks and POPS! concerts.

The 2009-2010 POPS! Series is presented by United Technologies Corporation, with additional concert support from Aetna and Bank of America. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra receives major support from the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. Sponsors listed as of September 4, 2009.

Edward Cumming Music Director