Holiday Pops on a Sunday afternoon: the whole family, home by dinner
The Voice winner Sofronio Vasquez with a full orchestra and two choirs, Sunday, December 20 at 2.
Five days to Christmas, and everyone’s finally home.
Get them all in the car: the little ones in their holiday outfits, the grandparents, the cousins. By 2:00 you’re in your seats, and the afternoon belongs to the holidays.
Sofronio Vasquez won Season 26 of The Voice, the first Filipino to win a top U.S. singing competition. This afternoon, he’s singing with a full orchestra and two choirs, live, in Syracuse.
There’s Sleigh Ride for the kids to bounce along to and Joy to the World for Grandma. There’s a Chanukah song, a gospel choir, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra for whoever in your family likes it loud.
It’s a big, warm, dressed-up afternoon, the holidays at full volume, and you all get to be in it together.
It runs about two hours with an intermission, so you’re back out around 4:00 with the whole evening ahead.
Two shows, same concert: Saturday, Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m. or Sunday, Dec. 20 at 2:00 p.m.
Click Get tickets and pick the one that works for you.
Keep going
There’s more Pops after the holidays: Game Day at the Orchestra (Jan. 30), Icons: The Voices that Changed Music (Feb. 27) and Billy Joel Songbook (April 3). Build a FlexPack with the ones you want, up to 10 concerts at subscriber pricing.
GOOD TO KNOW
Who’s it for? The whole family. Kids, grandparents, and everyone in between.
How long is it? About 2 hours, including a 20-minute intermission.
Is there an evening show? Yes. It’s the same concert on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m.
What should we wear? Your holiday best. This is the afternoon for the holiday outfits.
When should we get there? Doors open at 1:00. Music starts at 2:00.
Where do we park?
- Equitable Towers Garage, 616 Montgomery St. ($10). Enter from Montgomery Street between Madison and Harrison. The entrance is on your right
- Oncenter Parking Garage, East Adams Street
- Oncenter Parking Lot, Harrison Street
There are a few accessible spaces on Montgomery Street, right outside the theater, held for drivers with a placard. Call the box office at (315) 299-5598 for details.
When do we clap? At the end of each song. If you’re not sure, let someone else go first.
Running late? You’ll be seated at the next break in the music.
PROGRAM
A Season for Joy (O’Loughlin): Written by Sean O’Loughlin, who leads the orchestra’s Pops concerts.
We Are Lights (Schwartz): A Chanukah song by Stephen Schwartz, the composer of Wicked, about the candles of the menorah.
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Wyle): The 1963 song Andy Williams made famous, and still on every holiday playlist.
Mary, Did You Know? (Greene): Written in 1991, and a modern carol ever since.
The Lord’s Prayer (Kessler): The prayer, set to music.
Peaceful Sleep (Gruber): From Franz Gruber, the composer of Silent Night.
Jesus, Oh What a Wonderful Child (Traditional): A joyful gospel Christmas song that Mariah Carey put on her 1994 holiday album.
Emmanuel (Hutchins): A gospel song by Norman Hutchins.
Joy to the World (Handel): The tune most people credit to Handel, and the carol everyone knows by heart.
A Million Dreams (Pasek): From The Greatest Showman, a song about dreaming bigger than the world around you.
Being Alive (Sondheim): The big closing song from Stephen Sondheim’s musical Company, about wanting someone to share your life with.
My Way (Anka): Paul Anka wrote the English words for Frank Sinatra in 1969, set to a French song.
Mad Russian’s Christmas (O’Neill): The Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s rock take on Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker.
Sleigh Ride (Anderson): Listen for the clip-clop of the horses, the crack of the whip, and the trumpet’s horse whinny at the very end.
One Voice (Moody): A song by Ruth Moody of The Wailin’ Jennys that starts with one voice and grows as more join in.
We Wish You a Merry Christmas (Traditional)
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Sean O’Loughlin (b.1972) is the Principal Pops Conductor of The Syracuse Orchestra and the newly appointed Principal Pops Conductor of the Victoria Symphony in Victoria, B.C. Canada. He is a fresh voice and a rising name in the music world. His music is characterized by vibrant rhythms, ...
Sean O’Loughlin (b.1972) is the Principal Pops Conductor of The Syracuse Orchestra and the newly appointed Principal Pops Conductor of the Victoria Symphony in Victoria, B.C. Canada. He is a fresh voice and a rising name in the music world. His music is characterized by vibrant rhythms, passionate melodies, and colorful scoring. Commissions from the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra highlight and showcase his diverse musical abilities. As a conductor, he has led performances with the Boston Pops Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the Chicago Symphony, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony, the Vancouver Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the Houston Symphony, the Victoria Symphony and the Seattle Symphony amongst others. He was the assistant conductor and arranger for a production of Sgt. Pepper Live in Las Vegas featuring the band Cheap Trick. He has served as conductor for national and world-wide tours with Josh Groban, Sarah McLachlan and the Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration. He has also appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America with Josh Groban and NBC’s “A Very Pentatonix Christmas.”
Recent collaborations include such artists as Sarah McLachlan, Adele, Josh Groban, Pentatonix, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Diana Ross, Journey, Melissa Etheridge, Weird Al Yankovic, Blue Man Group, Janelle Monáe, Audra McDonald, Hall and Oates, Gloria Estefan, the Indigo Girls, Diana Krall, Itzhak Perlman, Natalie Merchant, Chris Isaak, Pink Martini, Brandi Carlile, The Decemberists, Martina McBride, Josh Ritter, Gloria Gaynor and others. The Los Angeles Times calls his orchestrations “…magnificent and colorful” while adding “…even more dimension…” to the compositions. Daily Variety heralds Sean’s writing as “most impressive …” with a “wide range of coloring in the orchestra…” that “…adds heft and rolling energy.
Through his growing number of commissioned and published works, Sean is excited to continue contributing to the rich history of orchestral and wind band literature. His music is published by Excelcia Music, Hal Leonard and Carl Fischer. He is a frequent guest conductor with professional orchestras around the country and abroad. An annual ASCAP Special Awards winner, Sean was a composition fellow at the Henry Mancini Institute in Los Angeles, and holds composition degrees from New England Conservatory and Syracuse University.
Sofronio Vasquez is the Champion of NBC’s The Voice USA Season 26. He is the first Asian male and first Filipino to win a top US singing competition.
Sofronio Vasquez lit up The Voice Season 26 with an unforgettable debut, delivering what NBC hailed as a “Dazzling Voice ...
Sofronio Vasquez is the Champion of NBC’s The Voice USA Season 26. He is the first Asian male and first Filipino to win a top US singing competition.
Sofronio Vasquez lit up The Voice Season 26 with an unforgettable debut, delivering what NBC hailed as a “Dazzling Voice Gets an INSTANT Four-Chair Turn” moment. His powerhouse rendition of Mary J. Blige’s “I’m Going Down” had all four coaches—Snoop Dogg, Michael Bublé, Reba McEntire, and Gwen Stefani—spinning their chairs in record time.
The coaches were in awe: Snoop declared, “This is soul. Your soul. Your spirit.” Gwen called it a “Grammy performance,” while Michael Bublé proclaimed, “This show was named after you. You are the voice.” Even the Queen of Country, Reba, chimed in, saying his voice “sounds like butter” and “touched my heart.”
The performance went viral within hours, racking up nearly 2 million views on Facebook, 600K on YouTube, and 650K plays on TikTok.
After dominating the Battle Round and The Knockouts, Sofronio continued his winning streak, ultimately being crowned The Voice Season 26 Champion. His powerful voice, dynamic stage presence, and unmatched versatility have cemented him as one of the most remarkable winners in the show’s history.
Sofronio also has a substantial online presence and following on social media platforms like TikTok, Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram. His videos have garnered millions of views. His viral cover of “That’s What Friends Are For” garnered over 9 Million views on Facebook, and his cover of “ Nothing’s Gonna Change my Love for you” had over 1 million views on TikTok.
Interim Pops Chorus Director, David J. Rudari, D.M.A. is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Ensembles Emeritus at Onondaga Community College (2024).
A native of Syracuse, Dr. Rudari earned the Bachelor of Music Education degree in Education from the School of Music at the State ...
Interim Pops Chorus Director, David J. Rudari, D.M.A. is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Ensembles Emeritus at Onondaga Community College (2024).
A native of Syracuse, Dr. Rudari earned the Bachelor of Music Education degree in Education from the School of Music at the State University of New York at Fredonia, the Master of Music in Voice Performance from the College Arts and Sciences, Division of Music at the University of Wyoming, and the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Voice Performance from the College of Creative Arts, West Virginia University.
He is an active Recitalist, Concert Soloist, Guest Conductor, Adjudicator, and Church Musician. Dr. Rudari has prepared and conducted Community and Collegiate Choirs for performances of multiple large choral works, including Messiah*, the Requiem settings of Mozart*, Fauré*, Brahms, Rutter*, and Duruflé, Symphony No. 9, (Beethoven), Mass in B Minor (Bach), Gloria (Poulenc), African Sanctus (Fanshawe), Five Mystical Songs (Vaughan Williams), Mass in G and Magnificat (Schubert), The Seven Last Words (Dubois)*, and St. Cecilia Mass (Gounod).
He served as Conductor of the Community Arts Orchestra of Morgantown, WV from 1996-2000, was Assistant Conductor for the North Country Music Society (1990-1995), and has served as Guest Conductor for many regional Festival Choruses in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York.
In 2018, Dr. Rudari received both the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Faculty Service, and the Civic Morning Musicals Paul F. and Veronica M. Abel Award for Outstanding Contributions in Choral Music.
In April, 2025. He began an annual series of week-long residencies as a Guest Artist at Bethany College, where he conducted a Tenebræ service and a performance of the Dubois Seven Last Words of Christ for the resident Chamber Choir and twenty-five College Choir Alumni.
* performances at Bethany College and other ensembles
+ performances in Public School and Bethany College
The Syracuse Pops Chorus has appeared regularly with The Syracuse Orchestra (formerly Symphoria) since 2004, in addition to performing its own full-length concerts throughout Central New York.
The chorus was originally formed as the Syracuse Symphony Pops Chorus when Lou Lemos, Syracuse Pops Chorus Founder and Director Emeritus, ...
The Syracuse Pops Chorus has appeared regularly with The Syracuse Orchestra (formerly Symphoria) since 2004, in addition to performing its own full-length concerts throughout Central New York.
The chorus was originally formed as the Syracuse Symphony Pops Chorus when Lou Lemos, Syracuse Pops Chorus Founder and Director Emeritus, was asked by the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra to assemble a chorus for a concert of John Williams’ music, subsequently performing many more concerts with the Orchestra.
Syracuse Pops Chorus repertoire consists largely of new choral arrangements of old standards, including patriotic anthems, holiday favorites, Broadway and movie music, and songs from the American Songbook.
The Syracuse Pops chorus continuously welcomes new members, all voice parts. Visit syracusepopschorus.org for more information about joining the chorus.
The Syracuse Community Gospel Chorus is comprised of some of Syracuse’s most talented gospel vocalists, assembled and lead by Cora Thomas.
The Syracuse Community Gospel Chorus is comprised of some of Syracuse’s most talented gospel vocalists, assembled and lead by Cora Thomas.
