Bring family and friends together to experience Symphoria’s annual Holiday Pops! This year, we welcome back local vocalist Katie Weber as well as the Syracuse Pops Chorus under the direction of Lou Lemos.
PROGRAM
O’LOUGHLIN: Christmas Exhilaration
HOLCOMBE: Festive Sounds of Hanukkah
POLA & WYLE (Arr. Hayes): It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
GANNON & KENT: I’ll Be Home for Christmas
MARTIN & BLANE: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
SMITH (Arr. Kempers): Oh Lord, How Majestic Is Your Name
SMALLWOOD: Total Praise
O’LOUGHLIN: Let the Music Move You
INTERMISSION
FRIEDRICHS: New Work
HATHAWAY: This Christmas
FOSTER & THOMPSON-JENNER (Arr. Hayes): Grown Up Christmas List
REGNEY & SHAYNE (Arr. Sterling): Do You Hear What I Hear?
O’LOUGHLIN: Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus
ANDERSON: Sleigh Ride
THURSTON: One Voice
Thanks to our sponsors for this performance!
Thanks to our media sponsors for this performance!
FEATURED ARTISTS
Mezzo Soprano Kay Weber (fondly known as Katie) has been described as a dynamic and moving performer, with a commitment to text, musicality, and communication through music. “Weber possesses a formidable instrument, with a highly melodious but penetrating timbre.”
Kay made her Off-Broadway Debut in Sweetee A ...
Mezzo Soprano Kay Weber (fondly known as Katie) has been described as a dynamic and moving performer, with a commitment to text, musicality, and communication through music. “Weber possesses a formidable instrument, with a highly melodious but penetrating timbre.”
Kay made her Off-Broadway Debut in Sweetee A New Musical directed by Emmy Award Winner Pat Birch at the Signature Theater at Pershing Square Theater Complex. Other Off-Off Broadway productions include Icons/Idols at Opera America and the New Ohio Theater (dir. Colette Roberts), and Henry Box Brown and The Dizzy Gillespie Theater (dir. Mehr Mansuri).
Staged readings include: Kerrigan and Lowdermilk’s Republic, Stephanie Sandberg’s Mezzo, Helen Banner/Grace Oberhofer’s Tetrology Icon’s/Idols, Brad Ross’ Michael Strogoff, Grace Oberhofer’s A Doll’s House: A New Opera at The Tank Theater as Dr. Rank, and a second production of A Doll’s House at Central Square Theater in Boston as Christine Lindt.
She performed as Dorabella in scenes from Cosi fan tutte for a short film directed by Dara Melina in The Plaiedes Product inaugural project.
The Syracuse Pops Chorus formed in 2004, when the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra asked Lou Lemos to put together a chorus for a concert of music by John Williams. Lou Lemos subsequently prepared the group for many critically acclaimed performances with the SSO. Since 2011, the now-independent Syracuse Pops Chorus has sung ...
The Syracuse Pops Chorus formed in 2004, when the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra asked Lou Lemos to put together a chorus for a concert of music by John Williams. Lou Lemos subsequently prepared the group for many critically acclaimed performances with the SSO. Since 2011, the now-independent Syracuse Pops Chorus has sung regularly with Symphoria, Central New York’s professional orchestra. In addition, the Syracuse Pops Chorus has performed a variety of concerts on its own and with other partner groups.
Repertoire consists largely of new choral arrangements of old standards: patriotic anthems, holiday favorites, Broadway and movie music, and songs from the American Songbook. Lou Lemos, a graduate of the Crane School of Music is the director of the Syracuse Pops Chorus. Lou holds a degree in voice and instrumental music. At Crane, he also studied conducting with Brock McElheran.
The Syracuse Pops chorus is continuously welcoming 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 most talented gospel vocalists, assembled and lead by Cora Thomas.
The Syracuse Community Gospel Chorus is comprised of some of Syracuse most talented gospel vocalists, assembled and lead by Cora Thomas.
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.