Two fan favorite festive orchestral performances arrive in the Capital Region in the coming weeks. The Albany Symphony Orchestra (ASO) appearing at Albany’s Palace Theatre for the The Magic of Christmas series on Sunday, December 4th and at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall for the Holiday Classics on Saturday, December 10 and Sunday, December 11.
Groups of young, talented performers are being featured in the musical performance at the Palace Theater on Sunday, December 4, including The Music Studio and Capital District Youth Chorale, as well as the Boland School Dance, Ghanaian drumming group Gballoi and special guest narrator Walter Throne of the Albany Business Review.
GRAMMY Award-winning Albany Symphony Orchestra conductor David Alan Miller is leading the orchestra in both concert series, which includes directing classical musical pieces by J.S. Bach, W.A. Mozart, and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson included in Holiday Classics. “It’s always such a treat for us to present beautiful Baroque and Classical music in the glorious Troy Savings Bank Music Hall during the holiday season,” said David Alan Miller.
Mr. Miller went in further depth about his experience leading the ASO during the holiday season and music highlighted in prior and upcoming performance.
Heather Occhino: The Magic of Christmas and Holiday Classic show events are premiering at Albany’s Palace Theater and Troy Savings Bank. How long have you been the director of the Albany Symphony Orchestra?
David Alan Miller: 31 years
HO: Music by Mozart and Bach are going to be included in Holiday Classics. Do you think sharing classics, such as Mozart’s Symphony No. 39, on stage affects the audience size for each year Holiday Classics is premiered?
DAM: Yes, there are different pieces we play at different times of year. People love Baroque and Classical music, we tend to play them during the month of December. Hearing these pieces is a wonderful treat. The shows on the weekend of 12/10 includes music by Black American multi-genre music composer, Coleridge Taylor Perkinson.
HO: Is Holiday Classics the first performance where musicians belonging to your ensemble are highlighting historically known performances part of the concert series?
DAM: No, we feature musicians during every season.
HO: Do other musical troupes other than the Albany Symphony Orchestra typically join shows you direct?
DAM: Yes, particularly in Magic of Christmas; 8-9 groups are joining this performance-an African drumming group, a children’s chorus, which are important particularly for Holiday programs. Young opera singers from Bard College are joining on the shows Dec. 10-11.
HO: A special appearance by Santa is featured in the Magic of Christmas. What do you think this will mean for the children of your audience?
DAM: We want to make it as much fun as possible for kids. We pick kids’ names out of a hat and conduct “Jingle Bells” on stage and do big sing alongs with the whole audience-we want to make the performance as engaging as possible.
Buy Magic of Christmas and Holiday Classic tickets here.
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