The Alexandria Symphony Orchestra (ASO) will present a holiday program, “Jingle!” Saturday, Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center and Sunday, Dec. 18 at 3 p.m. at the George Washington Masonic Memorial.
On Dec. 17, ASO welcomes back dancers from BalletNOVA to the Schlesinger stage where they will perform excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. Both Saturday and Sunday concerts will also include selections from Duke Ellington’s The Nutcracker Suite. Soprano Helena Colindres will sing traditional and popular holiday favorites: a Swedish carol, a selection from Handel’s Messiah and Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You. Leroy Anderson’s A Christmas Festival, popular film scores, and an audience sing-along will add cheer to the season. The concerts are family-friendly, interactive and presented with no intermission. Parking is free at both of ASO’s conveniently-located venues.
Helena Colindres is a nonbinary versatile vocalist, educator and activist of Nawataketza ancestry. As a rising opera vocalist, they have performed roles such as die Königin from Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, the Governess in Britten’s Turn of the Screw, and Despina in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte. Helena is passionate about fighting for marginalized people and feels blessed that they get to build community through their art, teaching, and organizing every day.
BalletNova Center for Dance has long been recognized as one of the premier dance training centers in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. region. The organization, now with over 1,300 students, is based on elements from the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum syllabus across all levels of children’s pre-professional classical ballet curriculum.
"Our special guests include both BalletNova creating some Nutcracker magic on the lip of our stage on Saturday, and the fabulous non-binary soprano of Salvadoran heritage, Helena Colindres, a recent graduate of the Peabody Institute and a rising superstar,” says ASO Music Director James Ross. “Helena can, does, and will sing anything! Beloved Lester Green will be our narrator for The Night Before Christmas in a new mashup with a theme from Harry Potter. Jingle indeed!"
Adult prices for single tickets start at $20, and all tickets for youth are priced at $5, making ASO concerts affordable for families. Military, senior and group discounts are also available in select sections. Seating is very limited at the George Washington Masonic Memorial and is almost sold out, so book your tickets early. Visit www.alexsym.org or call (703) 548-0885 for more information.
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS - Jingle!
James Ross, Music Director
Helena Colindres, soprano
BalletNova (Saturday only)
ANDERSON: A Christmas Festival
HANDEL: “Rejoice Greatly” from Messiah
TCHAIKOVSKY: Excerpts from The Nutcracker
ELLINGTON: Excerpts from The Nutcracker Suite
MORRICONE: “Gabriel’s Oboe” from The Mission
WILLIAMS: “Hedwig’s Theme” from Harry Potter
CAREY/AFANASIEFF: All I Want for Christmas is You
Also on the schedule: Sing-along holiday carols and surprises!
Tickets: Adult tickets start at $20. Student tickets $15 (with ID). Youth tickets $5 The mysterious "red violin" — the very instrument that is said to have inspired the Academy Award-winning 1998 film The Red Violin — will be played live on stage as... more(age 18 & under) with adult purchase. Military, senior and group discounts available in select selections. Purchase at www.alexsym.org or call 703-548-0885.
Free parking provided by the ASO at both venues. The Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center is accessible by Metro bus lines 7A, 7B, 7F, 7Y, 25A, 25C and 25E, as well as DASH bus line AT6. The George Washington Masonic Memorial is accessible by the Blue and Yellow metro line (King Street station), numerous Metro, Dash and Richmond Highway Express bus lines, and the King Street Trolley in Old Town, Alexandria.