Holiday Spectacular Concert at TAMIU Sunday at 4 p.m.

The sounds of the season will ring through this Sunday with the presentation the “Holiday Spectacular Concert” at 4 p.m. in Texas A&M International University’s (TAMIU) Center for the Fine and Performing Arts’ Recital Hall.

Admission is free of charge and open to the public.

The concert is offered by the Laredo Philharmonic Chorale, TAMIU Chorale, Combined College Orchestra, TAMIU Brass Quintet, and members of the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra.

 The afternoon’s musical festivity will feature traditional Christmas carols, orchestral pops, and excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker, ” Handel’s “Messiah” and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.

“This is the music that so many of us grew up with… bringing it to life on the stage at TAMIU is a very special opportunity,” said Gloria Flores, president of the Laredo Philharmonic Chorale.

Special guest soloist will be Dana Crabtree, TAMIU instructor of voice.

Crabtree is no stranger to the stage in Laredo, most recently collaborating on a recital for voice and piano with Dr. Fritz Gechter, associate professor of piano and producing the TAMIU Opera Workshop production of Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro” last Spring.

She has performed extensively in both the United States and Europe and has been a soloist many times with the Laredo Philharmonic Chorale.

Leading the effort is music director Brendan Townsend who created a program of music that will have broad appeal across many musical genres. His programming talents were recognized earlier this year with the ASCAP Award for Innovative Programming from the League of American Orchestras.

In 2005, after 20 years of independence, the Laredo Philharmonic Chorale entered into a collaborative agreement with TAMIU to find a permanent home at the Center for the Fine and Performing Arts.

Since then, the Chorale has met together with the students enrolled in the TAMIU Chorale, rehearsing together to produce regular concerts.           

Combined, the group performed a memorable “Messiah” last December and were featured in the acclaimed performance of Lowell Liebermann’s Second Symphony with the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra this Spring.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu