Press Release: Celebrate the Holidays with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra
MODESTO, CA - The Modesto Symphony Orchestra’s (MSO) holiday concerts offer fun for the entire family. Complete with holiday décor and your favorite carols, the MSO’s holiday concerts have become community favorites. The first of the MSO’s two holiday concerts is Holiday Pops! on Friday, December 1, 2023 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, December 2, 2023 at the Gallo Center for the Arts. Conducted by Principal Pops Conductor Ryan Murray, this lively and festive concert features Broadway star Ashley Brown and the MSO Chorus. The Holiday Candlelight Concert will be held on December 19, 2023 at 8 pm in a new location, Our Lady of Fatima Church at 505 W. Granger Ave. in Modesto. MSO Chorus Director, Daniel R. Afonso Jr., will conduct this traditional holiday concert and Our Lady of Fatima Church is the perfect setting for a more intimate concert that will also feature the MSO Chorus and the Opus Handbell Ensemble.
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Contact:
Caroline Nickel
cnickel@modestosymphony.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / November 1, 2023
(Pictured from left to right; top row: Ryan Murray, Principal Pops Conductor; Daniel R. Afonso Jr., MSO Chorus Director; Ashley Brown, guest vocalist; bottom row: Holiday Pops! at the Gallo Center for the Arts; Holiday Candlelight Concert)
Celebrate the Holidays with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra
Holiday Pops! with Ashley Brown – December 1 & 2, 2023
Holiday Candlelight Concert – December 19, 2023
MODESTO, CA - The Modesto Symphony Orchestra’s (MSO) holiday concerts offer fun for the entire family. Complete with holiday décor and your favorite carols, the MSO’s holiday concerts have become community favorites. The first of the MSO’s two holiday concerts is Holiday Pops! on Friday, December 1, 2023 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, December 2, 2023 at the Gallo Center for the Arts. Conducted by Principal Pops Conductor Ryan Murray, this lively and festive concert features Broadway star Ashley Brown and the MSO Chorus. The Holiday Candlelight Concert will be held on December 19, 2023 at 8 pm in a new location, Our Lady of Fatima Church at 505 W. Granger Ave. in Modesto. MSO Chorus Director, Daniel R. Afonso Jr., will conduct this traditional holiday concert and Our Lady of Fatima Church is the perfect setting for a more intimate concert that will also feature the MSO Chorus and the Opus Handbell Ensemble.
“I’m so looking forward to Holiday Pops this year! It’s always such a wonderful celebration of the holiday season and a great chance for us all to come together as a community!” says Ryan Murray, Principal Pops Conductor for the Modesto Symphony Orchestra. “I’m thrilled that Ashley Brown will be returning this year as our guest soloist. We had such great fun last time Ashley was here and she is truly an incredible performer. She has some fantastic music in store for all of you! I can’t wait to share all this terrific holiday music with you and can’t wait to be on stage with our incredible Modesto Symphony, Modesto Symphony Chorus, and Ashley Brown!”
Holiday Pops headliner, Ashley Brown, returns to Modesto after last performing with the MSO in 2017. Ashley is best known for originating the role of the titular character in the Broadway production of Mary Poppins, for which she received Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, and Drama Desk award nominations. She has performed with many top orchestras in North America, including the Boston Bops, the New York Philharmonic, and The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra at Disney Hall.
“The holiday season is always a special time for the MSO,” says Caroline Nickel, President and CEO of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra. “We hope that both our Holiday Pops! and Holiday Candlelight Concert can bring a little extra warmth and joy to our community. It’s a special feeling being able to take the time to slow down and spend time with friends and family during the holiday season and each year we look forward to extending that feeling to our audiences.”
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Holiday Pops!
Friday, December 1, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, December 2, 2023 at 2 pm
Ryan Murray, conductor
Ashley Brown, vocalist
Modesto Symphony Orchestra
Modesto Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Daniel R. Afonso Jr., director
Gallo Center for the Arts, Mary Stuart Rogers Theater
1000 I Street, Modesto
Tickets
Pricing: $20 / 36 / 52 / 72 / 94
Tickets are available online through ModestoSymphony.org or through the Gallo Center for the Arts Ticket Office at (209) 338-2100.
Group Prices available: Groups of 10+ receive a 15% discount on tickets. Call (209) 338-5064 for more information.
Gallo Center Ticket Office Hours: Monday through Friday 10:00am-6:00pm / Saturday 12:00pm-6:00pm
Concert Sponsored by: Beard LAnd & Investment Co.
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Holiday Candlelight Concert
Tuesday, December 20, 2022 at 8:00 pm
Daniel R. Afonso Jr., conductor
Modesto Symphony Orchestra
Modesto Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Daniel R. Afonso Jr., director
Opus Handbell Ensemble, Richard Colla, director
Our Lady of Fatima Church
505 W. Granger Avenue, Modesto
TICKETS:
Pricing:
Adult: $39 / 59
Youth: $10 / 20
Tickets are available online through ModestoSymphony.org or through the Gallo Center for the Arts Ticket Office at (209) 338-2100.
Group Prices available: Groups of 10+ receive a 15% discount on Standard Adult seating. Call (209) 338-5064 for more information.
Ticket Office Hours: Monday through Friday 10:00am-6:00pm / Saturday 12:00pm-6:00pm
Artist Bios
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The Modesto Symphony Orchestra is a Resident Company of The Gallo Center for the Arts. The DoubleTree Hotel is the official hotel of the MSO.
Press Release: Modesto Symphony Orchestra Performs Mozart Requiem May 12 & 13
MODESTO, CA – The Modesto Symphony Orchestra (MSO) will be led by conductor Anthony Parnther for their Mozart Requiem concerts on May 12 & 13, 2023 at the Gallo Center for the Arts. The weekend’s program will open with Mozart’s Requiem in D minor, K. 626, featuring the MSO Chorus, directed by Daniel R. Afonso Jr. The Requiem will also feature guest soloists: soprano Jennifer Lindsay, mezzo-soprano Maria Dominique Lopez, tenor Orson Van Gay, II, and baritone Zachary Gordin. The program will conclude with Florence Price’s Symphony No. 3 in C minor. This symphony is a tribute to Price’s heritage, with influences of blues, jazz, ragtime, and the third movement is a Juba, a dance style created by central Africans enslaved on plantations in the American South.
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Contact:
Caroline Nickel
209) 523-4156
cnickel@modestosymphony.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / April 5, 2023
(Pictured from left to right: Anthony Parnther, conductor; MSO Chorus)
Modesto Symphony Orchestra Performs Mozart Requiem May 12 & 13
May 12 & 13 – Modesto Symphony Orchestra performs Mozart’s Requiem & Florence Price’s Symphony No. 3
May 13 – Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra performs their Season finale Concert
MODESTO, CA – The Modesto Symphony Orchestra (MSO) will be led by conductor Anthony Parnther for their Mozart Requiem concerts on May 12 & 13, 2023 at the Gallo Center for the Arts. The weekend’s program will open with Mozart’s Requiem in D minor, K. 626, featuring the MSO Chorus, directed by Daniel R. Afonso Jr. The Requiem will also feature guest soloists: soprano Jennifer Lindsay, mezzo-soprano Maria Dominique Lopez, tenor Orson Van Gay, II, and baritone Zachary Gordin. The program will conclude with Florence Price’s Symphony No. 3 in C minor. This symphony is a tribute to Price’s heritage, with influences of blues, jazz, ragtime, and the third movement is a Juba, a dance style created by central Africans enslaved on plantations in the American South.
“This will be the first time since May 2019 that our MSO Chorus has performed in our Classics Series and we're really excited to be able to bring the full force of the Chorus with the MSO back on stage for such a monumental piece,” says Caroline Nickel, President and CEO of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra. “We are extremely proud of the MSO Chorus and can’t wait for the community to experience Mozart’s choral masterpiece filled with dramatic, ritualistic, and hopeful beauty.”
“We are also thrilled to invite Anthony Parnther to Modesto, who not only has a strong symphonic background but also has conducted and worked on many well-known projects that many will be familiar with,” says Nickel. “Recently, Anthony led the Hollywood Studio Symphony in recording sessions for Avatar: The Way of the Water, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Star Wars: The Mandalorian, and more.”
This weekend also includes the Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra (MSYO) in their Season Finale Concert on May 13th. The MSYO comprises two orchestras with students from grades 5 through 12 and is led by a deeply engaged leadership team. Their Spring Concert will feature works by Bach, Copland, Massenet, and more. Learn more about the MSYO at ModestoSymphony.org/about-msyo.
The MSO is also excited to announce free Youth tickets for the MSYO’s Season Finale concert made possible by a generous donation from Robert & Martha Falzone. All youth ages 17 and younger interested in attending the MSYO Season Finale concert can attend for free. Free youth tickets are only available in person from the Gallo Center Ticket Office at 1000 I Street, Modesto.
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
MOZART REQUIEM
Friday, May 12, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Anthony Parnther, conductor
MSO Chorus, Daniel R. Afonso Jr., chorus director
Jennifer Lindsay, soprano
Maria Dominique Lopez, mezzo-soprano
Orson Van Gay, II, tenor
Zachary Gordin, baritone
PROGRAM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem, K. 626
Florence Price: Symphony No. 3 in C minor
Gallo Center for the Arts, Mary Stuart Rogers Theater
1000 I Street, Modesto
Tickets
Pricing: $19 / 29 / 39 / 49 / 69 / 94
Student Ticket Pricing
$12 student tickets are available at the Gallo Center Ticket Office. Students can purchase two $12 tickets with their student ID.
Artist Bios
MODESTO SYMPHONY Youth ORCHESTRA
Season finale concert
Saturday, May 13 2023, at 2:00 pm
Donald Grishaw, MSYO Concert Orchestra Conductor
Wayland Whitney, MSYO Symphony Orchestra Conductor
Program to include works by Bach, Copland, Massenet, and more!
Gallo Center for the Arts, Mary Stuart Rogers Theater
1000 I Street, Modesto
Tickets:
Adult: $14
Youth: Free! (See youth ticket information below)
All youth ages 17 and younger interested in attending the MSYO Season Finale concert can attend for free! Free youth tickets are only available in person from the Gallo Center Ticket Office at 1000 I Street, Modesto.
All youth tickets for the MSYO Season Finale Concert have been generously sponsored by Robert & Martha Falzone.
Artist Bios
Ticketing Information
Tickets are available online through ModestoSymphony.org or through the Gallo Center for the Arts Ticket Office at (209) 338-2100.
Group Prices available: Groups of 10+ receive a 15% discount on tickets. Call (209) 338-5064 for more information.
Gallo Center Ticket Office Hours: Monday through Friday 10:00am-6:00pm / Saturday 12:00pm-6:00pm
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The Modesto Symphony Orchestra is a Resident Company of The Gallo Center for the Arts. The DoubleTree Hotel is the official hotel of the MSO.
Press Release: Celebrate the Holidays with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra
MODESTO, CA – The Modesto Symphony Orchestra’s (MSO) holiday concerts offer fun for the entire family. Complete with holiday décor and your favorite carols, the MSO’s holiday concerts have become community favorites. The first of the MSO’s two holiday concerts is Holiday Pops! on Friday, December 2nd at 7:30 pm and Saturday, December 3rd at 2pm at the Gallo Center for the Arts. Conducted by Principal Pops Conductor Ryan Murray, this lively and festive concert features Broadway star Nikki Renée Daniels and the MSO Chorus. The Holiday Candlelight Concert will be held on December 20th at the St. Stanislaus Catholic Church. MSO Chorus Director, Daniel R. Afonso Jr., will conduct this traditional holiday concert and St. Stanislaus Church is the perfect setting for a more intimate concert that will also feature the MSO Chorus.
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Contact:
Caroline Nickel
cnickel@modestosymphony.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / November 3, 2022
(Pictured from left to right: Ryan Murray, Principal Pops Conductor; Daniel R. Afonso Jr., MSO Chorus Director; Nikki Renée Daniels, guest vocalist; Holiday Pops! at the Gallo Center for the Arts; Holiday Candlelight Concert at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church)
Celebrate the Holidays with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra
Holiday Pops! with Nikki Renée Daniels – December 2nd & 3rd
Holiday Candlelight Concert – December 20th
MODESTO, CA – The Modesto Symphony Orchestra’s (MSO) holiday concerts offer fun for the entire family. Complete with holiday décor and your favorite carols, the MSO’s holiday concerts have become community favorites. The first of the MSO’s two holiday concerts is Holiday Pops! on Friday, December 2nd at 7:30 pm and Saturday, December 3rd at 2pm at the Gallo Center for the Arts. Conducted by Principal Pops Conductor Ryan Murray, this lively and festive concert features Broadway star Nikki Renée Daniels and the MSO Chorus. The Holiday Candlelight Concert will be held on December 20th at the St. Stanislaus Catholic Church. MSO Chorus Director, Daniel R. Afonso Jr., will conduct this traditional holiday concert and St. Stanislaus Church is the perfect setting for a more intimate concert that will also feature the MSO Chorus.
"I'm really looking forward to this annual MSO tradition. It is so much fun to share our Holiday Pops concert with everyone in our community, and I'm excited about our great soloist Nikki Renée Daniels,” says Ryan Murray, Principal Pops Conductor for the Modesto Symphony Orchestra. “I'm also thrilled that our MSO chorus will be back with us onstage this year! It's going to be a wonderful and fun concert and I can't wait to kick off the holiday season with all of you!”
Holiday Pops headliner, Nikki Renée Daniels, has performed with numerous major American orchestras including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops, the Philly Pops, the New York Pops, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and the San Francisco Symphony. Nikki recently starred in the Tony Award winning revival of Company, Hamilton (Angelica Schuyler) in Chicago, and The Book of Mormon (Nagulungi) on Broadway. Other Broadway credits include Porgy and Bess, Les Miserablés, Little Shop of Horrors, and Anything Goes.
“This year’s holiday concerts will be very reminiscent of the past, but with a couple welcomed additions” says Caroline Nickel, President and CEO of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra. “Our Holiday Pops concert will mark the start Ryan Murray’s first Pops Series as our new Principal Pops Conductor. Ryan has led several of our Pops concerts in the past, and we’re excited to see him in this new role. Plus, this year we welcome the MSO Chorus back to the stage for Holiday Pops! Last year they recorded a wonderful video performance, but we missed the energy of having them perform live with the orchestra. All in all, it will feel like the MSO is getting back to normal and with a new energy and outlook for the future.”
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Holiday Pops!
Friday, December 2, 2022 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, December 3, 2022 at 2 pm
Ryan Murray, conductor
Nikki Renée Daniels, vocalist
Modesto Symphony Orchestra
Modesto Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Daniel R. Afonso Jr., director
Gallo Center for the Arts, Mary Stuart Rogers Theater
1000 I Street, Modesto
Tickets
Pricing: $19 / 29/ 39 / 49 / 69 / 94
Tickets are available online through ModestoSymphony.org or through the Gallo Center for the Arts Ticket Office at (209) 338-2100.
Group Prices available: Groups of 10+ receive a 15% discount on tickets. Call (209) 338-5064 for more information.
Gallo Center Ticket Office Hours: Monday through Friday 10:00am-6:00pm / Saturday 12:00pm-6:00pm
CONCERT SPONSORED BY:
Artist Bios
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Holiday Candlelight Concert
Tuesday, December 20, 2022 at 8:00 pm
Daniel R. Afonso Jr., conductor
Modesto Symphony Orchestra
Modesto Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Daniel R. Afonso Jr., director
Opus Handbell Ensemble, Richard Colla, director
St. Stanislaus Catholic Church
1200 Maze Boulevard, Modesto
TICKETS:
Pricing:
Adult: $38 / 58
Youth: $10 / 20
Tickets are available online through ModestoSymphony.org or through the Gallo Center for the Arts Ticket Office at (209) 338-2100.
Group Prices available: Groups of 10+ receive a 15% discount on Standard Adult seating. Call (209) 338-5064 for more information.
Ticket Office Hours: Monday through Friday 10:00am-6:00pm / Saturday 12:00pm-6:00pm
Artist Bios
###
The Modesto Symphony Orchestra is a Resident Company of The Gallo Center for the Arts. The DoubleTree Hotel is the official hotel of the MSO.
Press Release: Celebrate the Holidays with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra
MODESTO, CA - The Modesto Symphony Orchestra’s (MSO) holiday concerts offer fun for the entire family. Complete with holiday décor and your favorite carols, the MSO’s holiday concerts have become community favorites. The MSO kicks off its holiday concerts with Holiday Pops! on Friday, December 3rd at 7:30 pm and Saturday, December 4th at 2pm. Conducted by Associate Conductor Ryan Murray, this lively and festive concert features Broadway star Ali Ewoldt and the MSO Chorus. The Holiday Candlelight Concert will be held on December 21st at the St. Stanislaus Catholic Church. MSO Chorus Director, Daniel R. Afonso Jr., will conduct this traditional holiday concert and St. Stanislaus Church is the perfect setting for a more intimate concert that will also feature the MSO Chorus.
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Contact:
Caroline Nickel
(209) 523-4156
cnickel@modestosymphony.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / NOVEMBER 16, 2021
Click to download high-resolution photos
Celebrate the Holidays with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra
Holiday Pops! with Ali Ewoldt – December 3rd & 4th
Holiday Candlelight Concert – December 21st
Modesto Symphony Orchestra to offer free tickets to healthcare workers for Holiday Pops concerts
MODESTO, CA - The Modesto Symphony Orchestra’s (MSO) holiday concerts offer fun for the entire family. Complete with holiday décor and your favorite carols, the MSO’s holiday concerts have become community favorites. The MSO kicks off its holiday concerts with Holiday Pops! on Friday, December 3rd at 7:30 pm and Saturday, December 4th at 2pm. Conducted by Associate Conductor Ryan Murray, this lively and festive concert features Broadway star Ali Ewoldt and the MSO Chorus. The Holiday Candlelight Concert will be held on December 21st at the St. Stanislaus Catholic Church. MSO Chorus Director, Daniel R. Afonso Jr., will conduct this traditional holiday concert and St. Stanislaus Church is the perfect setting for a more intimate concert that will also feature the MSO Chorus.
Holiday Pops headliner, Ali Ewoldt, has performed with numerous major American orchestras including the American Pops Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Kaohsiung Symphony, the New York Pops in Carnegie Hall, and The Boston Pops with Maestro Keith Lockhart. On Broadway, Ali has appeared in The King and I, in The Phantom of the Opera as Christine Daaé, and in Les Misérables as Cosette.
“The holiday season is always a special time for the MSO” says Caroline Nickel, President and CEO of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra. “This year is extra special for all of us at the MSO as it is also our first time back on stage with our full orchestra since March 2020. We hope that both our Holiday Pops and Holiday Candlelight Concert can bring a little extra warmth, joy, and festiveness to our community.”
The MSO would like to honor our healthcare workers who worked tirelessly to support our community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. To show gratitude and appreciation for their efforts, the MSO is offering free tickets to local healthcare workers for the December 3rd and 4th Holiday Pops concerts. To participate in this program, please visit ModestoSymphony.org/healthcare and complete the online form.
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, HOLIDAY POPS!
Friday, December 3, 2021 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, December 4th, 2021 at 2:00pm
Ryan Murray, conductor
Ali Ewoldt, vocalist
Modesto Symphony Orchestra
Modesto Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Daniel R. Afonso Jr., director
Gallo Center for the Arts, Mary Stuart Rogers Theater
1000 I Street, Modesto
TICKETS:
Pricing: $19 / 39 / 54 / 71 / 94
Tickets are available online through ModestoSymphony.org or through the Gallo Center for the Arts Ticket Office at (209) 338-2100.
Group Prices available: Groups of 10+ receive a 15% discount on tickets. Call (209) 338-5064 for more information.
Gallo Center Ticket Office Hours: Monday through Friday 10:00am-6:00pm / Saturday 12:00pm-6:00pm
Artist Biographies
Presenting Sponsor:
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, HOLIDAY CANDLELIGHT CONCERT
Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at 8:00 pm
Daniel R. Afonso Jr., conductor
Modesto Symphony Orchestra
Modesto Symphony Orchestra Chorus,
Daniel R. Afonso Jr., director
Opus Handbell Ensemble, Richard Colla, director
St. Stanislaus Catholic Church
1200 Maze Boulevard, Modesto
TICKETS:
Pricing:
Adult: $38 / 58
Youth: $10 / 20
Tickets are available online through ModestoSymphony.org or through the Gallo Center for the Arts Ticket Office at (209) 338-2100.
Group Prices available: Groups of 10+ receive a 15% discount on Standard Adult seating. Call (209) 338-5064 for more information.
Ticket Office Hours: Monday through Friday 10:00am-6:00pm / Saturday 12:00pm-6:00pm
Artist Biography
###
The Modesto Symphony Orchestra is a Resident Company of the Gallo Center for the Arts
The DoubleTree Hotel is the official hotel of the MSO