THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY USHERS IN THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH FESTIVE CONCERTS FOR ALL AGES
PERFORMANCES WITH THE ORCHESTRA INCLUDE DISNEY'S THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL, A BRAND-NEW CHRISTMAS CONCERT WITH RENÉE ELISE GOLDSBERRY, HANDEL'S MESSIAH, HOLIDAY POPS, NEW YEAR'S EVE WITH THE HOT SARDINES & MORE
Seattle, WA – Embrace the magic of the holidays and join the Seattle Symphony at Benaroya Hall for a joyful array of concerts designed to delight audiences of all ages. This season, experience beloved holiday traditions and seasonal favorites, including two performances of the annual Family Concerts Series presentation of The Snowman accompanied live by the Symphony, Tiny Tots, Holiday Pops, Handel’s Messiah and A Festival of Lessons and Carols.
For the cherished tradition of Handel’s Messiah, the Symphony will be joined by the Seattle Symphony Chorale and an all-star cast of guest soloists: soprano Myriam Leblanc, mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano, tenor Andrew Haji and bass-baritone Kevin Deas.
The holiday cheer continues with more festive concerts, from Tony Award®-winning singer Renée Elise Goldsberry with the Seattle Symphony and Disney's The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert Live to Film with the Seattle Symphony, to New Year’s Eve with The Hot Sardines. Dress to impress and join conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez, the Seattle Symphony and The Hot Sardines for a jazz revival party at Benaroya Hall as we close out 2025 in style.
Holiday Concerts
December 5–7: A holiday classic comes to Benaroya Hall this season as Disney's The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert Live to Film with the Seattle Symphony hits the big screen, with Thiago Tiberio on the podium. This beloved adaptation of Dickens’ timeless tale features Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit and Michael Caine as Scrooge.
December 6: Celebrate the holidays with a family favorite — the magical film The Snowman, where a young boy’s snowman comes to life and whisks him away to the North Pole. Arrive 60 minutes early for free crafts and instrument discovery in the Samuel & Althea Stroum Grand Lobby, with concert accessories like fidgets, wobble cushions and noise-reducing headphones available to check out. Due to popular demand, the orchestra presents two back-to-back performances of the Saturday program.
December 10: Tony Award winner Renée Elise Goldsberry — best known for her star-making role as Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton — arrives for An Evening with Renée Elise Goldsberry and the Seattle Symphony, featuring the world premiere of her brand-new Christmas concert.
December 12 & 13: Celebrate the holiday season with music and movement at The Winds: Winter Wonderland! Arrive 30 minutes early for free Tiny Tots pre-concert activities, including instrument discovery, crafts, a reading station and a percussion play area in the Samuel & Althea Stroum Grand Lobby. Concert accessory options such as fidgets, wobble cushions, noise-reducing headphones and a quiet entrance are available for all ages.
December 12–14: Seattle favorite Stuart Chafetz returns to Benaroya Hall to conduct Holiday Pops, a dazzling program full of popular holiday favorites and festive cheer — from “Jingle Bells” and “O Holy Night” to “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and more, featuring Broadway vocalists Ryan Silverman and Scarlett Strallen.
December 13, 19, 20 & 23: The Seattle Men’s Chorus stages its annual holiday spectacular, featuring seasonal classics, Christmas comedy, dancing and a sing-along. It’s the holliest, jolliest time of the year!
December 18, 20 & 21: An unparalleled December tradition, Handel’s Messiah returns, this year with conductor Nicolas Ellis. Showcasing exquisite choral writing and the exultant “Hallelujah” chorus, an acclaimed cast of soloists and the Seattle Symphony Chorale join the orchestra in honoring one of Handel’s greatest works.
December 22: In A Festival of Lessons & Carols, the Northwest Boychoir conducted by Artistic Director Jacob Winkler presents the story of the Nativity told through reading, choral setting and audience sing-alongs.
December 31: Dress to impress and join the Seattle Symphony for New Year’s Eve with The Hot Sardines. Conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez and The Hot Sardines join the orchestra to perform jazz covers and originals, channeling the music from New York speakeasies, Parisian cabarets and New Orleans jazz halls, to help close out 2025 in style. Directly following the concert, kick up your heels and stay for our New Year’s Eve party, with swing dancing, champagne and revelry in the Samuel & Althea Stroum Grand Lobby as we count down to midnight and ring in 2026 together.
January 2: Step into the world of Mississippi Delta Blues with a one-night-only presentation of Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience. This cinematic concert experience features immersive visuals and the legendary voice of Academy Award-winning cinema legend Morgan Freeman. Conductor Martin Gellner joins the Seattle Symphony to merge the sounds of the blues with the grandeur of orchestral music.
Ticket Information
For more information on tickets, visit seattlesymphony.org or contact the Seattle Symphony Ticket Office. The Seattle Symphony Ticket Office is located in Benaroya Hall, at Third Avenue and Union Street. The Ticket Office can be reached by phone at 206.215.4747 during the following times: Tuesday–Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
SUNNY XIA | CONDUCTOR
Recognized for her innate musicality, compelling presence and technical precision, conductor Sunny Xuecong Xia’s ability to forge an immediate and captivating connection with orchestras and audiences alike has led to engagements around the country. Xia began her position as the Assistant Conductor of the Seattle Symphony in September 2022 and has served as the Douglas F. King Associate Conductor since the start of the 2023/2024 season, a role she continues in the 2025/2026 season. She also takes on three new positions in the 2025/2026 season: Associate Conductor of the Seattle Opera, Principal Conductor of the Ozark Music Festival and Conducting Fellow of the San Diego Symphony. Recent engagements include performances with the San Diego Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Seattle Opera, Baltimore Symphony, New Jersey Symphony and Chandler Opera Theater. A dynamic advocate for contemporary music, Xia led the Seattle Symphony in works by Samuel Adams, Quinn Mason, Reena Esmail, Jerod Impichcha̱achaaha' Tate, Bruce Ruddell, Gabriela Ortiz, Gabriella Smith, Paul Chihara, Tan Dun and others, as well as the world premiere of former Composer in Residence Angelique Poteat’s climate change-inspired Dear Humanity for Youth Chorus and Orchestra.
THIAGO TIBERIO | CONDUCTOR
A sensitive, precise, energetic talent with a budding international career, maestro Thiago Tiberio is often praised by his peers for mature musicianship, clarity of expression and accurate technique. His classical, operatic and film music career includes work with orchestras in the U.S., Canada, Italy, Germany, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Turkey, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Brazil and Argentina, to name a few. Working extensively in live-to-picture synchronization concerts, Tiberio premiered Star Wars in Concert in France, Portugal, Brazil and Argentina; Coco in Concert in the U.S.; The Sound of Magic and Fantasia in Italy; Beauty and the Beast in Georgia; Lion King and Toy Story in Qatar; Cinema Paradiso in Switzerland and Taiwan; and La La Land in Turkey and China. He has also conducted world premieres of his own adaptations of Paddington (England), How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Grease (U.S.), Call Me By Your Name (Korea), and Cinema Paradiso and Love Actually (Japan). Tiberio’s stage work include orchestration, synchronization, music direction and conducting the premieres of Magia y Sinfonía (2022) and Disney 100 (2023) for Disney Latin America.
STUART CHAFETZ | CONDUCTOR
Stuart Chafetz is the Principal Pops Conductor of the Columbus Symphony and Principal Pops Conductor of the Chautauqua and Marin Symphonies. Chafetz, a conductor celebrated for his dynamic and engaging podium presence, is increasingly in demand with orchestras across the continent and this season Chafetz will be on the podium in Detroit, Fort Worth, Naples, Buffalo, North Carolina and Seattle. He enjoys a special relationship with The Phoenix Symphony, where he leads multiple programs annually.
NICOLAS ELLIS | CONDUCTOR
Canadian conductor Nicolas Ellis is the Music Director of the Orchestre National de Bretagne and the Principal Guest Conductor of Les Violons du Roy. He is also the Artistic Director of the Orchestre de l’Agora, which he founded in Montreal in 2013.
JACOB WINKLER | CONDUCTOR
Jacob Winkler grew up singing in the Northwest Boychoir and Vocalpoint! Seattle. He earned his master’s degree in conducting from the University of Washington, where he studied with Tim Salzman and Peter Erös. As a singer, Winkler has appeared on dozens of soundtracks for film and games, and toured internationally with the jazz/R&B vocal group Groove for Thought. He is an instructor at the Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program and always gets a thrill seeing his students’ names pop up in the credits of major Hollywood blockbusters. From 2009 to 2022, Winkler served as Artistic Director of the Seattle Girls Choir before returning to his roots with the Northwest Boychoir.
ENRICO LOPEZ-YAÑEZ | CONDUCTOR
Enrico Lopez-Yañez is the Principal Pops Conductor of the Nashville Symphony where he leads the Symphony’s Pops Series and Family Series. Lopez-Yañez is quickly establishing himself as one of the Nation’s leading conductors of popular music and becoming known for his unique style of audience engagement. Since working with the Nashville Symphony, Lopez-Yañez has conducted concerts with a broad spectrum of artists including: Patti LaBelle, Kenny Loggins, Richard Marx, Toby Keith, Trisha Yearwood, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hanson and more.
MARTIN GELLNER | CONDUCTOR
Martin Gellner is an acclaimed Austrian composer, conductor and orchestrator whose work bridges classical precision with cinematic flair. Trained at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg and the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Gellner has collaborated with renowned ensembles including the Vienna Philharmonic and the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. A creative force behind large-scale productions, he brings depth and dynamism to every score — most recently serving as arranger for Hans Zimmer Live. With Symphonic Blues, Gellner lends his mastery to reimagining Delta classics with sweeping orchestral power, creating a sound that’s both rooted and revelatory.
SEATTLE SYMPHONY CHORALE
Over nearly five decades, the Seattle Symphony Chorale has grown in artistry and stature, establishing itself as a highly respected ensemble. Critics have described the Chorale’s work as “beautiful, prayerful, expressive,” “superb” and “robust,” and have praised it for its “impressive clarity and precision.” The Chorale’s 120 volunteer members, who are teachers, doctors, attorneys, musicians, students, bankers and professionals from all fields, bring not only musical excellence, but a sheer love of music and performance to their endeavor. Directed by Joseph Crnko, Associate Conductor for Choral Activities, the Chorale performs with the Seattle Symphony both onstage and in recorded performances.
SEATTLE SYMPHONY
Under the leadership of Music Director Xian Zhang, the Seattle Symphony unleashes the power of music, brings people together and lifts the human spirit. Recognized as one of the “most vital American orchestras” (NPR), the Seattle Symphony is internationally acclaimed for its inventive programming, community-minded initiatives and superb recordings on the Seattle Symphony Media label. With a strong commitment to new music and a legacy of over 150 recordings, the orchestra has won five Grammy Awards, 27 Grammy nominations, two Emmy Awards and was named Gramophone’s 2018 Orchestra of the Year. The Symphony performs in Benaroya Hall in the heart of downtown Seattle from September through July, reaching over 750,000 people annually through live performances and radio broadcasts.
BENAROYA HALL
Benaroya Hall, the home of the Seattle Symphony, is located in downtown Seattle. Opened in 1998, Benaroya Hall is the most-visited performing arts venue in Seattle. It has received numerous awards, including a 2001 American Institute of Architects (AIA) National Honor Award for outstanding architecture. Benaroya Hall has three versatile performance venues, the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium, the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall and Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center, all renowned for their pristine acoustics, luxurious design and prime location. For additional information, including rental information, event listings and public tour schedules, please visit benaroyahall.org.
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DISNEY'S THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL IN CONCERT LIVE TO FILM WITH THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY
HOLIDAY SPECIALS
Friday, December 5, at 8 p.m.
Saturday, December 6, at 8 p.m.
Sunday, December 7, at 2 p.m.
Thiago Tiberio conductor
Seattle Symphony
Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts.
© Disney
THE SNOWMAN
FAMILY CONCERTS SERIES
Saturday, December 6, at 11 a.m. & 1 p.m.
Sunny Xia conductor
Seattle Symphony
Anthony Dilorenzo The Holidays are Here Again
Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor
Howard Blake The Snowman
Sunny Xia’s position is generously underwritten as the Douglas F. King Associate Conductor.
The Arakawa Foundation proudly supports the Seattle Symphony’s Community Partnerships for Youth and Education. Additional support is provided by Delta Air Lines.
The Seattle Symphony’s Family, School & Community programs are supported by 4Culture, ArtsFund, the Merriman-Ross Family, and individual contributions to the Seattle Symphony Annual Fund.
AN EVENING WITH RENÉE ELISE GOLDSBERRY AND THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY
HOLIDAY SPECIALS
Wednesday, December 10, at 7:30 p.m.
Stuart Chafetz conductor
Renée Elise Goldsberry vocals
Seattle Symphony
THE WINDS: WINTER WONDERLAND
TINY TOTS SERIES
Friday, December 12, at 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, December 13, at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. & 11:30 a.m.
John Turman host
Seattle Symphony wind quartet
The Arakawa Foundation proudly supports the Seattle Symphony’s Community Partnerships for Youth and Education. Additional support is provided by Delta Air Lines.
The Seattle Symphony’s Family, School & Community programs are supported by 4Culture, ArtsFund, the Merriman-Ross Family, and individual contributions to the Seattle Symphony Annual Fund.
HOLIDAY POPS
SEATTLE POPS SERIES
Friday, December 12, at 8 p.m.
Saturday, December 13, at 8 p.m.
Sunday, December 14, at 2 p.m.
Stuart Chafetz conductor
Ryan Silverman vocals
Scarlett Strallen vocals
Seattle Symphony
Seattle Pops Series Sponsor: The John & Ginny Meisenbach Foundation
SEATTLE MEN'S CHORUS PRESENTS: HOLLY JOLLY JINGLE
HOLIDAY SPECIALS
Saturday, December 13, at 1 p.m.
Friday, December 19, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 20, at 2 p.m.
Tuesday, December 23, at 7:30 p.m.
Seattle Men’s Chorus
HANDEL MESSIAH
HOLIDAY SPECIALS
Thursday, December 18, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 20, at 8 p.m.
Sunday, December 21, at 2 p.m.
Nicolas Ellis conductor
Myriam Leblanc soprano
Jennifer Johnson Cano mezzo-soprano
Andrew Haji tenor
Kevin Deas bass-baritone
Seattle Symphony Chorale
Seattle Symphony
George Frideric Handel Messiah
Handel’s Messiah is generously sponsored by Stephen Whyte in memory of Gwendolyn Jones Whyte.
A FESTIVAL OF LESSONS AND CAROLS
HOLIDAY SPECIALS
Monday, December 22, at 7:30 p.m.
Jacob Winkler conductor
Northwest Boychoir
Vocalpoint! Seattle
Northwest Sinfonia
NEW YEAR'S EVE WITH THE HOT SARDINES
HOLIDAY SPECIALS
Wednesday, December 31, at 9 p.m.
Enrico Lopez-Yañez conductor
The Hot Sardines
Seattle Symphony
MORGAN FREEMAN’S SYMPHONIC BLUES EXPERIENCE IN CONCERT WITH THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY
HOLIDAY SPECIALS
Friday, January 2, at 8 p.m.
Martin Gellner conductor
Seattle Symphony