Pittsburgh native Chris Jamison, finalist on “The Voice,” will perform at New Castle concert
The holiday season brings family, fun, togetherness and music! Experience all of that and more at the first concert of the 2015-2016 Scottish Rite Cathedral Series, Holiday Pops, with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on December 18 at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in New Castle.
Former Pittsburgh Symphony Resident Conductor Daniel Meyer returns to lead the orchestra and a sleigh full of guest artists in favorite carols, cherished holiday tunes, seasonal orchestral pieces and a Christmas carol sing-along. This year, a new face takes the stage for this most festive night of the year. Chris Jamison, a Pittsburgh native and singer-songwriter who is best known for finishing third on NBC’s “The Voice,” will join the orchestra to perform “Georgia on My Mind,” a song he sang on the “The Voice,” “This Christmas” and, as a special treat, an original song! Returning to perform in this concert is Beaver Falls native Vanessa Campagna, a young singer who first rose to prominence at 10 years old on CBS’ “Star Search” and now performs and records in Nashville, Tennessee. She appeared in Holiday Pops during the 2013-2014 Scottish Rite Cathedral Series season.
Other guests for this holiday extravaganza include returning favorite Christopher Sanders and a jazz trio of Pittsburgh Symphony musicians: Harold Smoliar, piano; Jeffrey Grubbs, bass; and Andrew Reamer, percussion.
The concert begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, December 18. Tickets to Holiday Pops range from $16 to $59. This season, all concerts in this series will be presented without intermission, ending at about 9:30 p.m. These concerts also feature a buy-one-adult-ticket, get-one-child-ticket-free offer (phone or in person orders only), making them a convenient, affordable evening for the whole family.
Subscriptions and single tickets are on sale now. Tickets are available at the Heinz Hall box office, online at pittsburghsymphony.org/src or by phone at 412-392-4900.
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will bring its portable box office to the Scottish Rite Cathedral on Wednesday, December 9 from 3 to 6 p.m. Patrons who purchase tickets in person that day will receive 20% off the ticket price.
The Scottish Rite Cathedral will offer a pre-concert buffet dinner before each Pittsburgh Symphony concert from 6 to 7 p.m. The cost is $22 per person and reservations are required. Call 724-654-6683 (option 3 then option 2) or email info@cathedralnewcastle.com for reservations or more information.
The Pittsburgh Symphony would like to recognize and thank UPMC Horizon for its sponsorship of this concert.
About the Artists
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As music director of the Asheville Symphony and Erie Philharmonic, conductor DANIEL MEYER has reinvigorated both orchestras with his innovative programs, engaging presence and keen musical intellect.
He began the 2015-2016 season leading concerts with the Indianapolis Symphony and opened his season in Erie with a newly commissioned work for Cello and Orchestra by Michael Daugherty. He returns to Germany for concerts with the Wuettembergische Philharmonie, followed by concerts with the Tonkuenstler Orchestra in Vienna in a program of Golijov, Pleyel, and Schumann’s Symphony No. 2. In the spring, Meyer returns to Vienna and to the Wiener Jeunesse Orchestra to lead performances at the Konzerthaus of Bernstein, Brahms and Elgar.
Meyer’s eclectic and groundbreaking programs in both Asheville and Erie include works this season by Richard Danielpour, Jennifer Higdon, and John Adams in and amongst the masterworks of Beethoven and Brahms, Dvorak and Schumann; the Metamorphoses of both Strauss and Hindemith; and great vocal works including the Mozart and Verdi Requiems, Beethoven’s Mass in C, and a Gala concert performance of Loewe’s My Fair Lady. In Asheville last season, Meyer curated and led the inaugural Amadeus Festival, a sold out week of film, lectures, community events and concerts featuring Emmanuel Ax — an extension of his longtime dedication to music education and community involvement.
In recent seasons, Meyer has frequently conducted the Rochester Philharmonic and the Pittsburgh Symphony, as well as guest engagements with the Columbus, Phoenix, Eugene, Alabama and Knoxville Symphonies. At the Asheville Lyric Opera, he led a double bill of Puccini’s Suor Angelica and Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci, Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Rodgers and Hammerstein’sCarousel. His critically acclaimed European debut took place with the Staatstheater Stuttgart Orchestra and violinist Thomas Zehetmaier, and he returned to Germany soon after for concerts with the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen.
Meyer has led the symphony orchestras of Utah, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Syracuse, Tallahassee, Youngstown, Lexington, Portland, Santa Barbara, Lansing and Wheeling. Summer festival appearances have included the Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom, the Aspen and Grand Teton Music Festivals, the Chautauqua Festival and the Brevard Music Center.
In 2003, Mariss Jansons invited Meyer to become resident conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony and music director of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony, where he served until 2009. He worked closely with Manfred Honeck, Mariss Jansons, Sir Andrew Davis and Charles Dutoit. He led the Pittsburgh Symphony on tour; conducted performances with Pinchas Zukerman, Sarah Chang and Marvin Hamlisch, among other notable soloists; and conducted the world premiere of Richard Danielpour’s Pastime, a co-commission of the Pittsburgh and Atlanta Symphonies and the Brooklyn Philharmonic.
As music director of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony, Meyer led the PYSO on their first-ever tour to China and an international tour to Vienna, Prague, Leipzig and Budapest in programs including the world premieres of David Stock’s Clarinet Concerto with soloist Richard Stoltzman, and John Harbison’s Mary Lou: Four Symphonic Memories of Mary Lou Williams.
A native of Cleveland, Meyer studied conducting at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, and is a graduate of Denison University and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He composed and conducted works for ensembles at both schools, including a Stabat Mater for soprano, chorus and orchestra. At Boston University, Meyer received the Orchestral Conducting Honors Award and at Aspen was awarded the prestigious Conducting Prize from David Zinman.
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Some people are just born to sing. It’s as if their paths were pre-written, and it was only a matter of time until they wholeheartedly embraced that inherent gift. Singer and songwriter CHRIS JAMISON began honing his talent relatively early — in middle school to be exact. Growing up a triplet in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, he immersed himself in musical theater, performing as part of various groups and learning all of the Broadway standards inside and out. While attending Capital University in Ohio, he split his time between studying and marathon acoustic gigs at local restaurants and bars, drawing on influences ranging from Jason Mraz to Justin Timberlake. Despite “playing it safe” and pursuing a business degree, Jamison jumped at the opportunity to audition for the seventh season of NBC’s The Voice, leaving college in the rearview. With Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine as his coach, he eventually finished third. His debut single “Velvet” impressively moved more than 77,000 digital downloads during its first-week of release as he eventually racked up more than 400,000 sales, making him “one of the best-selling artists in the show’s history.” Shortly after the show’s conclusion, Republic Records signed Jamison. His signature sound immediately enchants. Merging a pop palatability, blue-eyed soul and an inimitable energy, he brings each song to life with swagger and style. His debut single for the label impacted this summer with more music on the horizon, and listeners will get to know him like never before.
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It is her commanding presence along with her dynamic and versatile voice that have earned VANESSA CAMPAGNA the opportunity to work with some of the most successful entertainers in the music industry, and at many of the most prestigious music venues across the country. It is her diversity, yet vocal purity that garnered her the respect of world-renowned, multi-award winning, director/composer Marvin Hamlisch; who proclaimed, “Vanessa is the real deal.” She was honored and humbled to join him for various tours with the National, Buffalo Philharmonic and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. She has since continued her rise in the industry, sharing the stage with some of the greatest artists in the music business such as Idina Menzel, Gloria Estefan, Reba, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Loretta Lynn, Rascal Flatts and many others.
She was only 10 years old when she appeared on CBS’ Star Search. Campagna’s versatility enabled her to land the soulful theme song for the television show, Bar Karma, which aired on Current (CURNT) TV. She was part of the 2013 Oscar-winning team who collaborated on the music and lyrics for the Academy award-winning documentary/short Inocente, which aired on MTV. Because of her talents and accomplishments, Campagna herself was the subject of a documentary. WQED-TV in Pittsburgh filmed a 30-minute documentary, “Vanessa’s Story,” which gave a personal look at her passion for performing and provided insight into the not so every-day life of this young woman and what it takes to balance a career and a typical young life.
Campagna recorded her first two albums in Nashville, Tennessee. On her third album, For You, Campagna wrote all but one of the songs and co-produced the album. It was this CD that captured the attention of some of the top writers and producers working out of Nashville today. Campagna continues to work in Nashville with the best of the best, singing, producing and writing music with A listers such as multi-#1 hit songwriter and producer Derek George, Liz Rose, Bryan White, Jonathan Perkins and mega-hit maker Desmond Child. It was Child who took her to Miami and introduced her to the Latin Music scene, where she shared the stage & top billing with Gloria Estefan at the LAMUSA Awards (Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards). There, accompanied by the Miami Symphony Orchestra, Campagna opened the show with a tribute to Latin songwriting great, César Portillo de la Luz, singing one of his hit songs; “Contigo En La Distancia.” Campagna was born and raised in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, just north of Pittsburgh. She currently resides in Nashville.
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An award winning actor and singer, CHRISTOPHER SANDERS has performed in venues around the world. Throughout his career, he has had the pleasure of performing with George Hearn, Eddie Mekka, Roddy McDowell, Carol Lawrence, John Raitt, Debbie Boone, Steve Kazee and Rosemary Clooney. Most recently he received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls and Emile deBecque in South Pacific. Additional theatrical credits include Javert (Les Miserables), Fred/Petruchio(Kiss Me Kate), Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde (Jekyll and Hyde), The Beast (Disney’s Beauty and the Beast), Don Quixote (Man of La Mancha), Chauvelin (The Scarlet Pimpernel), Juan Peron (Evita), title role Kopit and Yeston’s (Phantom), Henry Higgins (My Fair Lady) and Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf (Into The Woods). His concert work includes engagements with the Knoxville Symphony, Bangor Symphony, Pasadena Pops and The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber at the National Theatre and Concert Hall Taiwan. Sanders tours the country as the baritone for the legendary 1940’s singing group – The Pied Pipers. In 2001, they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame along with the Bee Gees and The Lettermen.
The PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, known for its artistic excellence for more than 120 years, is credited with a rich history of the world’s finest conductors and musicians, and a strong commitment to the Pittsburgh region and its citizens. Past music directors have included Fritz Reiner (1938-1948), William Steinberg (1952-1976), Andre Previn (1976-1984), Lorin Maazel (1984-1996) and Mariss Jansons (1995-2004). This tradition of outstanding international music directors was furthered in fall 2008, when Austrian conductor Manfred Honeck became music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony. The orchestra has been at the forefront of championing new American works, and gave the first performance of Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 1 “Jeremiah” in 1944 and John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine in 1986. The Pittsburgh Symphony has a long and illustrious history in the areas of recordings and radio concerts. As early as 1936, the Pittsburgh Symphony broadcast on the airwaves coast-to-coast and in the late 1970s it made the ground breaking PBS series “Previn and the Pittsburgh.” The orchestra has received increased national attention since 1982 through network radio broadcasts on Public Radio International, produced by Classical WQED-FM 89.3, made possible by the musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. With a long and distinguished history of touring both domestically and overseas since 1900—including 36 international tours to Europe, the Far East and South America—the Pittsburgh Symphony continues to be critically acclaimed as one of the world’s greatest orchestras.
Editors please note:
Friday, December 18, 8 p.m.
Scottish Rite Cathedral, New Castle
PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: HOLIDAY POPS
DANIEL MEYER, conductor
CHRIS JAMISON, vocalist
VANESSA CAMPAGNA, vocalist
HAROLD SMOLIAR, piano
ANDREW REAMER, drums
JEFFREY GRUBBS, bass
CHRISTOPHER SANDERS, vocalist
Leroy Anderson:
A Christmas Festival
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky:
Selections from The Nutcracker
Entrance of the Children and March
Trepak
Lucas Richman:
“Reindeer Variations” from A Christmas Wish
Leroy Anderson:
Sleigh Ride
Coots & Gillespie:
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Ms. Campagna
Johnny Marks (arr. Richman):
When Santa Claus Gets Your Letter
Ballard & Silvestri (arr. Brubaker):
Suite from The Polar Express
Hoagy Carmichael & Stugy Gorrell:
Georgia On My Mind
Mr. Jamison
Mr. Smoliar
Mr. Reamer
Mr. Grubbs
Donny Hathaway (arr. Fennell):
This Christmas
Mr. Jamison
Lucas Richman:
Hanukkah Festival Overture
Irving Berlin (arr. Moss):
White Christmas
Ms. Campagna
Ralph Vaughan Williams (adapt. by Ralph Greaves):
Fantasia on Greensleeves
Chris Jamison:
Original Song (TBD)
Mr. Jamison
Traditional (arr. Richman):
Christmas Sing-Along
Joy to the World
Come, All Ye Faithful
Deck the Hall
Franz Gruber (Arthur Harris):
Silent Night
Ms. Campagna
Mr. Jamison
Traditional (Arthur Harris):
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Ms. Campagna
Mr. Jamison