Mid-Atlantic Symphony to Share Holiday Joy With Festive December 3 Performance

Music Talbot

The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra continues its tradition of sharing seasonal cheer when it presents its popular Holiday Joy program on December 3, 2020.

The 7 PM performance, at the Church of God in Easton, MD, features a selection of festive holiday music performed by the Orchestra’s strings and guest soloists including internationally celebrated violinist Virgil Boutelis-Taft, critically acclaimed soprano Alexandra Raszkazoff and up-and-coming tenor Michael Butler.

“With the ongoing pandemic changing holiday plans for so many of us, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony is pleased to continue its long-standing practice of celebrating the season with a program of traditional and contemporary holiday music,” said Music Director Julien Benichou. “Our musicians and guest artists look forward to sharing the joy of seasonal favorites and, perhaps, a few surprises.”

Tickets to attend the performance as a member of the live, socially-distanced audience of up to 150 individuals are $45, while supplies last. Individual tickets to view the concert livestream are $15.

To enable patrons to share the popular Holiday Joy program with family and friends, gift tickets to view the livestream are available at five for $50, a savings of $25 from the individual livestream ticket price. Both in-person and virtual tickets, as well as gift tickets, include special pre- and post-concert events hosted by Maestro Benichou, as well as on-demand replays of the concert through December 10, 2020.

In-person, livestream or gift tickets may be purchased online at the Orchestra’s website, www.midatlanticsymphony.org. For additional information, call 888-846-8600 or email info@midatlanticsymphony.org.

Virgil Boutellis-Taft, hailed by The STRAD magazine for the “jeweled sonority” of his playing, has performed as soloist and chamber musician at major international venues including the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and London’s Wigmore Hall. After receiving the First Prize of the Conservatoire de Paris at age 16, he continued his studies at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, the Royal College of Music in London, and Tel Aviv University.

Acclaimed by The New York Times as a “richly faceted, slinky soprano,” Alexandra Raszkazoff has performed with opera companies and chorales around the world. She received her bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from the Peabody Conservatory and earned her master’s degree at The Juilliard School, where she was the recipient of Toulmin Foundation Scholarship and the Novick Career Advancement Grant.

Although still a student at the University of Maryland, Michael Butler already is a sought-after artist. He won the National Young Arts Foundation Vocal Competition in 2018 and, in 2019, was selected for an Encouragement Award in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He has performed with companies including the Washington Opera Society and the Washington Lyric Opera.

In addition to the December 3 program, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony’s season includes concerts on March 4 and April 22, 2021. A special non-subscription New Year’s Eve program featuring acclaimed mezzo-soprano Lisa Chavez is planned for December 31, 2020.

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The only professional symphony orchestra serving Maryland’s Eastern Shore and southern Delaware, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council; the Talbot County Arts Council; the Worcester County Arts Council; the Sussex County, DE Council; and the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Inc.