A wide variety of concerts will be held in December — from jazz to vocal ensembles and more, some with a holiday theme — courtesy of the Santa Monica College Music Department.
All concerts are held at The Broad Stage or Edye Second Space in the SMC Performing Arts Center, Santa Monica Boulevard at 11th Street, except the Musical Theatre Workshop. Parking is free at the Performing Arts Center.
The concerts are:
• Saturday, Dec. 1 at 7 and 9 p.m. in the Edye Second Space:
SMC Chamber Choir Concert. Under the baton of Niké St. Clair, the choir will celebrate the holidays with selections from the Renaissance to today. Britten’s “Ceremony of Carols,” performed with harp, will be the program’s centerpiece. Tickets are $10.
• Sunday, Dec. 2 at 4 p.m. in The Broad Stage:
SMC Jazz Band. With Keith Fiddmont conducting, the ensemble will perform arrangements from the masters as well as contemporary works from aspiring composers and arrangers. Seasoned percussionist Munyungo Jackson will join the band as it explores the music of Bob Mintzer, Bill Cunliffe, and Jobim. .Tickets are $10.
• Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 11:15 a.m. in the Edye Second Space:
Piano Ensemble Recital. Yulia Krasny is the director of this unique group of students that performs four-hand piano and piano duo repertoire. Free. Complimentary tickets are available in the SMC Music Office, Room 211 in the Performing Arts Center.
• Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the Edye Second Space:
SMC Orchestra Concerto Concert. SMC students will perform, in an intimate environment, solo-with-orchestra pieces. (Tickets are $10)
• Thursday, Dec. 6 at 11:15 a.m.:
SMC Percussion Ensemble Recital. With Matthew Altmire conducting, the ensemble will present a creative, unique performance of percussion music, covering a variety of styles. Free. Complimentary tickets are available in the SMC Music Office, Room 211 in the Performing Arts Center.
• Friday, Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m. in The Broad Stage:
SMC Concert Chorale: “If it ain’t ‘Baroque,’” under the baton of Jeffe Huls. The concert features masterpieces of the high Baroque, including coronation anthems of Handel and choral works by Bach and Vivaldi. Combining forces with a chamber orchestra and soloists, the Concert Chorale will set the mood for the holiday season. Tickets are $10.
• Friday-Sunday, Dec. 14-16 in the SMC Theatre Arts Studio Stage on the main campus, 1900 Pico Blvd.:
SMC Musical Theatre Workshop, a joint production of the Music and Theatre Arts departments. With Janie Jones and Gary Gray as co-directors, the program features solos, duets and ensemble selections from the musical theatre genre. (Show times are 8 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $10 and there is no late seating.)
• Sunday, Dec. 9 at 4 p.m. in The Broad Stage:
SMC Wind Ensemble. Under the baton of Kevin McKeown, the ensemble will present the sounds of the season, including favorite holiday works such as the “Enigma Variations” by Edward Elgar. The concert also features a special guest conductor, a local middle school student who is the winner of the Third Annual SMC Wind Ensemble Essay Contest. Tickets are $10.
For tickets and information, call 310.434.3005 or 310.434.4323 or go to www.smc.edu/eventsinfo. For tickets to Musical Theatre Workshop, call 310.434.4319.
