FSYO PRESENTS SOUNDS OF THE SEASON

On December 3rd, Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras' Symphonic Orchestra, led by Music Director Hanrich Claassen, will help you kick off your holidays with Sounds of the Season. This concert will bring everyone together for an afternoon picnic accompanied by an array of holiday classics and exciting collaborations with local arts organizations, such as the Orlando Ballet School, University of Central Florida Opera, Montverde Academy, and Central Florida Vocal Arts.

The Orlando Ballet School has choreographed dances to perform with our Symphonic Orchestra on movements from The Nutcracker Suite and will join with soloists from UCF Opera to bring to life Evening Prayer and Dream Pantomime from Hansel and Gretel. Young singers from Montverde Academy and Central Florida Vocal Arts will be joining them in the choir on several pieces, including O Holy Night and A Christmas Recessional from A Festival of Carols.

"I can't think of a better way to get in the spirit for the Holidays than with a picnic shared between friends and family in the beautiful Mead Gardens and letting the FSYO Symphonic orchestra entertain you! We are excited to feature the talents of sopranos Alyssa Cassidy and Linsey Duca, mezzo-sopranos Lisamarie Guadalupe and Gayssie Lugo, and baritones Matthew Fackler and Thomas Potter from UCF Opera, backed by a choir from Montverde Academy and Central Florida Vocal Arts. We will once again collaborate with Dierdre Miles Burger and Kim Marsh with their wonderful dancers from Orlando Ballet School and present to you scenes from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker and Humperdick's Hansel and Gretel. I promise - we have all your Holiday Season favorites on the program!" - Hanrich Claassen, Music Director, and Symphonic Orchestra Conductor

We encourage you to come with your blanket and bring a picnic to have with your friends and family. The concert will begin at 3:00 p.m. at The Grove at Mead Botanical Gardens - 1500 S. Denning Dr, Winter Park, FL 32789. Tickets are $15 for adults, and $10 for students and seniors, and can be purchased at www.fsyo.org. As always, teachers receive free admission to this and all FSYO Season Subscription events.

ABOUT FSYO: Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras exists to encourage children and young adults, through the practice and performance of orchestral music, to become passionate leaders, thinkers, and contributors in their local community and beyond. In its 61st Concert Season, FSYO comprises three full orchestras, one string training orchestra, an advanced chamber ensemble, and a new jazz orchestra made up of more than 250 students from nine Central Florida counties. Programs are sponsored in part by the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs; the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; Orlando Utilities Commission; The City of Orlando, Mayor's Matching Grant; and United Arts of Central Florida. We thank these groups for their generous support.

Learn more: web: www.fsyo.org | FB: @TheFSYO | Twitter: @FSYO | IG: @F_S_Y_O | Youtube: @fsyo

ABOUT ORLANDO BALLET SCHOOL: Orlando Ballet School is regarded as one of the finest training academies in the world and is the official school of the Orlando Ballet. The school has been named "Outstanding School" at the New York finals of Youth America Grand Prix three times. With three locations in Central Florida, Orlando Ballet School adheres to the American Ballet Theatre® National Training curriculum and our American Ballet Theatre® certified teachers provide disciplined training for dancers of all ages. For more information, visit http://orlandoballet.org/education-training/school/

ABOUT MONTVERDE ACADEMY MUSIC CONSERVATORY: Montverde Academy Music Conservatory is a school unique in central Florida: a place where talented students advance their music skills, learn from highly trained educators, and have access to first-class facilities. Montverde Academy fosters an environment where students are challenged both academically and artistically, and the days are bursting with possibilities and enrichment. Students are encouraged, involved, and vested in their academic and musical education. They spend every school day under the tutelage of highly skilled professionals. Upon graduation, students are prepared for the rigors of any top-notch college, university, or conservatory of music. Our award-winning program offers majors in piano, strings, voice and musical theatre. Just 20 minutes from downtown Orlando with access to all of the best and most diverse performers and venues the area has to offer, the Montverde Academy Music Conservatory has its fingers on the arts pulse of Central Florida.

ABOUT CENTRAL FLORIDA VOCAL ARTS: An important part of Central Florida Vocal Arts' mission is to train the artists of tomorrow. We have established two initiatives to provide training opportunities for future artists. The first initiative, our Bel Canto Scholarship fund is a year-round opportunity offered to students who show promise in the arts and can establish a financial need. The second initiative, our Summer Institutes, train artists in all aspects of the performing arts including voice, dance, acting, technical production, script writing, set construction, audition preparation and more. For more information, visit http://www.centralfloridavocalarts.com/

ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA OPERA: Opera at UCF, under the direction of Thomas Potter, is an integral part of UCF's School of Performing Arts, housed within the College of Arts and Humanities. Its principal goals are to produce quality performances which entertain and educate and to prepare students for professional involvement within the opera genre. Annual performances include an Opera Scenes Concert each fall and a fully staged production each spring. This spring, UCF Opera will be producing two one-act operas, Puccini's Gianni Schicchi and Michael Ching's sequel to that opera, named Buoso's Ghost - with performances in the Dr. Phillips Center for the Arts downtown. For more information, visit http://music.cah.ucf.edu/opera | FB:UCF-Op-Shop | Twitter:@UCFOpera

ABOUT MEAD BOTANICAL GARDEN: Mead Botanical Garden is a 48-acre urban oasis located in the heart of Orange County in beautiful Winter Park. For more information, visit https://www.meadgarden.org/