Guest conductor Francesco Milioto will make his third appearance with Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra for the Holiday Pops Movie Music Spectacular matinee concert at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16.
The concert will be at Ozinga Chapel on the Trinity Christian College campus, 6601 W. College Dr., Palos Heights.
Patrons will enjoy an afternoon of good cheer, good will and holiday spirit in a program that features a mix of musical excerpts from beloved TV and film classics including “Miracle on 34th Street,” “White Christmas,””The Grinch,” “Charlie Brown Christmas,” “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer,” “Frosty the Snowman,” ” Frozen” and more.
The Grande Prairie Singers, under the direction of Jo Rodenburg, along with the Grande Prairie Children’s Choir and Spectrum Youth Singers, under the direction of Oksana Rodak, also return to share the stage with the orchestra for this afternoon of “feel good” favorites.
In addition, the concert will feature two soloists, bass-baritone Alan Higgs and mezzo-soprano Kira Dills-Dessura.
Higgs is the 2016-2017 Sullivan Foundations Award Winner and, more recently, a semifinalist in the 2017 Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions. He is currently the resident bass-baritone for the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. He has a master’s degree in voice performance from Florida State University.
Dills-Dessura is a recently graduated young artist of the Chicago Opera Theater (COT). She has participated in COT productions of “Lysander,” “The Fairy Queen” and Isolde of the “White Hands.” She holds a Master of Music degree from Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts.
Santa Claus will also visit and guests can have their photos taken with him in the Grand Lobby from 2 to 3 p.m. Complimentary coffee, lemonade and cookies will be served at intermission, as well.
Student tickets are $10. Adult tickets start at $25 if ordered in advance. Additional fees may apply. To order, visit ipomusic.org or call 708-481-7774 Monday-Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.
The box office at Ozinga Chapel will open at 2 p.m. on the day of the concert.
