PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND HEINZ HALL WELCOME THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH CONCERTS AND ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES
Schooltime Sensory Friendly Holiday Concert Available Free for Educators On-Demand Holiday Concerts Also to Stream Free to the Public
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 18, 2021
PITTSBURGH, PA—The holiday season of gratitude and appreciation gets underway this week at Heinz Hall as the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra invites those near and far to enjoy concerts and activities that celebrate this special time of the year. In addition to continuing to offer online streamed concerts, the Pittsburgh Symphony this season will again welcome the community to come to Heinz Hall to enjoy live music and other festivities.
“Music is a magical part of the holiday season and a joyful way of making memories with family and friends. We are so grateful to be back at Heinz Hall to make music at the holiday times and to spend time with our community sharing peace, love and good cheer,” said Melia Tourangeau, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
The 2021 holiday season at Heinz Hall gets underway on Saturday, November 20, with free concerts that are open to the public, as the Pittsburgh Symphony once again joins the downtown community for the Highmark Light Up Night celebration. Then, in a period extending through early January, the holiday season at Heinz Hall with the Pittsburgh Symphony will be a sparkling celebration with:
- more than a dozen live concerts across two signature series: Highmark Holiday Pops led by Principal Pops Conductor Byron Stripling, and BNY Mellon Grand Classics led by Music Director Manfred Honeck;
- hometown favorite Vanessa Campagna headlining Highmark Holiday Pops;
- the debut of sensational young violinist María Dueñas;
- an online Schooltime Sensory Friendly concert, led by Byron Stripling;
- free, on-demand streaming of the Highmark Holiday Pops concert and a Sensory Friendly version of the Holiday Pops concert on Front Row, the Pittsburgh Symphony’s digital platform;
- Heinz Hall public hours for viewing the 25-foot Christmas tree and seasonal decorations;
- and KidsPlay in the Heinz Hall Garden, in partnership with the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.
Safely Together
Heinz Hall is committed to providing an exemplary experience, prioritizing the safety and well-being of all who come to the Hall. Please visit our Safely Together web site page for vaccination, ID and mask requirements for attending concerts at Heinz Hall.
Tickets
Tickets for Highmark Holiday Pops start at $22 and remaining 2021 Mellon Grand Classics concerts start at $20 and are on sale 24 hours/day online at pittsburghsymphony.org. The Heinz Hall Box Office hours are Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday noon - 4 p.m. Tickets may be purchased by calling 412.392.4900 or visiting the Box Office at 600 Penn Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh. Group, student and military discounts are available. About Front Row: on-demand streaming of Highmark Holiday Pops and Highmark Holiday Pops – Sensory Friendly are free and will be available at psofrontrow.org; streams begin December 19, 2021. Please visit our Safely Together web page for vaccination and mask requirements for planning your visit.
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra would like to recognize and thank BNY Mellon for its 2021-2022 title sponsorship support of the BNY Mellon Grand Classics series and Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield for its 2021-2022 title sponsorship of Highmark Holiday Pops. The Pittsburgh Symphony is grateful for its Sensory Friendly concert sponsors this season: Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, Allegheny Health Network, FedEx Ground, Edith L. Trees Charitable Trust and Pirates Charities. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is grateful for overall support from local and state government entities: Allegheny Regional Asset District, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community and Economic Development. Radio station WQED-fm 89.3/WQEJ-fm 89.7 is the official radio voice of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
2021 HOLIDAY SEASON AT HEINZ HALL
CONCERTS: IN PERSON AND ON-DEMAND STREAMING
HIGHMARK LIGHT UP NIGHT
Heinz Hall; walk-up, no advance ticket required
Saturday, November 20
Surround yourself with the sounds of the season! The Pittsburgh Symphony invites you to enjoy downtown Pittsburgh’s kick-off to the holiday season with live music at Heinz Hall. Performances at 6:30 p.m., 7:15 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. These concerts are free and open to the public. Please see our Safely Together protocols for vaccination, ID mask requirements to plan your visit.
BNY Mellon Grand Classics 6: THANKSGIVING TRADITION: STRAUSS FAMILY FAVORITES
Heinz Hall
Friday, November 26, 2021 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 28, 2021 2:30 p.m.
Manfred Honeck, conductor
María Dueñas, violin (debut)
Nicolai Paganini: Concerto No. 1 in D major for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 6
Strauss Family Waltzes & Polkas
Sensory Friendly Schooltime: HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS
Online; For educational use – registration required
December 1-18, 2021
Byron Stripling, conductor
Bobby Floyd, piano/organ
Jeffrey Grubbs, jazz bass
Jim Rupp, drums
Principal Pops Conductor Byron Stripling welcomes you to a celebration of holidays and traditions through music! This Sensory Friendly holiday concert includes a shortened performance length; repertoire selections that minimize loud, sudden sounds; printable activities by artist Emily Marko that connect to the concert theme; and supportive materials and resources created in conjunction with community partners. This concert is for educational use only and is available for free for PreK-12 educations to use with their students in both in-person and remote learning environments.
BNY Mellon Grand Classics 7: TCHAIKOVSKY – THE NUTCRACKER SUITE
Heinz Hall
Friday, December 3, 2021 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 4, 2021 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 5, 2021 2:30 p.m.
Manfred Honeck, conductor
James Ehnes, violin
Vivian Fung: A Child’s Dream of Toys *PSO premiere*
Samuel Barber: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 14
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Suite from The Nutcracker
HIGHMARK HOLIDAY POPS
Friday, December 10, 2021 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 11, 2021 2:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 12, 2021 2:30 p.m.
Friday, December 17, 2021 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 18, 2021 2:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 19, 2021 2:30 p.m.
Heinz Hall
Byron Stripling, conductor
Vanessa Campagna, vocalist
Chris Sanders, special guest
It’s the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year” to bring the family to Heinz Hall and experience the Pittsburgh holiday tradition! Hear all of your favorite holiday music, sing along to classic carols and you’d better be good (for goodness sake) because we have it on good authority that Santa Claus is coming to town!
On-demand streaming:
HIGHMARK HOLIDAY POPS and HIGHMARK HOLIDAY POPS - SENSORY FRIENDLY
December 19, 2021-January 18, 2021
Front Row: the PSO Digital Experience psofrontrow.org
Free concert
Enjoy the magic and excitement of the holiday season from the comfort of your own home with two on-demand versions of the Heinz Hall holiday tradition! Highmark Holiday Pops is the online version of the live concert at Heinz Hall. Holiday Sensory-Friendly is the Pittsburgh Symphony’s seventh season offering sensory friendly concerts, which adapts the live performance to include a shortened length of time, ASL interpretation and closed-captions, and additional resources.
HEINZ HALL TREE VIEWING AND KIDSPLAY
Heinz Hall Christmas Tree Viewing
Heinz Hall Grand Lobby
The Heinz Hall Christmas tree is available for public viewing during limited weekday lunchtime hours, as well as for concert ticketholders, before and after performances. The Heinz Hall 2021 Christmas tree is a 25-foot Canaan grown at Fleming’s Landscaping and Christmas Trees, Armstrong County, Shelocta, PA. The tree will be cut and delivered by Eichenlaub Nursery of Butler, PA, and will be decorated by Plantscape. For weekday hours, enter Heinz Hall through the Box Office doors, located at 600 Penn Avenue. Please note: for lunchtime viewing times only, masks are required, but vaccinations are not required.
Public viewing is open to the public from 11a.m.–1:30p.m. during the following dates in December: Mondays (6th and 13th), Tuesdays (7th and 14th), Wednesdays (1st, 8th, 15th), Thursdays (16th only); and Fridays (3rd, 10th and 17th)
Holiday KidsPlay
Heinz Hall Garden Plaza (outdoors)
Open daily from November 23 to December 28.
Mondays-Saturdays 11AM-8PM
Sundays 11AM-6PM
The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is celebrating the holiday season with help from Pittsburgh neighbors to offer fun, educational activities in collaboration with community partners. Vaccinations and masks are not required to participate in this outdoor event.
Media Contacts
Julie Goetz | Director of Communications
jgoetz@pittsburghsymphony.org | 412.392.4866 or 412.905.9058 (mobile)