Southern Tier Symphony to perform 'Classical Holiday'

BRADFORD, PA – The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will host the Southern Tier Symphony’s performance, “Classical Holiday,” which will include traditional holiday favorites.

The performance is sponsored by the Pitt-Bradford Arts program and is slated for 3 p.m. Dec. 7 in the Bromeley Family Theater of Blaisdell Hall. Tickets are $20 for the public and free for Pitt-Bradford students.

It will be the first concert for the symphony since the death of its founder and first conductor, John Whitney, who died Nov. 17. The current conductor is Dr. David Rudge, who has led orchestras on five continents, including those in the Czech Republic, Italy, Egypt and Bulgaria.

Patricia Colosimo, coordinator of arts programming at Pitt-Bradford said, “It was a pleasure to work with John over the past several years while helping the symphony to build an audience in Bradford. I will miss his enthusiasm and passion for music.  We are very fortunate to have a musical ensemble of their professional level in our area and that was John’s vision. He was a friend of the university, and we will deeply miss him.”

The “Classical Holiday” performance will also include mezzo-soprano Dawn Pierce to perform a featured holiday collection, Colosimo said.

Pierce, native to Olean, N.Y., is an assistant professor of voice at Ithaca College in New York and earned a master’s degree in opera performance from the North Carolina School of the Arts.

More information about the Southern Tier Symphony can be found at www.southerntiersymphony.org.

For disability needs related to the performance, contact the Pitt-Bradford Office of Disability Resources and Services at (814) 362-7609 or clh71@pitt.edu.