Festive December Concert Mix will Celebrate Holidays at Kimmel Center
Vienna Choir Boys Return December 11
A Colonial Holiday Opens ‘See-Hear’ Series December 17
Cantors: A Faith in Song Makes U.S. Premiere December 19
November 10, 2004
Vienna Choir Boys
One of the oldest boys’ choirs in existence and an international phenomenon for centuries, the Vienna Choir Boys will perform their signature holiday concert featuring a medley of international holiday music and folk tunes. The choir, a repeat favorite with Philadelphia audiences, is returning to Verizon Hall for the third consecutive year. A symbol of Austria for nearly five hundred years, the Vienna Choir Boys have given concerts under virtually all of the great conductors of this century including Leonard Bernstein, Lorin Maazel, Claudio Abbado, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Riccardo Muti, Herbert von Karajan, Carlos Kleiber and Sir George Solti.
Produced and created by Philadelphia’s Marc Mostovoy, A Colonial Holiday will take audiences on a musical and visual journey back through time from colonial days through the present featuring a children’s choir, vocal soloists, a 20-piece orchestra conducted by Mostovoy, a holiday sing-along, and even Ben Franklin. This festive family concert in the Perelman Theater on December 17 at 7:30pm marks the first in the Kimmel’s ‘See-Hear’ Series of song paired with visual events.
Philadelphia will be the first U.S. city to see three of the world’s leading Cantors perform their Faith In Song concert. Referred to by some as "The Jewish answer to The Three Tenors," Naftali Herstik, Benzion Miller, and Alberto Mizrahi will perform an evening of popular and religious Jewish songs in Verizon Hall on December 19 at 7:30pm.
Cantor Herstik, the chief cantor of the magnificent Jerusalem Great Synagogue, is descended from a long line of Rabbis and cantors. At the age of six, he had already gained a remarkable reputation as a prodigy with his ability to interpret highly complicated cantorial recitatives with phenomenal skill and purity of voice. Cantor Miller’s singing career began at the age of five, when he started performing at many public gatherings, Bar Mitzvahs and Jewish functions. He became the head soloist in the Yeshiva Choir, and at age 18 accepted the position as Cantor at the Hillside Jewish Center in Hillside, NJ. Cantor Miller has appeared with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, the Jersusalem Symphony, the Rishon L’Tzion Symphony, the Haifa Symphony and members of the London Symphony. Affectionately known as the "Jewish Pavarotti," Greek-born tenor Alberto Mizrahi is one of the world’s leading interpreters of Jewish music. He has thrilled audiences worldwide in recitals, symphony concerts, and opera. His repertoire spans nine languages, making his performances extremely unique in the field.
Tickets for the Vienna Choir Boys on December 11 are $36, $50, $60, $70 and $80. Tickets for A Colonial Holiday on December 17 are $30 and $40. Tickets for Cantors: A Faith In Song are $28, $40, $45, $58, $65 and $70. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at www.kimmelcenter.org or at the Kimmel Center box office, open daily from 10am to 6pm and later on performance evenings. For group sales call 215-790-5883.
A limited number of $10 tickets are available for every Kimmel Center Presents performance at the Kimmel Center. Tickets go on sale the day of the event and can be purchased at the Kimmel Center box office beginning at 5:30pm for evening performances and 11:30am for matinees.
Sponsors of the 2004-2005 Kimmel Center Presents season include Mellon Financial Corporation, University of Pennsylvania Health Systems, Bank of America, Sovereign Bank, Wachovia Foundation, The American Express Company, Verizon Foundation, Bucks County Coffee, and SEPTA, the Commuter’s Choice. American Airlines is the Official Airline of Kimmel Center Presents. Toyota is the Official Vehicle of Kimmel Center Presents Jazz and World Pop programming.
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