Greetings!  

Tickets for the 2011 Holiday Brass Concert are at Old Harbor Books--Only 60 tickets left!  

This year marks the 8th annual Holiday Brass Concert-a show bringing world-class musicians to Sitka to ring in the warm sounds of the holiday season. Roger Schmidt, trombone player and director of Alaska Arts Southeast, began inviting elite players to Sitka 8 years ago as a benefit concert for Sitka Fine Arts Camp and to bring exceptional music to the community. Word of this concert has spread from musicians in San Francisco to players around the country who save their holiday vacation days and donate their time to be able to come up and play at this benefit concert. During a busy holiday season, these musical virtuosos look forward to a Sitka Christmas vacation and the opportunity to play an extraordinary collection of music and appreciate the natural beauty of Sitka's land and seas. With the opening of the Sitka Performing Arts Center in 2008, the concert is even more spectacular in a setting designed to accommodate exceptional sound.

The show is particularly special this year because Sitka concert veteran and Principal Trumpet for the San Francisco Symphony, Mark Inouye, is joined by another Principal Trumpet player from another of America's greatest orchestras: Chris Martin. Chris is a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and his playing has been described as "stealing the show" by the Chicago Tribune. Sitkans Wade Demmert, Seattle music teacher and Roger's childhood friend, and Ed Littlefield, Sitka Fine Arts Camp alumnus and teacher also join the eleven-member group.

This one and a half hour program spans 800 years of music and explores the feelings of joy, hope, beauty, and festive cheer. The concert begins with the trumpeting joy of Handel and moves into the medieval period with haunting tones of Caritas, a piece by the first well-known woman composer, Hildegard von Bingen who lived during the 12th century. Next, music originally written for cathedrals in 16th century Europe is performed from the balcony by opposing groups of musicians filling the hall with glory. The music returns to a fun-spirited mood with a virtuosic arrangement of Vivaldi's famous "Winter" concerto from the "Four Seasons" The second half of the show, includes fun holiday classics such as a Christmas tribute to Clement C. Moore's traditional tale "The Night Before Christmas" featuring local actor, Ed Ronco.

You won't want to miss this concert. Tickets are available at Old Harbor Books, $25 for adults, $15 students & seniors.

Wednesday, December 21st

Doors open at 6:15, Concert begins at 7pm

Parking is available at the front of Sitka High School and the school will be open to walk through to the Performing Arts Center.