WPSU will usher in the 2012 holiday season with its annual live winter music series featuring professional and high school talent from the area.
Winterfest 2012: What Sweeter Music will take place at 7 p.m. Dec. 8, at the State College High School’s North Building Auditorium. This year’s Winterfest will include performances by harpist Anne Sullivan, the State College Area High School Chamber Singers and the Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra.
“This concert brings forth a genre of music that is celebrated around the world in the month of December,” said WPSU community chairwoman Jo Lash. “It is educational, spiritual and based upon last year’s sold-out crowd, wanted.”
The second annual Winterfest will include both new and traditional seasonal music selections. The evening will culminate with a finale piece arranged by renowned local composer Mark Lehnowsky, whose music has been used by organizations including ESPN, Penn State’s Blue Band and Glee Club.
Anne Sullivan has been performing as a harpist since she was 8 years old. Her talent has given her the opportunity to play with groups including The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and The Delaware Symphony Orchestra. She has also produced two solo albums.
“I love that local musicians and groups are featured and that the event benefits WPSU, which means so much to us in the music community here in the Centre Region,” Sullivan said. “For the audience, it’s a special treat at a special time of year.”
The Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra is made up of Penn State School of Music faculty, students and area professionals. They are under the direction of founding Conductor Douglas Meyer who has led orchestras or symphonies in France, Germany, Mexico and the Czech Republic, among others.
Also performing that evening will be the State College Area High School Chamber Singers led by Head of Choir Programming Robert Drafall. The Chamber Singers are comprised of 24 students in the 10th, 11th and 12th grades who auditioned after being part of the high school’s choir groups.
Tickets are $20 for general admission, $5 for guests 18 and younger, and $5 for students with a Penn State I.D. A limited number of tickets will be available at a will call table outside the auditorium at 6 p.m. the evening of the concert.
Tickets can be purchased at wpsu.org/events/winterfest/.
Penn State Public Broadcasting (PSPB) serves central Pennsylvania with programming, educational services and community outreach. Penn State Public Broadcasting is part of Penn State Outreach, which serves more than 5 million people each year in all 67 Pennsylvania counties, all 50 states and more than 100 countries worldwide.