A Madison Symphony Christmas

Beginning with caroling in the lobby, and the entire audience singing Christmas carols together for the finale, this beloved annual Madison tradition brings the holiday season to a glorious start! Embrace the spirit of the season with our orchestra, opera stars, and three choruses for a celebration sharing hope and joy with everyone who joins us.

Ho, Ho, Ho, it’s that time of the year again, when winter is upon us, sleigh bells ring, and our fireplaces are providing us comfort and beauty, not to mention our kitchen tables. Madison Symphony’s truly spectacular Christmas concert returns with almost all of the ingredients in place. Joining the fabulous Madison Symphony Chorus is the Mount Zion Gospel Choir — a huge hit with our audiences.

Plus, the stunning teenage component of Madison Youth Choirs, who have dazzled us year after year, will be back singing alone and with the Madison Symphony Chorus throughout the concert. Our soloists this year feature two debuts with the orchestra. Elizabeth Caballero, soprano, is a favorite with Madison Opera audiences. Her glorious voice has taken her on a truly international journey singing in the world’s great opera houses. Newcomer, tenor Jared Esguerra, is a recent discovery of mine. This young tenor has a huge dramatic voice and I can’t wait for you to thrill in his beautiful vocal instrument.

The first half of the concert is more classical in nature, with works by Bach, Rutter, Handel and a few surprises. Our soloist from the orchestra will be our principal flautist Stephanie Jutt. The second half of Christmas will be filled with songs of the season, plus Mt. Zion’s unique gospel style renditions of Christmas carols featuring their own array of great soloists. And, of course, our annual Christmas Carol sing-along with everyone on stage and all of you in the audience. This joyous and beloved concert is simply the best way to usher in the holiday season.

– John DeMain

About the Guest Singers

Elizabeth Caballero, Soprano

Soprano Elizabeth Caballero is a frequent guest of numerous American and international opera houses, festivals and concert venues. Her repertoire encompasses staples of the dramatic coloratura and full lyric repertoire, including Mimì, La Bohème (Metropolitan Opera; New York City Opera; Florida Grand Opera; Hawaii Opera Theater); the title role in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Musetta, (La Bohème; Violetta, La Traviata (Opera Naples; Opera Carolina; Madison Opera; Pacific Symphony; Orlando Philharmonic; Compañía Lírica Nacional de Costa Rica); both Donna Anna (Madison Opera) and Donna Elvira, Don Giovanni (New York City Opera; Seattle Opera; Lyric Opera Kansas City); as well as Nedda, I Pagliacci (New York City Opera; Hawaii Opera), among others. In concert, she has sung the soprano solos in John Rutter’s Requiem; Orff’s Carmina Burana; Verdi’s Requiem; Rachmaninov’s The Bells and Poulenc’s Gloria. Originally from Cuba, Elizabeth Caballero is a citizen of the USA. She speaks fluent English, Spanish and Italian.

Jared Esguerra, Tenor

Filipino-American tenor, Jared V. Esguerra, is a dedicated performer of vocal works ranging from opera to concert repertoire and musical theater. The Chicago native has been praised for his “pleasing tenor” voice and continues to be in high demand. In addition to his role debut as Fenton in Verdi’s Falstaff at the Crested Butte Music Festival in 2018, he has portrayed Miles in The Turn of the Screw with Chicago Fringe Opera and Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte with the Floating Opera Company. He has also sung Pirelli in Sweeney Todd with the Janiec Opera Company at Brevard Music Center, the Messenger in Il Trovatore at Sarasota Opera, and the Englishman in Angélique, Luiz in The Gondoliers, and Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus all at DePaul University, of which he’s an alumnus. On the concert stage, Jared recently appeared as the tenor soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Now Let’s Sing and with Chicago Sinfonietta in its MLK Tribute concert series. After a sold-out run of West Side Story as A-Rab at the Edinburgh International Festival, Jared returned to appear with Chicago Opera Theater in the critically acclaimed world premiere of Freedom Ride in 2020. He will also be covering the role of Giovanni in COT’s live-streamed production of La hija de Rappaccini in April 2021.

About the Soloist

Stephanie Jutt, Principal Flute, Madison Symphony Orchestra

Flutist Stephanie Jutt’s elegant artistry and passionate intellect have inspired musicians and audiences around the world. Her groundbreaking performances of new music, transcriptions, and traditional repertoire have made her a model for adventurous flutists everywhere. Her recordings are available on Centaur, GM, and University of Wisconsin Press. Her recent recording, “Latin American and Spanish Masterpieces for flute and piano” has recently been released on Albany Records, and is a result of extensive travels in South America. As described in the Boston Globe, “With an infallibly lovely tone and a strong, inquisitive musical personality, Jutt gave it all of her considerable all.”

Ms. Jutt received first prize at the Concert Artist Guild and Pro Musicis International Soloist competitions, and was a finalist in the International Walter W. Naumburg Competition. She has performed in recital throughout the United States, Europe, South America and Asia. She received Bachelor and Master’s degrees at the New England Conservatory of Music, where her teachers were James Pappoutsakis and Paula Robison. She completed an additional year of study with the legendary Marcel Moyse. New editions of three Brahms sonatas, the Reineke Sonata and the Karg-Elert Caprices, edited by Stephanie Jutt, are published by International Music Publishing. An anthology of the Latin American pieces on her recent recording is in process.

Ms. Jutt has served as a board member and Program Chair for the National Flute Association, and is currently a member of the Career and Artistic Guidance committee as well as the New Music Advisory committee. A dedicated teacher, Ms. Jutt is on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she performs with the Wingra Wind Quintet, and she is principal flutist of the Madison Symphony. A lifelong entrepreneur, she is the creator of UW-Madison Arts Enterprise, which provides career guidance, viable life strategies and support for emerging artists.

Stephanie Jutt is co-founder and artistic director, with pianist Jeffrey Sykes, of the critically acclaimed three-week chamber music festival, the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society: www.bachdancinganddynamite.org. The festival presented its twenty-fifth season in June, 2016.

It was more fabulous than I imagined. Definitely 5 shiny stars!  – MSO Subscriber

Health and Safety Information

○ Overture Center’s Health Protocols: All who enter the Overture Center building must wear a face mask and show proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test. Patrons not vaccinated, including children under age 12, are required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test result from within 72 hours prior to the performance. Please visit overture.org/health for more information on masks, vaccination proof, negative COVID test criteria, and more.

○ New Overture Security Measures: Overture will be utilizing new walk-through security screening technology that you will be required to move through on arrival. This should eliminate lines and allow foot traffic to quickly flow into the spaces. Additionally, large bags and backpacks are prohibited from entering the theater and can be checked after being inspected. For your convenience, we suggest you make other arrangements for these items before arriving. Visit overture.org/security for more information on these policies.

○ Read MSO’s Health and Safety FAQs: More information about our ticket policies, concessions, and answers to other frequently asked questions can be found at madisonsymphony.org/faq. Programs, dates, and artists subject to change.

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS

An Anonymous Friend

with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts