The New Haven Symphony Orchestra graces the stage at Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts | Press Releases

The New Haven Symphony Orchestra will be joined by the Elm City Girls' Choir, baritone Daniel Teadt and mezzo-soprano Paula Murrihy for its annual holiday concert on Friday, Dec. 16, at 7:30 p.m. at Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. This program includes an enchanting blend of holiday favorites for the whole family, including selections from "The Nutcracker Suite," "White Christmas" and a trio of traditional Irish carols.

Assistant Conductor Gerald Steichen will lead the orchestra.

"This is an enjoyable family event that audiences look forward to every year," said Deborah Sommers, the Quick Center's director of programming.

Based in New Haven, the Elm City Girls' Choir has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Walt Disney World and on CBS Television. In September 2001, the choir performed "God Bless America" with Diana Ross at the women's finals match of the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament.

This season, Daniel Teadt returns to the Pittsburgh Opera and will make his debut with the Kansas City Symphony. An alumnus of the Pittsburgh Opera Center, Teadt has also appeared with the Anchorage Opera and as Figaro in "The Barber of Seville" as part of the Ash Lawn Opera Festival. He is the recipient of the 2004 William Matheus Sullivan Foundation Award and has been awarded prizes by the McAllister Awards and the Palm Beach Opera Awards. He was a regional winner in the 2003 Metropolitan National Council Auditions.

A native of County Kerry, Ireland, Murrihy recently performed Dido in "Dido and Aeneas," Hippolyta in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and Richtarka in "Jenufa" with the Utah Symphony and Opera. She has also performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, the Boston Lyric Opera, the New England Opera Theatre and the Handel and Haydn Society. Murrihy was a member of the 2003 Vocal Fellowship Program at Tanglewood and won the 2004 John Moriarty Presidential Scholarship and the Presser Award, a prestigious career/study grant.

The New Haven Symphony Orchestra (NHSO) first rehearsed in 1894 and gave its inaugural concert in January 1895. It is the fourth orchestra to form in the United States, following the New York Philharmonic and the Boston and Chicago symphonies. Since its inception, the NHSO has performed regularly in New Haven and has toured extensively throughout the state and beyond, including performances at Carnegie Hall.

In addition to presenting a classical repertoire, the orchestra has a long tradition of performing pops concerts. Its eclectic roster of guest artists includes Yo-Yo Ma, Renée Fleming, Benny Goodman, Judy Collins, Wynton Marsalis, Dizzy Gillespie, André Watts, Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, Sarah Vaughan and Van Cliburn.

Since making his Lincoln Center debut in 1998, Steichen has become one to the world's most sought-after conductors, leading orchestras from Japan to Norway. He most recently worked with the Utah Symphony at the Deer Valley Music Festival and is in rehearsals with the New York City Opera for the New York premiere of Rachel Portman's "The Little Prince."

Tickets for the concert are $35 and $30. For tickets, call the Quick Center box office at (203) 254-4010 or toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396. For more information, visit www.quickcenter.com.