Symphony ‘Holiday Pops’ Concert

One of the great dividends of attending the many wonderful orchestral performances in Santa Barbara is the opportunity it affords to witness such a wide range of talented conductors. We see and hear the best of the best.

For Andy Einhorn, who will be the guest conductor for the Santa Barbara Symphony’s upcoming Holiday Pops concert on Saturday, December 7, that means being the best on Broadway, where he can most frequently be found conducting such shows as the Tony-winning revival of Hello, Dolly! starring Bette Midler. Conducting for Broadway musicals takes specialized skills, and it’s one of the only styles that is not readily available here. It will be exciting to see how Einhornworks with his guest vocalist, Christiane Noll, a Broadway legend in her own right who most recently starred as the grieving mother Cynthia Murphy in the national touring company of the hit musical Dear Evan Hansen. The orchestra will also be joined by two groups of singers from UCSB, the Chamber Choir and the Women’s Chorus.

Einhorn said that he “loves putting these holiday programs together,” and that he starts by thinking about “the specific city where it will be performed.” In this case, that means a California Christmas vibe, filtered through Santa Barbara’s storied connection to great film music. With a fun version of The Nutcracker and music from the film The Polar Express, the symphony will showcase its sophistication. Einhorn considers “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music to be seasonal enough for inclusion and plans a charming version of that featuring Noll.