"A Holiday Spectacular!"
❄️
"A Holiday Spectacular!" ❄️
Bay Philharmonic Presents:
A Holiday Spectacular!
Sun, Dec. 17 • 3 pm
We invite you to celebrate the holiday season in joy, gratitude, and inspiration! Jung-Ho Pak will lead dazzling female vocalists along with the Bay Philharmonic in your favorite festive songs. Each year we present a celebration of rich cultures and traditions from around the world. We have a stocking full of special guest artists singing and dancing to some of the most beautiful holiday music you know. Bring your friends and family to this heartwarming and inspiring tradition!
Jung-Ho Pak, Conductor
Erica Gabriel, Vocalist
Deanna Loveland, Vocalist
Ballet Folklórico México Danza
San Francisco Girls Chorus
Yoko's Academy of Dance and Performing Arts
Steve Pietkiewicz, Jazz Pianist
Chabot College Performing Arts Center
25555 Hesperian Blvd
Hayward, CA 94545
MAP
2023 A Holiday Spectacular Program
Meet the stars!
-
Erica Gabriel received her Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from Oakwood University. Her training also includes a Master’s degree from the University of Michigan. She has performed with the Chicago Symphony orchestra, the Jacksonville Symphony, the Savannah Philharmonic, and the Jackson Symphony.
She was cast in Ravinia’s production of Bernstein’s Mass under the baton of Marin Alsop, which Aired on the PBS Television Network as a part of their “Great Performances” series. She has also toured with the renowned American Spiritual Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Everett McCorvey.
Her competition credits and awards include The Alma Blackmon Scholarship Award, Winner of Classical Singer Regional University Competition, winner of the Hartford Memorial Scholarship Competition, Second place winner of the Alltech Scholarship competition, and the 2018 Gold Medal winner of the American Traditions Vocal Competition.
-
Deanna is a singer/songwriter and harpist who started playing music when she was five – first the piano, then the harp, then songwriting and singing at churches and events, which turned into 130 performances a year by the time she was 16. She moved to Nashville in 2008 to pursue a music career and has performed in music videos and commercials. In 2016, she was crowned Mrs. Tennessee International and went on to compete internationally. Her Christmas album’s title track, “If I Could Make it Snow,” has garnered airplay and fans across the USA.
-
Steve Pietkiewicz has performed in numerous jazz, pop, and classical settings over the years, in fact performing “Claude Billing’s Suite for Violin and Jazz Piano” with Concertmaster Philip Santos a few years ago. He has been an organist at several Bay Area churches, ran house bands at local bars and restaurants, and played on numerous movie scores at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County in the ’90s, where he was first call for second piano.
-
Based in Hayward, Ballet Folklórico México Danza was founded by René González, with collaboration from Martín Romero of Mexico City. González and Romero each have over 30 years of dance experience at national and international levels. The group’s original purpose was to serve as an after-school program to keep children from drug use and gang activities. Today, their program continues to be a safe space for children to develop a love of dance and learn about their heritage – they have grown to include individuals of all ages and nationalities from diverse Bay Area communities.
In 1995, Ballet Folklórico México Danza was honored to receive a Presidential Proclamation from President Clinton. Influenced by the work of Amalia Hernandez, the “Queen of Mexican Folklore,” México Danza helps students of all ages develop as artists in a unique, disciplined, and cultural environment. Their dancers’ passion and energy, colorful costumes, and intricate dance style have moved many audiences and helped their group gain a loyal following.
-
Praised by Gramophone Magazine as a “remarkable tapestry of teenage voices,” the five-time GRAMMY Award-winning San Francisco Girls Chorus (SFGC) is recognized as one of the world’s leading youth vocal ensembles. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Valérie Sainte-Agathe, SFGC presents subscription performances throughout the Bay Area and regularly performs both nationally and internationally as a cultural ambassador for San Francisco. SFGC is a frequent collaborator with leading arts organizations such as Kronos Quartet, San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, and numerous world-renowned guest artists.
-
Award-winning dance studio in Fremont, CA, established in 1996 by Ms. Yoko Young. One of Dance Spirit Magazine’s Top 50 Studios in the USA. Their dance studio has become well known for excellence throughout the country providing dance instruction in ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, contemporary, pointe, and hip-hop to students of all ages and all skill levels.