‘This is Ours’: LV Philharmonic instills a sense of local pride during holiday season

Kristin Peterson

Friday, Dec. 13, 2002 | 9:29 a.m.

What: "Yuletide Celebration."

When: 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Where: UNLV's Ham Concert Hall.

Tickets: $20, $40, $60.

Information: (702) 895-2787.

Though less than five years old, the Las Vegas Philharmonic has no problem blending in with a season steeped in tradition.

Its "Yuletide Celebration," now in its fourth year, is becoming a holiday staple.

This year's production, held Saturday and Sunday at the University of Nevada Las Vegas' Artemus Ham Hall, will feature some of the expected Christmas concert favorites selections from Handel's "Messiah" and from Tchaikovsky's "Nutcraker Ballet" as well as familiar lighthearted selections.

Soloists include Roza Tulyaganova, a soprano from Uzbekistan studying classical voice at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Daniel Friedman, whose career extends from such musicals as "Les Miserables" and "Cats" to Temple Beth Shalom, where Friedman is Cantor.

Joining the Philharmonic for a third year is Green Valley High School's 105-voice concert choir.

"The neat thing about this concert is it creates a sense of community," said Harold Weller, Las Vegas Philharmonic musical director. "It creates a (sense) of, 'This is ours.' "

Southern Nevada's only professional orchestra, the Las Vegas Philharmonic was born on the Fourth of July in 1998 in a last-minute effort to provide an Independence Day concert after the now defunct Nevada Symphony Orchestra cancelled.

Though organizers say the Las Vegas Philharmonic didn't replace the Nevada Symphony Orchestra, which struggled with financial and labor issues, the Philharmonic has filled the appetite of devoted concert-goers, particularly at Christmastime.

The December holiday concert, which draws a mix of season ticket-holders and those who would not typically attend, is one of the Philharmonic's most popular events, Weller said.

The Las Vegas Philharmonic has been presenting holiday concerts since 1999. Last year it added a second show to fit audience demand.

Similar to Nevada Ballet Theatre's "The Nutcracker" (which the Philharmonic accompanies) Weller said he would like to see "Yuletide Celebration" grow as a Las Vegas Valley tradition.

"It's just a lot of fun to do," Weller said. "And it's a community celebration, a celebration of ourselves... Indianapolis turned its yuletide concert into 25 concerts and they pack the house at all 25."

Selecting music that is familiar, yet fresh, is always key to presenting a well-rounded holiday program, Las Vegas Philharmonic Associate Conductor Richard McGee said.

"The problem is, with the holiday concert, people go there to hear certain things," McGee said. "At the same time, to be a symphony we're looking to present something new."

McGee will conduct "A Musicological Journey through the Twelve Days of Christmas," which stays true to the traditional song lyrically but alters the style and melody.

"It's a novelty," McGee said. "Instead of singing the traditional 'Twelve Days of Christmas,' this takes you (musically) through the entire range of music history. The first day is a medieval chant. The second moves to renaissance ... So it's a lot of fun."

McGee will also direct Leroy Anderson's "A Christmas Festival," a traditional melody of Christmas favorites such as "Joy To The World," "Deck the Halls," "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" and "Silent Night."

Other concert selections include Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" and Fantasia on "Greensleeves."

Three different melodies of "Sleighride" -- "Sleighride" by Leopold Mozart, "Sleighride" by Leroy Anderson and "Troika" (which means sleigh ride in Russian) by Serge Prokofiev -- will be performed.

Friedman will sing Lucas Richman's "Hannukah Medley." Tulaganova will perform Caccini's "Ave Maria" and "Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion" from "Messiah."

The collection of music, Weller says, appeals to all audiences.

"It doesn't matter what religion we are or if we're even religious," Weller said. "Peace is something everyone can relate to. And we end the show with peace ("Let There be Peace on Earth"). Music says it so much more than words."