PASADENA SYMPHONY’S CHERISHED HOLIDAY CONCERT RETURNS WITH THREE PERFORMANCES AT ALL SAINTS PASADENA

Sarah Uriarte Berry
Vocalist

Sarah Uriarte Berry has enjoyed an extensive Broadway career, with several distinguished leading roles under her belt. Ms. Berry created the role of Franca in The Light in the Piazza for Lincoln Center Theater (Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations.) She appeared as Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Eponine in Les Misérables, Nicola in Taboo, Diana in the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning Next to Normal, and in the title role for New York City Opera’s production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

Ms. Berry starred in the Royal National Tour of Carousel (Dramalogue Award Best Actress, Ovation nomination), Sunset Boulevard with Petula Clark, and the National Tour of Les Misérables. Regionally, she appeared in A Little Night Music at The Kennedy Center, Terrence McNally’s Master Class and Guys and Dolls, to name a few.

A busy concert artist, Sarah was a soloist at Carnegie Hall with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, with the Philadelphia Orchestra, among others. Ms. Berry recently debuted her one woman show, For the Love of Judy with The Cape Symphony. Broadway Cast recordings include The Light in The Piazza, Taboo, The Boys from Syracuse, Tenderloin, Bernstein’s Mass and her debut EP, For the Love of Judy. TV and film appearances include Law and Order CSI, Frontera, Pretty Bird, Six Degrees, the Dave Letterman Show, and The Light in the Piazza (PBS). Sarah is a graduate of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.

Los Angeles Children’s Chorus

GRAMMY Award-winning Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC), one of the world’s preeminent youth choruses, has been lauded as “hauntingly beautiful” (Los Angeles Times), “the best children’s chorus I have ever heard” (Esa-Pekka Salonen), and “one of the true artistic gems of Los Angeles” (Gustavo Dudamel).

Founded in 1986 and led now by Artistic Director Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, LACC annually appears in more than 50 public performances, including in its own self-produced concerts and in collaborations with leading organizations such as LA Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and Pasadena Symphony and POPS.

The Chorus annually serves over 425 children ages 6–18 from 40+ communities across Southern California through its seven choirs, First Experiences in Singing class, and First Experiences in Choral Singing ensemble.

The Chorus is featured in alumna Billie Eilish’s 2021 cinematic concert experience Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter To Los Angeles on Disney+, and has appeared on John Williams’ 2017 recording, John Williams & Steven Spielberg: The Ultimate Collection, and the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s critically-acclaimed Decca recording, A Good Understanding. The subject of four documentaries by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Freida Mock, LACC is featured in the Academy Award®-nominated Sing!, about a year in the life of the choir. LACC has performed with John Mayer on NBC’s The Tonight Show and been featured on PBS’s Great Performances, BBC Radio, and PRI’s nationally-syndicated show From the Top.

Winner of the 2022 GRAMMY Award for Best Choral Performance for its performance on the LA Philharmonic’s 2021 album, Mahler Symphony No. 8, and recipient of Chorus America’s Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence, LACC frequently serves as a cultural ambassador for Los Angeles on tours that have taken the Chorus to 20+ countries on 6 continents. For more information, please visit www.lachildrenschorus.org.

Donald Brinegar Singers

Donald Brinegar is a conductor, tenor soloist, voice instructor, educator and master class clinician. Professor Emeritus of Music at Pasadena City College, Brinegar directed the Choral Studies program at PCC for 36 years. Brinegar also conducts the Donald Brinegar Singers, a community choral ensemble in Pasadena, California, Director of Choruses for the Pasadena Symphony and POPS. During the summers he co-directs the Cal State Los Angeles masters program in choral conducting. He has an extensive background as a performer both as a soloist and a conductor having performed throughout the United States, Japan, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and Canada. Brinegar has performed as a featured soloist with Robert Shaw, Helmuth Rilling, Roger Wagner, Gerard Swartz, Murray Sidlin, Howard Swan, Charles Hirt, Rod Eichenberger, William Hall, Marvin Hamlisch, Michael Feinstein, and with numerous music festivals, orchestras and opera associations. He has collaborated artistically with Henry Mancini, Barry Manilow, The Los Angeles Philharmonic, John Delancie, and the Chieftains. His choirs have given five performances for the American Choral Directors Association Conferences, California Music Educators (MENC), Choral Conductors Guild, and have performed in Carnegie Hall, the Los Angeles Music Center, and the Hollywood Bowl.

The Donald Brinegar Singers, choral ensemble, was founded in the Fall of 1997 as an ensemble of former students and colleagues of Professor Brinegar. Their first concert was given in November of 1997. Their second performance was the premiere of Lauridsen’s organ edition of Lux Aeterna, accompanied by organist James Buonemani. The ensemble presented music of the holiday season and was then invited to perform at The ACDA Western Division Convention in Los Angeles, 2000. Shortly following the convention appearance, the Singers recorded Ubi caritas et amor and Madrigali Six FireSongs: for Lauridsen’s compact disc, Northwest Journey. The Singers performed the Chansons des Roses with Lauridsen accompanying at the San Antonio, Texas, ACDA National Conference. The Singers followed with two more performances of Lauridsen’s music in Las Vegas, 2004 ACDA Western Division Conference, and the premiere of Nocturnes (The Brock Memorial Convention Commission) 2005, Los Angeles ACDA National Convention.

The Singers have performed for Marvin Hamlisch and Michael Feinstein, and in 2015 the ensemble performed the orchestrated version of Lauridsen’s Mid-Winter Songs along with the Nocturnes (Lauridsen accompanying) with the symphony. The ensemble has also performed at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, the Los Angeles Arboretum, and for Brinegar’s publisher, Santa Barbara Music Publishing, Santa Barbara. The Singers have given premiere performances of the music of Bruce Babcock, David Childs, Emma Lou Diemer, Morten Lauridsen, Z. Randall Stroope, and Eric Whitacre, among many others. The Singers recorded the background score for the film, The Bridge to Terrabithia, music by Aaron Zigman. They are the featured ensemble in an Irish Folk Song Collection, Letters from Ireland by Mark Brymer.

LA Bronze Handbell Ensemble

Under the artistic direction of Alex Guebert, LA Bronze is an auditioned handbell concert choir creating performances of the highest caliber for the community.  Their music making is exciting and uplifting, and audiences around Southern California have praised their concerts. The group is comprised of accomplished handbell musicians who are seeking challenging opportunities for making music, while providing educational opportunities for the handbell community.  Our members come from all over the L.A. basin and include musicians, educators, administrators and other professionals.