Illustrating that children and Christmas go together like, well, Santa and Rudolph, the holidays will be a particularly busy time for the in-demand Grammy Award-winning Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC), considered one of the world’s leading children’s choirs, with three significant engagements for the chorus, one self-produced and the others with LA Opera and Pasadena Symphony.
LA Children’s Chorus’ holiday offerings are anchored by its annual Winter Concert, featuring back-to-back performances at two different locations, Saturday, December 6, 3 pm, at First United Methodist Church in Pasadena, and Sunday, December 7, 2025, 7 pm, at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.Some 400 choristers from six of LACC’s ensembles will be spotlighted on two different programs featuring an array of carols, seasonal songs, and winter-themed works. The December 6 program includes LACC’s Concert Choir and Chamber Singers, both led by Artistic Director Fernando Malvar-Ruiz; the Intermediate Choir, under the direction of Associate Artistic Director Fred Meads; and the Young Men’s Ensemble, conducted by Eric Lifland. The Concert Choir also appears at the December 7 concert, along with the Apprentice Choir, led by Meads, and the Chorale, LACC’s SATB ensemble, directed by Malvar-Ruiz.
Additionally, 16 LACC choristers perform in LA Opera’s timeless production of Puccini’s beloved opera La Bohème, directed by Brenna Corner and led by Resident Conductor Lina González-Granados, with six performances, November 22 and 30, and December 4, 6, 10, and 14, at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The production stars Janai Brugger (Mimi), Oreste Cosimo (Rodolfo), Erica Petrocelli (Musetta), and Gihoon Kim (Marcello).
To cap the season, LACC joins Pasadena Symphony as a special guest for three performances of the orchestra’s popular Holiday Candlelight concert on December 12, 7 pm, and December 13, 4 pm and 7 pm, at All Saints Church in Pasadena. Larry Blank conducts the festive program, headlined by vocalist Sarah Uriarte Berry, which also features the Donald Brinegar Singers, JPL Chorus, and LA Bronze Handbell Ensemble. Favorites such as The Christmas Song, Sleigh Ride, Hallelujah! and more – all performed by candlelight – set a joyous holiday mood.
Tickets to LACC’s Winter Concert ($29) are on sale now. For tickets and information on LACC’s holiday engagements, visit www.lachildrenschorus.org or call (626) 793-4231. First United Methodist Church is located at 500 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91101. Pasadena Presbyterian Church is located at 585 East Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101.
About the Artists
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). Led 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 Los Angeles Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Master Chorale, and Pasadena Symphony and POPS. The Chorus annually serves over 500 young people ages 6-18 from 40+ communities across Southern California through its seven choirs, and First Experiences in Singing and Next Experiences in Singing classes. LACC 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 on tours that have taken the Chorus to 22+ countries on 6 continents. LACC was founded in 1986 by Rebecca Thompson and led from 1995-2018 by Artistic Director Emerita Anne Tomlinson. For more information, please visit www.lachildrenschorus.org.
WHAT:
Los Angeles Children’s Chorus’ Winter Concert
WHO:
Los Angeles Children’s Chorus
Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, Conductor/Concert Choir/Chamber Singers/Chorale
Fred Meads, Conductor/Intermediate Choir
Eric Lifland, Conductor/Young Men’s Ensemble/Apprentice Choir
WHEN/WHERE:
Saturday, December 6, 2025, 3:00 pm
First United Methodist Church, 500 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91101
(Features: Intermediate Choir, Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, and Young Men’s Ensemble)
Sunday, December 7, 2025, 7:00 pm
Pasadena Presbyterian Church, 585 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101
(Features: Apprentice Choir, Concert Choir, and Chorale)
TICKETS/INFORMATION:
$29
(626) 793-4231
www.lachildrenschorus.org
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