Dear friends,
Classical orchestral music provides the soundtrack for so much of our lives — from movie scores to Christmas carols — shaping many of our collective traditions and memories.
The basic human need for collective celebration, traditions and music is perhaps most acute at this time of year. Our coming together over music is both a comfort in the darkest days and a celebration of the return of the light and a new year on the horizon.
And so it should come as no surprise that December, more than any other month on the PSO's calendar, offers so many opportunities to gather, hear and enjoy the songs and classical works that bring our celebrations to life.
This month's performances feature a wide variety of favorites in three different venues, all of which have COVID-19 vaccination and masking requirements in place to ensure the safety and health of the performers and audience members.
On behalf of everyone at the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra, we wish you and your family a healthy and happy holiday season and we look forward to seeing you at one or more of these memorable performances.
As they say in Vienna, Prosit Neujahr!!
John Page
Music Director
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Performances Not to Be Missed
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Please note: All of the PSO's concerts have COVID-19 audience policies in place. You can review the policies for each of the venues here.
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Up Close and Personal with the PSO @ Jimmy's
"Brass (R)evolution"
December 12, 5:30pm
Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club, Portsmouth
Join us for the full series of unique and wonderful performances at Jimmy's. All performances take place on Sundays at 5:30pm. Full program details can be found on the PSO’s website.
Next up:
January 23: “Rhapsody”
February 27: “Respiro di colori”
April 10: "Strings + One"
May 22: “Intimate Voices”
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 Family Holiday Pops!
Saturday, December 18, 7:30pm
Sunday, December 19, 3:00pm
Portsmouth High School
Tickets: $30 adult, $25 senior, $15 student/child
Buy Tickets
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 New Year's Eve Champagne Pops!
Friday, December 31, 8:00pm
The Music Hall, Portsmouth
Tickets: $38
Reserve your seat today!
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Dirk Hillyer, Guest Conductor
 Dr. Dirk Hillyer will guest conduct this year's New Year's Eve Champagne Pops! concert. An award-winning conductor and musician, Dr. Hillyer has performed for over two decades on both the regional and national stage. His experiences range from the classical genre to “pops” music of Broadway and film, including two national tours for Disney’s “Disney-in-Concert.” His Hillyer Festival Orchestra (HFO) has given 150 performances over the past 23 years on the North Shore and in Boston, including playing Boston’s Hatch Shell on the Esplanade for five consecutive years.
Dr. Hillyer has conducted his orchestra for 18 years and local pops orchestras for the last 20 years, but also maintains a vital interest in playing in concerts, pit-orchestras, and shows backing up world-class artists. A tenured member of the Boston Lyric Opera, he has performed over 400 opera performances and loves to conduct show orchestras.
In his hometown of Portland, Oregon, Dr. Hillyer conducted well-received productions of West Side Story, Jesus Christ Superstar, Music Man, Threepenny Opera and others.
Learn more about the New Year's Eve Champagne Pops! concert below or on the PSO website.
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Jacyn Tremblay, Guest Vocalist
Jacyn Tremblay, the guest vocalist for the New Year's Eve Champagne Pops! concert on December 31, is a singer, songwriter, and recording artist who currently performs throughout New England with the 11-piece band Beantown.
Her musical credits include single releases on Universal/Motown Records in the pop/R&B vocal group Jada, pop/rock singles with Venus Mars Project, performing as a regularly featured soloist with the Hillyer Festival Orchestra and most recently with Trumpet virtuoso Jay Daly and the BBQ Brass.
See Jacyn perform live on December 31 at The Music Hall.
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Individual donations to the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra are an important component of our yearly budget. We rely on these funds in order to help keep ticket prices as low as possible and to support our musical outreach activities, including our tuition free orchestra music program, Stringendo.
You can help keep classical music accessible on the Seacoast with a year end gift to the PSO. Donations can be made as honoraria and make a wonderful holiday "gift" for the classical music lovers in your life.
There are two ways to gift: make an online donation through the PSO website or mail a check to Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra, PO Box 8391, Portsmouth, NH 03802.
Thank you for helping to keep the music alive!
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