CMU Musicians Make the Season Bright With Annual Holiday Concert

Music lovers were gifted with magnificent performances from the Colorado Mesa University Department of Music at this year's Annual Holiday Concert. The CMU Jazz Ensemble, Women's Choir, Symphony Orchestra, and various other ensembles, presented a delightful matinee featuring everyone's most beloved holiday standards.

For decades, Western Colorado music lovers have anxiously awaited the Annual Holiday Concert. Each year, the Music department at CMU features most of its vocal and instrumental ensembles in a single concert event. Historically, it has been uncommon to have anything less than a capacity crowd at the Robinson Theatre at the Moss Performing Arts Center.

This year's presentation commenced with the CMU Jazz Ensemble, directed by Dr. Darin Kamstra. While CMU has always had a strong Jazz program, this year's ensemble is exceptionally polished. Their first number, "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" featured soloists Cody Krieger on alto sax and Sarah Wagner on trumpet, as well as a little comic relief from pianist Hans Snell.

Following the Jazz Ensemble, the audience was treated to two vocal ensembles, the CMU Women's Choir, directed by Carol Anne Niles, and the Vocal Chords, directed by Dr. Monte Atkinson.

Next, the concert featured the CMU Symphony Orchestra, led by its new director, Dr. Joung Hoon Song. Guest conductor Dr. Monte Atkinson then directed the orchestra for "Still, Still, Still," an Austrian Christmas carol and lullaby from the State of Salzburg.

Highlights from the CMU Annual Holiday Concert will be broadcast on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning on this station. Keep in mind, we stream live around the world via this site, so be sure to make your friends and family aware of this special broadcast. Check the events tab for broadcast times.