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1 / ¡Oh, mi Belén!
Biscayan
2 / El Desembre Congelat
Catalonian
3 / Alegría
Puerto Rican
Soloists: Chrissy Barnett Miller, Alix Slade
4 / A la Nanita Nana
Spanish
5 / Las Posadas
Spanish
Soloists: Adrienne Athanas, Barb Carlstrom, Judith Popkin, Maya Tinker
6 / Campana sobre Campana
Andalucian
7 / En Belén Tocan a Fuego
Castilian
Soloist: Annie Ruffalo
9 / Chiquirriquitín
Andalucian
From Carols and Lullabies: Christmas in the Southwest
Conrad Susa, 1935 - 2013
Modern Christmas Classics
1 / Merry Christmas, Darling
The Carpenters, arr. Stephen DeCesare
Maya Strickland, soloist
2 / Give Love on Christmas Day
The Jackson 5, arr. Mark Brymer
3 / Grown-Up Christmas List
Natalie Cole, arr. Mark Hayes
Melanie Kmetz, soloist
4 / Underneath the Tree
Kelly Clarkson, arr. Ed Lojeski
Tatiana Victor-Love, soloist
5 / Jing-a-Ling
The Andrews Sisters, arr. Mac Huff
Musical Guests
In addition to our collaborative pianist, Rachel Flicker, we will be joined for these concert events by harpist Gréta Ásgeirsson, guitarist Jonathan Hawkins, and percussionist Jo Huling.
Gréta Ásgeirsson
Gréta Ásgeirsson is an active ensemble player, chamber musician and educator in the Washington, D.C area. She is principal harp with the United States Air Force Band and lecturer of harp at both the University of Maryland School of Music and Washington Adventist University.
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In addition to these roles, Gréta is a member of the American Pops Orchestra, and has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Boston Ballet, Portland Symphony Orchestra, National Philharmonic and the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra.
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Hailed as “crisp, confident, and soulful” by the Worcester (MA) Telegram, Gréta has been a featured soloist with the United States Air Force Band, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (FL), Worcester (MA) Symphony Orchestra, Wellesley (MA) Symphony Orchestra and at the 2022 American Harp Society National Conference.
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Gréta has collaborated with celebrated artists including Joshua Bell, Kristin Chenoweth, Simon Estes, Renée Fleming, Denise Graves, the Indigo Girls, Leslie Jordan, Patti LaBelle, Barry Manilow, Audra McDonald, Kathy Najimy, Sandi Patty, John Rutter, Jacqueline Schwab, André De Shields, Dionne Warwick and Vanessa Williams.
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Gréta has presented masterclasses and talks at Ball State University, Boston University, Indiana University, University of North Texas, SUNY Potsdam, and The People’s Music School in Chicago. Additionally, she has served as an adjudicator for music competitions and evaluations for American String Teachers Association and the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras.
A native of Reading, MA, Gréta grew up in a family influenced by music. Gréta holds a Bachelor of Music from Boston University, where she studied with Ann Hobson Pilot and Jessica Zhou, as well as a Master of Music from the Chicago College of Performing Arts, where she was a student of Sarah Bullen. Following her studies, she served as the principal harpist with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.
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Away from the harp, Gréta can be found baking, reading, and adventuring with her euphoniumist husband, Erik Lundquist, and their dog, Waldo.
Jonathan Hawkins
Jonathan Hawkins is a DC-based guitarist/multi-instrumentalist, composer, and educator. With an early upbringing of blues, early jazz, and folk-inspired music, Jonathan's study and influences include elements of jazz, classical, while American, Brazilian, Malawian, and Spanish roots are ever-present.
Jonathan has had the pleasure to perform locally and internationally as a soloist, band member, and orchestra musician. In addition to energetic performances on stage, festivals, or studio in jazz, pop, rock, and country settings, credits include Broadway tours Mamma Mia!, Flashdance: the Musical, & the 1st National Tour of Bullets Over Broadway: the Musical. Outside of live/studio performance, Jonathan holds credits for composition & orchestration of scores in film, video games, museum installations, and theatrical performances.
A student of Larry Coryell, Roy Book Binder, Tim Miller, master classes by G.E. Smith Peter Huttlinger, Jonathan graduated Magna Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music. He continues the tradition of education through his own private students, as well as contributions to group / band clinics and workshops. More information at www.hawkinssounds.com
Jo Huling
Joanna "Jo" Huling is a versatile and dynamic percussionist and drummer in the Washington D.C./Baltimore region.
She has performed throughout the United States and Europe, with venues including the John F. Kennedy Center, Arena Stage, Signature Theatre, Lincoln Theatre, Carpenter Theatre, The Music Center at Strathmore, Maryland Theatre, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, Freeman Stage, and the National Gallery of Art.
As a theatre musician, Jo has performed in pits throughout the DC region and beyond on both percussion and drums, including her recent Off-Broadway debut as the drummer for Mama I'm a Big Girl Now - at New World Stage (NYC) with Marissa Jaret Winokur, Laura Bell Bundy, and Kerry Butler.
Highlights include Arena Stage (DC) productions of Damn Yankees, A Wrinkle in Time (World Premiere), Disney’s Newsies, and Anything Goes, and appearances in Signature Theatre productions of Penelope and Bridges of
Madison County, as well as premieres of new and revived shows: Unbreakable by Andrew Lippa (DC), Millennials are Killing Musicals by Nico Juber (Los Angeles), and Messiah the Musical (DC).
She has performed in televised productions on PBS A Capitol Fourth, backing Keala Settle (“This is Me” from The Greatest Showman) and Lauren Alaina, (“Road Less Traveled”). She has also appeared with acclaimed artists such as GRAMMY Nominee Jenny Oaks Baker, as well as Latin GRAMMY Winner and highly acclaimed children’s musician Mister G.
As an orchestral/concert percussionist and timpanist, Jo performs regularly with the Richmond Symphony, Maryland Symphony, Annapolis Symphony, Washington Opera Society, and Mid-Atlantic Symphony. Jo has performed
with numerous acclaimed soloists, most notably Itzhak Perlman. She performs regularly in concert performing orchestral masterworks, pops, and Film in Concert productions. She has also performed with the Annapolis Opera, Apollo Orchestra, Post-Classical Ensemble, and Brass of the Potomac among many others.
Jo has worked on numerous recording projects. Classical credits include recordings with the Annapolis Symphony, Brass of the Potomac, Washington National Cathedral Choirs, American Boychoir, and has also recorded with the Sean McArdle Band (“Charades” and “Cold Out There”) as well as Dennis Kane (“The Two of Us”).
Jo performed as a soloist in the World Premiere of Philip Glass’ Concerto Fantasy for Two Timpanists and Wind Ensemble, with Jonathan Haas. She commissioned and premiered James Kazik’s Percussion Concerto, which also
earned her recognition as a Rising Star competition finalist. Past performances also include solo and chamber recitals.
She enjoys collaborations with other disciplines, and has performed in many opera, ballet, and dance projects including the Rite of Spring with the Alexandria Symphony at the National Gallery of Art, Carmen with the Annapolis Opera, and the Nutcracker with the Richmond Ballet.
Rachel Flicker
Rachel Flicker currently attends the University of Maryland under the direction of Professor Rita Sloan, and is earning her Master of Music degree in Collaborative Piano. She is currently the collaborative pianist for Dr. Jason Max Ferdinand’s Chamber Singers choir. In 2023, she graduated Cum Laude from Penn State University where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance under the direction of Dr. Timothy Shafer. She recently toured with Penn State’s Glee Club choir for 10 days in Portugal as their collaborative pianist. Rachel has also premiered many works written by composition majors during her time at Penn State. She made her opera debut by playing harpsichord for Penn State’s Opera Theatre’s production of Dido and Aeneas in 2021, and was the rehearsal and performance pianist in 2023 for their production of Dialogues of the Carmelites. She has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award, the Sue Haug School of Music Leadership Award, the Valley Family Scholarship, the Schlegel Memorial Scholarship, the Marie B. Ashburn Piano Scholarship, and the Jane Cowell Sheaffer Endowment. Rachel has also taught private piano lessons at Flicker Music Studio for 9 years and recently began teaching at Chevy Chase Music in Maryland.
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Thank you to our partner musicians from this performance!
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