HOLIDAY CLASSICS WITH THE ARTS DISTRICT CHORALE

Celebrate the holidays with NPOI and our friends from the Arts District Chorale with holiday classics old and new.
Holiday classics with the Arts District Chorale - Blaire King, conductor.

SYMPHONIC MASTERWORKS

Principal flutist Sheri Oestreich leads an evening of orchestral masterworks, culminating in Beethoven’s iconic
Symphony No. 5.

Planned repertoire:

• Carl Nielsen: Helios Overture, Op. 17
• Jacques Ibert: Concerto for Flute and Orchestra
• Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67

Sheri Oestreich

Sheri Oestreich is Principal Flute of the New Philharmonic Orchestra of Irving and an active freelance musician in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. She performs regularly with regional ensembles and has collaborated on a variety of recording projects.

Oestreich is also a dedicated educator, maintaining a private flute studio in the DFW area with students in both Texas and Washington. She is a primary author and collaborator for The Band Code, a new beginning band method. She holds a Master of Music degree in Flute Performance from Texas Christian University and a Bachelor of Music degree in Flute Performance from Central Washington University. Known for her refined musicianship, rich tone, and technical command, she strives to create performances that are vivid, engaging, and expressive.

FROM COMMON MEN

Titans of their countries, Aaron Copeland and Rimsky Korsakov bookend Rachmaninov's indelible Concerto No. 2.
Masterworks for the piano with pianist, Thiago Nascimento.

Planned repertoire:

• Aaron Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man
• Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakoff: Russian Easter Overture
• Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18

Thiago Nascimento is a versatile pianist celebrated for his innate musicality, dazzling technique, and improvisational flair across a wide range of styles. Born in Brazil and raised in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Thiago’s musical voice blends the precision of classical training with the spontaneity of jazz, stride piano, and original composition.

Despite his current mastery, Thiago’s journey to the piano was anything but conventional. He began teaching himself at age thirteen—an age when most prodigies are already fielding existential crises—and started formal classical lessons at fifteen. Within a year, his talent earned him admission to Dallas’ prestigious Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

Thiago pursued collegiate studies at Peabody Conservatory before graduating from Southern Methodist University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Music degree under the mentorship of acclaimed pianist Alessio Bax.

Today, Thiago thrives as a professional pianist in the DFW area, equally at home in the worlds of classical performance, jazz improvisation, ballet accompaniment, and musical theater. Whether on stage or in the studio, his playing is marked by expressive depth, stylistic agility, and a spark of creative joy that captivates audiences and collaborators alike.

PIÈCES DES RÉSISTANCE

Close out the NPOI season playing some of the greatest in music: Beethoven, Mozart, Weber, Wagner, and more!
Season finale with students of Irving ISD orchestras.

Planned repertoire:

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: La clemenza di Tito, K. 621
• Carl Maria von Weber: Jubel Overture, Op. 59
• Severiano Briseño: El Sinaloense
• Richard Wagner: Lohengrin Prelude (Act 3)
• Ludwig van Beethoven: Wellington's Victory

Including the winner of this year's Richard Giangiulio Concerto Competition, Paola Rosas.

Paola Rosas is a senior at MacArthur High School and has been playing the violin for seven years. A dedicated member of her school’s orchestra program, Paola has earned numerous distinctions, including being a five‑time All‑City musician, the 2024–2025 High School All‑City Concertmaster, and the Varsity Orchestra Concertmaster. She has also been selected for All‑Region ensembles throughout middle and high school, most recently performing with the Region 20 High School Honors Orchestra.

Beyond music, Paola is deeply involved in UIL Academics, competing in Science, Literary Criticism, and Writing. She is also the Senior Class Salutatorian and enjoys running, solving crosswords, watching her favorite shows, and learning new instruments such as guitar, viola, cello, and—hopefully soon—the bass guitar.
After graduation, Paola will attend Yale University to pursue a degree in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, with a possible double major in Music. She hopes to expand her volunteer work and ultimately attend medical school to become a pediatrician.

Paola is grateful for the opportunities music has given her and is excited to continue growing as both a musician and scholar.

CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS (1835–1921)
arr. William C. White

Performed with Momentum Dance Company

The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a ~25 minutes

* * *

Fidelio Overture, Op. 72b ~ 6 min

Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46 ~17 minutes

1. Morning Mood
2. Åse's Death
3. Anitra's Dance
4. In the Hall of the Mountain King

Pavane, Op. 50 ~ 7 min

Dances of Galánta ~ 16 min

Fanfare from La Péri ~ 2 min