POPS IN PALMER SQUARE: As part of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s holiday season, presented virtually on weekends in December, the orchestra’s brass ensemble, shown here in Palmer Square, will play Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride.”

The Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) will present multiple free weekend broadcasts December 5-20 of its family-friendly Holiday POPS! concert. The event features holiday favorites performed by pianists Christina and Michelle Naughton, dancers of the American Repertory Ballet, and PSO musicians led by Edward T. Cone Music Director Rossen Milanov. As in previous years, members of the Princeton High School Choir, under the direction of Vincent Metallo, will lead the annual carol sing-along.

“We are thrilled to present this exceptional holiday showcase featuring top artists and local arts partners as an uplifting gift of thanks to all for continuing to support the arts in our community this season,” said PSO Executive Director Marc Uys.

The program includes selections from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker performed by Christina and Michelle Naughton, arrangements of holiday favorites played by the PSO woodwind quintet, and Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride recorded by the PSO brass ensemble in Princeton’s Palmer Square. The Princeton High School Choir performs Eric Whitacre’s “Sing Gently,” and a piano trio including PSO concertmaster Basia Danilow accompanies American Repertory Ballet dancers Nanako Yamamoto and Jonathan Montepara, as they perform The Nutcracker’s Grand Pas De Deux.

Christina and Michelle Naughton are the first piano duo to receive an Avery Fisher Career Grant. The award was announced March 14, 2019. They have performed with orchestras including the Minnesota Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Sarasota Orchestra, the Naples Philharmonic, and the Royal Scottish Symphony Orchestra. They are graduates of The Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music, where they were each awarded the Festorazzi Prize. They are Steinway Artists and currently reside in New York City.

American Repertory Ballet includes the professional classical and contemporary ballet company, Princeton Ballet School, and ARB’s Access and Enrichment initiatives, including the acclaimed Dance Power program, the longest continuously running community and arts partnership in New Jersey. The ballet company dances ballets from the 19th and 20th centuries alongside new and existing works by choreographers from today.

The Princeton High School Choir has a rich tradition of choral excellence that is unique among American high schools, performing extensively in North America and Europe and touring as representatives of Princeton. One of five performing ensembles, the 85 members of the choir are selected after careful audition of nearly 250 voices in the high school’s choral program.

Access to the Holiday POPS! virtual concert is free to all. A digital program book will be available in advance to enhance the audience experience. For broadcast access, call (609) 497-0020 or visit princetonsymphony.org.