FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact Beth Wakefield
217-522-2838 x4
[email protected]
Get ready to deck the halls with music and merriment! The Illinois Symphony Orchestra invites you to experience Holiday Pops in the Heartland, the region’s most joyful holiday tradition. This festive celebration fills the halls with sparkling melodies, heartwarming classics, and plenty of holiday cheer—a perfect way to make your season bright.
Adding brilliance to the evening, internationally acclaimed soprano Mikaela Bennett will captivate audiences with her luminous voice, performing beloved holiday favorites and stepping into the role of storyteller as she narrates the charming and whimsical tale Another Night Before Christmas. Her artistry promises to make this an unforgettable centerpiece of the celebration.
This year’s program celebrates community spirit! In Bloomington, the Bloomington-Normal Youth Symphony joins forces with the ISO for an exhilarating side-by-side performance, blending youthful energy with orchestral brilliance. Adding a dash of fun, the winner of the Celebrity Conductor Challenge will take the podium to lead Leroy Anderson’s iconic Sleigh Ride—a beloved holiday classic guaranteed to bring smiles and cheers. And for our Springfield audiences, the magic continues in the historic Illinois State Library, offering an intimate and distinctive setting that makes this holiday tradition come alive.
Holiday Pops in the Heartland is more than a concert—it’s a sparkling celebration for all ages.Come for the music—stay for the magic. Bring the kids, invite the grandparents, and share in a tradition that will warm your heart and lift your spirits. Make this the highlight of your holiday season!
Mikaela Bennett is a celebrated singer and actress praised for her artistic versatility on stage and in concert halls around the world. A recent recipient of the Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists, she is equally at home performing with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Disney Hall or starring in West Side Story (Maria) at the BBC Proms. Highlights include: her solo recital debut at Alice Tully Hall; premieres with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony; debuts with Lyric Opera of Kansas City in The Sound of Music (Maria); with MasterVoices at Carnegie Hall in The Grapes of Wrath (Rosasharn); and, Handel’s Israel in Egypt.
Taichi Fukumura, Music Director of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and newly appointed Assistant Conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra, is one of the most electrifying young talents on the podium today. A Second Prize Winner of The Mahler Competition 2023 and a four-time recipient of the prestigious Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award (2021–2024), Fukumura is rapidly emerging as a bold new voice in American orchestral music.
Join us at 7:30 PM on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at the ISU Center for the Performing Arts, in Normal, Illinois and at 3:00 PM or 7:30 PM on Sunday, December 14, 2025, at the Illinois State Library in Springfield, Illinois.
Order your tickets today! Tickets may be purchased in Bloomington-Normal through the ISU Center for the Performing Arts at (309) 438-2535 or in Springfield through the UIS Ticket Office at (217) 206-6160. You can also order tickets online at ilsymphony.org/holidaypops. Single ticket prices range from $10 for students (24 & under) to $70 for premium seating.
Important Ticket Information for Springfield: Tickets may be purchased by phone, online, or in person through the UIS Ticket Office. Tickets will be available online through the start of the concert but will NOT be available to purchase at the door.
Flexi tickets are still available! We offer a variety of season ticket packages to fit your style, interests, and lifestyle. Go to ilsymphony.org/flexitickets for more information.
Holiday Pops in the Heartland is sponsored by season sponsors The Landmark Automotive Group and Debra & Daniel Brownstone, M.D. and concert sponsor US Bank.
The Illinois Symphony Orchestra (ISO), under the inspiring leadership of Music Director Taichi Fukumura, is the premier professional orchestra of central Illinois—bringing world-class music to life for more than 35,000 patrons across Bloomington-Normal, Springfield, and surrounding communities. With thrilling symphony, Pops and chamber performances, engaging Concerts for Kids, and intimate and immersive chamber experiences like the Sips & Sounds, Around the Town and Beyond the Stage performances, the ISO is redefining what a regional orchestra can be.
The ISO’s reach goes far beyond the concert hall. Through transformative education programs like Itsy Arts and Music Matters, the orchestra sparks creativity in pre-K and elementary classrooms, while guest artist residencies and ensemble visits connect with middle schools, high schools, universities, and senior centers—building lifelong relationships with music.
In 2020, the ISO expanded its mission by acquiring the Sangamon Valley Youth Symphony, now the Illinois Symphony Youth Orchestras (ISYO), serving over 300 young musicians through five progressive ensembles. With strong partnerships through its’ PEACE (Partnership in Education and Community Engagement) with UIS-Music and Illinois State University, the ISO is cultivating the next generation of artists, educators, and arts advocates. ISO’s annual operating budget is $1.6 million.
Additional information about the Illinois Symphony Orchestra is available at www.ilsymphony.org.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.
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