For Enrico Lopez-Yañez, recently appointed principal pops conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, this year’s holiday programming is an excellent opportunity to “wear your fine Christmas attire, get in the spirit of the holidays, and leave having been incredibly entertained.”
“No matter what kind of music you like [or] what kind of holiday experience you want, … the offerings are there for everyone in Detroit to find something that they love,” Lopez-Yañez says.
This is Lopez-Yañez’s first year leading the DSO’s holiday program. “I’m really excited to get to share that program, [which is] such a big tradition in Detroit,” he says.
The season begins with A Charlie Brown Christmas: Cyrus Chestnut and Friends (Dec. 6). That Charlie Brown theme is “such a classic” of the holiday season, Lopez-Yañez says — and, over the years, “jazz music has [also] become synonymous with the holidays.” Pianist Cyrus Chestnut’s rendition is “a fun, upbeat way to welcome in the holiday season.”
That same week, the worlds of ballet and jazz will collide in what Lopez-Yañez calls a “classical intersection with jazz … reimagined in [a] new, very cool way” in a production of Ellington & The Nutcracker (Dec. 6, 7, 8) conducted and led by DSO Music Director Jader Bignamini and featuring, in Lopez-Yañez’s words, “one of the world’s leading violin soloists,” Ray Chen.
The offerings include selections designed for both the young and the young at heart.
Let It Snow! (Dec. 7) is a “very approachable program,” Lopez-Yañez says, especially for younger crowds who might not have the stamina for a longer performance but still want to get in the holiday spirit. They’ll hear songs about Santa and Frosty the Snowman come alive with a 70-piece orchestra, “which is just a magnificent thing for little kids to be able to witness.”
The DSO will present two films accompanied by live scores: Home Alone in Concert (Dec. 11) and The Muppet Christmas Carol (Dec. 20, 21).
“You can watch the movie[s] as you’ve grown up loving [them], but then you get to hear this amazing … score underneath it played live by these incredible musicians,” Lopez-Yañez says. He is particularly looking forward to Home Alone, which was scored by John Williams, who intended his compositions to be performed by a live orchestra. “There’s no way to truly capture that in a recording. Getting to witness [the film] in a hall that is designed to naturally amplify these incredible acoustic instruments, and getting to hear the depth and the richness of … a master like John Williams, is really special.”
Home for the Holidays (Dec. 13, 14, 15) is “our big annual traditional holiday pops concert that features live singers and all these amazing classic hits,” Lopez-Yañez says. Expect a “fun, interactive, upbeat program” with audience participation, jazzy arrangements, “and a little bit of everything.”
The season will wrap with Leslie Odom Jr. (Dec. 22), whom Lopez-Yañez refers to as “one of the greatest voices out there right now.” The Tony and Grammy Award-winning actor, an original cast member from Hamilton, will perform a mix of jazz standards, Broadway hits, and Christmas classics as part of his Christmas Tour. The performance, says Lopez-Yañez, is a “one-night-only opportunity.”
This story originally appeared in the November 2024 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Our digital edition will be available on Nov. 6.
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