Master Players 'Music Wonderland' holiday pops concert is sold out

(Editor's note: The "Music Wonderland" concert is now sold out, and no tickets will be available at the door.)

10:06 a.m., Dec. 3, 2013--The University of Delaware Master Players Concert Series (MPCS) will hold its third program of the year, a holiday pops “Music Wonderland” concert to be held at 3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7, in Mitchell Hall. 

Created and produced by MPCS artistic director Xiang Gao and hosted by the 2013 Miss Delaware Rebecca Jackson, the fun holiday pops concert features the acclaimed UD Chorale performing holiday music under the direction of Duane Cottrell.

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June 5: Blue Hen 5K

University of Delaware graduates planning to attend Alumni Weekend are encouraged to register for the annual Blue Hen 5K walk and run, which will be held Sunday morning, June 5.

June 6-9: Food and culture series

The 20th annual June Lecture Series at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UD in Wilmington will be held June 6-9. Titled 'June a la Carte,' this year's program focuses on great political documents, feminism, world politics and a Newark cuisine sampler.

• June 6-9: Food and culture series
• Through June 30: 'Saving White Clay Creek'
• July 22: WWE Heatwave Tour
• Through Sept. 16: Women of color in academia

In addition, instrumental ensembles including the Nittany Trombone Quartet, the world traveling UD Steel Band under the direction of Harvey Price, selected student instrumentalists and a UD big band jazz ensemble under the direction of Tom Palmer will perform familiar holiday classics during what promises to be an unforgettable musical experience to kick off the holiday season.

Selected scenes from the Nutcracker, performed by leading members of the Mid-Atlantic Ballet under the artistic direction of Patrick V. Korstange, will also delight the holiday audience.

The concert is free to children under the age of 14 accompanied by ticketed adults as part of a Master Players educational endeavor made possible by generous donations from MPCS donors who participated in the UD alumni and friends China trip led by Gao.

Also, free tickets are available to schools. Reservations are required. See the School Programs page or call 302-831-0039 for details.

Purchasing tickets or reserving free tickets in advance is highly recommended as the concert was 90 percent sold as of Tuesday, Dec. 3.

Following the concert, MPCS will hold its annual free “Instrument Petting Zoo” under the direction of UD’s Suzanne Burton in Gore Hall next door to Mitchell Hall. A fun activity for the whole family, the petting zoo will be held from 4:30-5:30 p.m. and will be  hosted by the UD ProjectMUSIC scholars Sarah Kutash, Stephanie Espie and Trey Williams.

Upcoming events:

Friday, Feb. 14, 8 p.m., Gore Recital Hall, Roselle Center for the Arts. This year, MPCS launches another innovative concert, the Gold Medalist’s Show, which celebrates top prizewinners of international music competitions. 

Many Americans remember the legendary American pianist Van Cliburn who won the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition held in Moscow during the Cold War. Since then, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition has become one of the most important piano competitions in the world. 

Haochen Zhang, a native of Shanghai, China, was the gold medalist of the 13th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition held in 2009. Invited by MPCS, Zhang will give the inaugural performance of this new event with his personal interpretation of romantic solo piano music by Beethoven, Debussy, Brahms and Stravinsky. 

An MPCS Prelude Dinner will be available with speaker James Anderson, director and conductor of the UD Symphony Orchestra. It will be held from 5-7:15 p.m., Friday, Feb. 14. See the Prelude Dinner page for details.