III. A Jazzy Holiday Fantasy – thefloridaphil.org

Concert III

A Jazzy Holiday Fantasy

Saturday, December 19, 2026 | 4:00 pm

Burnt Store Presbyterian Church

About this Concert

Maestro Richard Stoelzel, Concertmaster Ming Gao, and the Philharmonic musicians have put together a fun and lively repertoire for A Jazzy Holiday Fantasy. Enjoy an afternoon of swinging, sparkling holiday favorites blending jazz-inflected orchestral color with beloved seasonal classics

Program

Act I

Hanukkah Medley (James Stephenson): Composer James Stephenson has built one of the most performed holiday catalogs in American orchestras today, and his Hanukkah arrangement is part of that ongoing series — bringing the traditional melodies associated with the Festival of Lights into a full symphonic setting rather than treating them as an afterthought tacked onto a Christmas program.

Preferred Seating .. $85 *

General Seating ….. $70

Student ………………. $10

Music Student …….. Complimentary

* Preferred Seating is located in designated premium seating areas closest to the orchestra.

Exsultate, Jubilate (W.A. Mozart): Mozart composed this dazzling motet in 1773, at just seventeen years old, for the celebrated castrato singer Venanzio Rauzzini. Its final movement — the famous “Alleluia” — has become one of the most beloved showpieces in the vocal repertoire, prized for its soaring, virtuosic runs.
Navidad Latina (Anthony DiLorenzo): DiLorenzo — an Emmy-winning composer whose scores have appeared in everything from Toy Story trailers to The Simpsons Movie — brings his film-trailer flair for bold, cinematic color to this festive fusion of Latin rhythm and holiday spirit.

Act II

Holiday Rhapsody (Anthony DiLorenzo): A high-energy medley in DiLorenzo’s signature pops style, weaving familiar seasonal melodies together with the same bold, brassy orchestration that’s made his holiday music a favorite with orchestras nationwide.
A Charleston Christmas (James Stephenson): Stephenson trades sleigh bells for swing in this playful arrangement, giving the holiday season a foot-tapping, 1920s jazz-age twist.
Fum, Fum, Fum (arr. Anthony DiLorenzo): This centuries-old Catalan carol dates back to at least the 16th or 17th century. No one is entirely sure what “fum” represents — theories range from the strum of a guitar to the crackle of a Christmas bonfire — but the rhythmic, percussive charm has kept it a holiday favorite for generations.
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (Anthony DiLorenzo, with Narrator): The poem itself — originally titled “A Visit from St. Nicholas” — was first published anonymously in 1823, and its authorship is still debated between Clement Clarke Moore and Henry Livingston Jr. DiLorenzo’s orchestral setting weaves original musical material around the beloved text, narrated live for the audience.
Christmas ‘Toons (Anthony DiLorenzo): A whirlwind medley built around the songs from classic animated holiday specials — think Rudolph, Frosty, and the Grinch — reimagined with DiLorenzo’s cinematic orchestral touch.
A Holly and Jolly Sing-Along (James Stephenson): The evening closes with the audience joining in — a Stephenson arrangement designed to turn the last piece of the program into a full sing-along celebration.

Interesting note of local interest:

James Stephenson, composer of “A Holly and Jolly Sing-Along”, actually lived in Naples from 1990–2007, where he met his wife while she was performing with the Naples Philharmonic — before he transitioned to composing full-time and moved to Chicago.

The Florida Philharmonic