Pioneer Valley Ballet: The Nutcracker
Academy of Music, Northampton
Friday, Dec. 13 through Sunday, Dec. 15
This beloved holiday tradition, filled with enchanting characters, stunning choreography, and Tchaikovsky’s iconic score, is a lovely way to celebrate the season. Join Clara on her magical journey as she battles the Rat King to save the Nutcracker Prince, then travel to meet delightful characters in the enchanted Snow Forest and beautiful Kingdom of Sweets. The cast includes PVB dancers and performers from across western Mass. and guest artists from Carolina Ballet.
Tiny Glass Tavern: Magnify!
Edwards Church, Northampton
Friday Dec. 13 at 7 p.m.
Led by vocalist Sophie Michaux, Tiny Glass Tavern melds classical music with folk and world traditions from over a dozen countries. Each concert is a joyful celebration of musical variety, texture, and experimentation. They are kicking off their 3rd season with a joyful program of music to celebrate the end of the year. You’ll hear an eclectic selection of music including excerpts of Johann Sebastian Bach's Magnificat, Arvo Pärt's Magnificat, Britten's Corpus Christi Carol, folk and pop music, carols, and originals by Kimaya Diggs and Adam. Simon. As always, get ready to join in singing!
The School for Contemporary Dance & Thought
Hatchery Young Artist Project: We Meet Again
A.P.E.'s Workroom Theater, 33 Hawley Street, Northampton
Friday Dec. 13 and Saturday, Dec. 14 at 8 p.m.
Sunday Dec. 15 at 2 p.m.
The School for Contemporary Dance & Thought is a performance, research, and education platform for artists of all ages to engage in experimentation and continued learning through dance. We Meet Again celebrates the inspiring and essential voices of teens through experimental dance, music, theater and video. The program will include new works by Hatchery dancers and musicians and will feature guest artists Biso Kabisco Kaba, Lauren Horn, Jen Polins.
Valley Players “Bard in the Bar”
Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale
The Brewery at Four Star Farms, Northfield
Friday, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m.
This play has got it all: jealousy, tyranny, rebellion, love, redemption, magical statues, shipwrecks, sheep-shearing, ballad-singing, and a bear!“Bard in the Bar” is an unrehearsed, script-in-hand, drink-in-hand reading of a Shakespeare play to benefit a local nonprofit or charity. Admission is free and there are no reservations, but donations are encouraged. For this reading, half of the donations will go to The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.
Wall Power! Modern French Tapestry from the Mobilier national, Paris
The Clarke, Williamstown
Opens Saturday, Dec. 14, lecture at 11 a.m.
Beginning in the Middle Ages, tapestries played an important role in the interior decoration of European churches, palaces, and public spaces, and those made in France were renowned for their beauty. But tapestry is not just an art of the past. In the mid-twentieth century, it once again came into prominence and artists continue to make designs for tapestry today. One of the world’s great collections of twentieth and twenty-first century tapestries belongs to the Mobilier national of France, which has generously lent thirty-two examples to this exhibition.
Holiday Shindy
Masonic Temple, Pittsfield
Saturday, Dec. 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For 17 years, the Holiday Shindy has been a magical shopping destination, showcasing artisans from across the Berkshires. The Shindy offers the chance to shop directly from local farms and makers, from soaps and tinctures to cookies and calendars. Long-time vendors and emerging talents are set aglow in the warm, inclusive, and accessible setting of The Masonic Temple.
Pioneer Valley Symphony: Home Alone
Greenfield High School
Saturday, Dec 14 at 4 p.m.
Prelude to the Pops! Party at 3 p.m.
This delightful, family-friendly annual tradition unites the 150+ musicians of the PVS Orchestra, Chorus, and Youth Orchestra on stage for big holiday fun! You will be treated to many seasonal favorites such as "Sleigh Ride" and "White Christmas," and new delights like music from the classic holiday movie Home Alone. Plus, new arrangements of singalong favorites such as “Deck the Hall” and “Jingle Bells” reimagined by PVSO assistant conductor Anthony Ferreira.
Springfield Symphony Orchestra: Heralding the Holidays
Springfield Symphony Hall
Saturday, Dec. 14 at 4 p.m.
Conductor William Waldrop leads the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in a family-friendly concert promises to kickstart your holiday season. Shayna Steele shares her powerhouse vocals in stirring renditions of such cherished holiday tunes like Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, O Come All Ye Faithful, O Happy Day, and the ultimate holiday hit, All I Want For Christmas Is You. Enjoy favorites like Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer and selections from the Klezmer Nutcracker, as well as music from local cantor Elise Barber.
Light One Candle: A Holiday A Cappella Experience
Bombyx, Florence
Saturday, Dec. 14 at 4 p.m.
Head to Bombyx for an intergenerational afternoon of holiday harmony and captivating barbershop a cappella sound. Heart of the Valley Chorus, an affiliate of Sweet Adelines International, will perform alongside The Cider House Boys and special guest singers to bring you holiday favorites. with opportunities for you to sing along if you wish.
Steve Poltz & Bob Schneider
Iron Horse, Northampton
Saturday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m.
Here are two singer-songwriters from Austin Texas. Steve Poltz is renowned as a festival favorite everywhere from Bluesfest in Byron Bay and High Sierra Music Festival in California and theTelluride Bluegrass Festival. Bob Schneider is one of Austin’s most-celebrated musicians. He blends elements of folk, rock, rap, funk, bluegrass, reggae and country with the more traditional singer/songwriter aesthetic.
Novi Cantori: Chantons Noël
Saturday, Dec. 14, 7:30 p.m. at Ste. Rose de Lima Church in Chicopee
Sunday, Dec. 15, 2 p.m. at Granville Federated Church in Granville
This concert, filled with choral chestnuts and newfound loves alike, is inspired by Novi Cantori’s love of classic carols and their desire to reinvent the choral canon. Novi’s director, Todd Fruth, leads the choral program at Amherst Regional High School. He was recognized with the 2019 Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Award.
Valley Classical Concerts: The Lysander Trio
Sweeney Concert Hall, Smith College
Sunday, Dec. 15 at 3 p.m.
The Lysander Piano Trio, whose name is inspired by the character in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer-Night’s Dream, was formed at The Juilliard School. The Trio has developed a reputation for exciting programming, finding creative ways to connect well-known masterworks with pieces by lesser-known and underrepresented composers, discovering common threads across cultures and times. Case in point: Their program for VCC includes trios from the Romantic mainstream by Beethoven and Schumann and a rarely-heard but gorgeous work by English composer Rebecca Clarke.
Naughty or Nice: Songs of the Season Holiday Cabaret
Venfort Hall, Lenox
Sunday, Dec. 15 at 3:30 p.m.
Vocalist Sherri James Buxton and accompanist Bob Shepherd return to Ventfort Hall to present a Holiday Cabaret featuring seasonal favorites and more. This engaging program will elevate your holiday spirit and have you tapping your toes. The performance concludes with a sing-along and a rousing version of The Twelve Days of Christmas that includes members of the audience. The mansion will be beautifully decorated for the holiday season. A lovely dessert tea follows the concert.
Vivace Chamber Orchestra
The Mahaiwe, Great Barrington
Sunday, Dec. 15 at 4 p.m.
The Vivace Chamber Orchestra is comprised of fourteen top-tier New York musicians who gather for periodic tours. Their program for this “Close Encounters With Music” concert includes Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings, Barber’s iconic Adagio, Grieg’s Holberg Suite, Boccherini’s Baroque-era Cello Concerto (rewritten in a Romantic vein), and more.
Noho Jazz Workshop: Karrin Allyson
The Drake, Amherst
Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m.
Karrin Allyson, is a 5-time Grammy nominated jazz vocalist, pianist, and songwriter who has built has a mastery of The Great American Songbook, blues, pop, be-bop, Brazilian, and French chansons. With fifteen albums released so far, Allyson’s range and creativity seems to have no bounds. She does more than sing a lyric, she tells us her story. Her set with the Green Street trio will be followed by a jazz jam session, bring your axe to sit in!