Love the silver screen? Lee’s Summit Symphony to present the perfect holiday concert

Film and music fans will be delighted by a popular seasonal tradition this year. The Lee’s Summit Symphony presents its Silver Screen Holiday concert at 3 p.m. Dec. 14 at the John Knox Village Pavilion.

The annual concert, which is always a sellout, provides a showcase for the symphony orchestra, with many audience members returning year after year for the show.

“The Lee’s Summit community is a rich, artistic community with great music historically,” said Kirt Mosier, the symphony’s music director. “We need a venue for these wonderful musicians and for our patrons who really love music, and this is a great outlet for our community — very positive and uplifting for musicians and audiences alike.”

This year’s holiday concert will feature “Where Are You Christmas” as well as songs from movies such as “Elf,” “Polar Express” and “Miracle on 34th Street.”

“We even have some classics like songs from ‘The Nutcracker,’” Mosier added, “and we’re going to have Russ Berlin (the symphony’s co-founder and conductor emeritus) conduct that.”

Vocal soloists will add to the holiday atmosphere with Hannah and Josiah Kim and Faith Holt — all from the Lee’s Summit community — performing. Rock guitarists Louie Pagán and Chase Peterson will accompany the Lee’s Summit Symphony on several numbers from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

The annual concert has become an important event within the Lee’s Summit community’s holiday season and has already sold out.

“It brings people from all walks of life to enjoy the beauty of music, something that is universally held and that we can enjoy together,” Mosier said.

Another key to the event’s success is the Symphony’s partnership with John Knox Village. The Lee’s Summit Symphony’s four annual concerts this season take place at the Village’s Pavilion, and a number of the retirement community’s residents attend.

“It’s a great thing for all of the community members who live at John Knox Village,” Mosier added.

Founded in 2003, the group includes more than 100 performers, which is considered a large symphony for a community of this size, Mosier said.

“We’re bigger than most major symphonies just in personnel alone,” he said. “This Symphony is amazingly gifted with many professionals. Some of the players are the best I’ve ever worked with across the world.”

The Lee’s Summit Symphony has two additional performances scheduled for its 2024-25 season with tickets priced at $5 for students and $25 for adults.

The Symphony will present Watercolor Odyssey at 7 p.m. March 15 with numbers “mixing water and adventure” and featuring a “Pirates of the Caribbean” suite, an original piece by Mosier and music from Handel.

The 2024-25 season will close out with Swingin’ Summer, scheduled for 7 p.m. June 21. The concert will include swing and dance tunes from the Greatest Generation as well as patriotic numbers.

For more information about the Lee’s Summit Symphony, a not-for-profit organization, or to purchase tickets for future concerts, go here.