Marblehead Harbor Rotary Holiday Pops features Hillyer Festival Orchestra and Soprano Erin M. Smith - Dec. 13

The Hillyer Festival Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Dirk Hillyer will welcome soprano Erin M. Smith as the featured guest soloist at this year’s Marblehead Harbor Rotary Holiday Pops Concert on Saturday, December 13, at Abbot Hall.

The evening will begin at 7 p.m. with a champagne reception catered by Louise Moore’s Every Little Breeze and by North Shore Bartending Services. The concert will begin at 8 p.m.

About Dirk Hillyer and the Hillyer Festival Orchestra

For over 20 years, Hillyer and every member of the Hillyer Festival Orchestra have established Marblehead Harbor Rotary’s annual Holiday Pops as a most beloved and much-anticipated Marblehead holiday tradition.

Hillyer is a revered figure on Boston’s North Shore and a nationally recognized musician, conductor, horn player, and mentor. With a career spanning classical masterpieces to the vibrant pop music of Broadway and film, Hillyer’s journey has been nothing short of spectacular. Previously serving as conductor for Disney’s DISNEY IN CONCERT, he has led national performances, captivating audiences in Austin, Miami, Philadelphia, and twice at the famous Wolf Trap Festival with the National Symphony Pops, among others.

His passion for a variation of musical styles knows no bounds and includes collaborative recordings and tours with Berklee’s Jazz Composers Alliance, Hall-of-Fame rocker Todd Rundgren, and Carol Channing’s “Hello Dolly” (banjo!).

Locally, the Hillyer Festival Orchestra (HFO) has dazzled audiences with more than180 performances in a variety of Massachusetts cities including Marblehead, Peabody, Springfield, Worchester, and notably Salem, with Salem’s July 4th Concert that draws audiences of 30,000. Hillyer’s expertise has graced prestigious venues worldwide including the National Irish Radio (Dublin), Palazzo Vecchio (Florence), St. Martin-in-the-Field (London), the Mann Auditorium (Tel Aviv), Orchestra Hall (Lisbon) and many others.

Academically, Hillyer earned a PhD from Tufts University, complemented by two additional degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music.

About Erin M. Smith

Praised for her “rich and beautiful voice” (Petoskey News-Review), soprano Erin M. Smith is quickly establishing herself as a versatile and dynamic performer throughout New England.

A frequent performer of opera, additionally, she has performed as the featured soloist in numerous opera concerts with the Hillyer Festival Orchestra and performed in an educational tour of Mozart opera excerpts with Opera NH.

As an oratorio soloist with notable choruses and orchestras throughout New England, Erin has performed the soprano solos in Handel’s Messiah, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Haydn’s Creation, Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, Coronation Mass and Requiem, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Magnificat and Dixit Dominus, Telemann’s Machet die Tore Weit and Faure’s Requiem.

As an advocate for new music, Erin has also performed numerous premieres of newly composed works and presented the Boston premier of Oliver Knussen’s Requiem: Songs for Sue with The Boston New Music Initiative chamber orchestra.

Internationally, Erin has studied and performed in Italy and Austria.

A native of Michigan, Erin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance and Music Education from Western Michigan University and a Master’s degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Iowa.

Erin is also a passionate music educator and currently serves as a Lecturer of Fine Arts teaching voice at Saint Anselm College and was recently a Teaching Artist in Voice at The University of New Hampshire. Prior to these appointments, Erin was a Teaching Artist with The Metropolitan Opera Guild for four seasons. She currently lives in New Hampshire with her husband, composer Tim Davis, and their children.

Ticket Information

Tickets are still available at www.RotaryClubofMheadHarbor.org. Just look for the “Click Here” link on the homepage. Balcony tickets are also available at Arnould Gallery and Framery, 111 Washington Street in Marblehead. Balcony tickets are $45. Floor seats are $85. Seating is limited.

Raffle tickets for the chance to win this year’s Holiday Pops signature art, “Abbot Hall” by Paul McMahan, and notecards featuring the art are also available for purchase online through the link.

Proceeds from this event will fund scholarships and support for non-profit organizations and projects.

For more information, visit www.RotaryClubofMheadHarbor.org.