From Andean folk celebrations to circus-infused classics, local stages are offering a diverse slate of classical and traditional music performances that reimagine and re-enliven familiar tunes and make new ones along the way.
Border CrosSing: Navidad Nuestra
Border CrosSing at Church of the Ascension in Minneapolis, 2024. The group will again perform “Navidad Nuestra” there this year, as well as at Academia Cesar Chavez in St. Paul. (Ana Michelle Gonzalez)
Argentinian composer Ariel Ramírez became wildly popular globally in the 20th century for incorporating folk music into his orchestral and choral compositions. With its ebullient rhythms and catchy melodies, “Navidad Nuestra” offers the distinctive sound of Andean folk instruments that enrich Ramírez’s intoxicating melodies. In a concert featuring Border CrosSing’s choral ensemble, soloists and a full Andean band, the program also includes carols (villancicos) from Mexico, Bolivia and Peru, performed in Spanish and Nahuatl. (7 p.m. Dec. 20, Academia Cesar Chavez, 4 p.m. Dec. 21, Incarnation Catholic Church, $30 with pay what you can options, 651-237-2120, bordercrossingmn.org.)
The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra: Handel’s Messiah
The SPCO performed Handel’s “Messiah” at the Ordway, December 2022. They’ll reprise the holiday classic this season. (Claire Loes / St. Paul Chamber Orchestra)
London-based Portuguese conductor and pianist Dinis Sousa makes his St. Paul Chamber Orchestra debut leading a performance of this holiday classic, featuring the SPCO and Minnesotan vocal ensemble The Singers. Using a libretto by Charles Jennens, who compiled a story from the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer, the oratorio uses the life of Jesus Christ as theatrical subject. Free metro transit passes available for the concerts. (7 p.m. Dec 18 & 19, Basilica of St. Mary, 7 p.m. Dec. 20 & 2 p.m. Dec. 21, Ordway Concert Hall, $6-$70, 651-291-1144, thespco.org.)
Minnesota Orchestra with Troupe Vertigo: Cirque Nutcracker
Troupe Vertigo (Minnesota Orchestra / Troupe Vertigo)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” gets a circus twist with aerial ballet company Troupe Vertigo, performing their acrobatic interpretation of the classic holiday story with the Minnesota Orchestra. Conductor Molly Turner leads the performance, filled with juggling, contortion, high-flying movement and a giant Christmas tree. (8 p.m. Dec. 19, 2 p.m. Dec. 20, Orchestra Hall, $68-$129, 612-371-5600, mnorch.org.)
Skylark Opera: The Christmas Rose
20th century British composer Frank Bridge, a friend and teacher to Benjamin Britten, created his opera version of the Nativity story nearly 100 years ago. Told from the perspective of two children who secretly follow a group of shepherds visiting the birth of Jesus, the opera is based on a children’s play by Margaret Kemp-Welch and Constance Cotterell. Presented in a concert format, the opera features soloists, a chorus, and a live orchestra. (7:30 p.m. Dec. 19, 2 p.m. Dec. 21, Sundin Music Hall, $25-$45, 856-555-1212, skylark.booktix.com.)
The Klezmatics — Happy Joyous Hannukah
The Klezmatics (The Klezmatics / The Dakota)
Nearly 20 years ago, The Klezmatics — who reinvent the klezmer folk music tradition of the Ashkenazi Jews of Central and Eastern Europe — released an album of Kanukkah tunes using lyrics written by Woody Guthrie. The band— which formed in the East Village of New York in 1986 and are known for mixing Yiddish tunes with contemporary global music, reissued a remastered vinyl edition of the album this year, ahead of their 14th studio album coming out in early 2026. With beloved tunes like like “Hanuka Gelt,” “Spin Dreydl Spin,” and “Happy Joyous Hanuka,” the band offers a warm and unique sound as part of its holiday tradition.
Twin Cities Bronze
Twin Cities Bronze performance in 2022. The group will perform two Solstice concerts as part of their holiday programing this year. (Twin Cities Bronze)
The Twin Cities Bronze — an auditioned 12-member ensemble of advanced bell ringers from the Twin Cities area — kicks off the holiday season with two solstice celebrations, the first at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Eagan, and a second concert at the Minnesota Museum of American Art in Lowertown. With handbells, hand chimes and more, the lively, ethereal sounds produced by this choir will get you in the spirit of the season. For this concert, the group will play music from “Fiesta Navidad,” ‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime,” “Ring Out, Solstice Bells,” by Ian Anderson, and more. (7 p.m. Dec. 6, Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, 2 p.m. Dec. 7, Minnesota Museum of American Art, donations accepted, twincitiesbronze.org.)
Free Courtroom Concert: Songs of the Season: Carols of Minnesota Composers
The Schubert Club’s Free Courtroom Concerts at the Landmark Center are a true gem of culture in St. Paul. Hosted by composer Abbie Betinis, the lunchtime concert series presents a steady stream of excellent musicians and composers throughout the year. As the program has offered in the past, it will be reinventing the sound of the holidays this year, with a new slate of seasonal carols composed by Minnesota composers. (12 p.m. Dec. 18, Landmark Center, Free, 651-292-3268, schubert.org.)
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