Florida Orchestra’s Holiday Pops weekend starts Friday

During its regular performance season, from October to May, The Florida Orchestra sells a lot of tickets. From classical concerts (the Masterworks series) to chamber music, jazz or pop-flavored programs and the occasional movie-music salute, TFO has, for 58 years, been the bay area’s go-to group.

Every year, however, the best-selling concert in the lineup is Holiday Pops, December’s symphonic serving of Christmas and related music in the Mahaffey Theater (St. Petersburg), Ruth Eckerd Hall (Clearwater) and the Straz Center (Tampa).

There are five festive Holiday Pops ’26 concerts, beginning Friday in Tampa. That one sold out weeks ago, but tickets remain for two Saturday performances in St. Pete, and two on Sunday in Clearwater.

Find showtimes and tickets at this link.

Resident conductor Chelsea Gallo, who joined TFO in 2022, is the Holiday Pops’ conductor. It’s never the same program from year to year, she stresses, which makes it something of a gift, for listeners and musicians alike, every December.

This year’s program includes traditional favorites, of course, like Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride” and sections of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. But the orchestra will also play well-loved themes from Hollywood’s Elf and Home Alone.

Veteran broadcast journalist Trevor Pettiford will narrate “Twas the Night Before Christmas” to the strains of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Greensleeves.

“We always add really special, local elements to the show,” says Gallo. “Every year the staff get together and we re-write ‘The Twelve Days of Tampa Bay Christmas.’ We include things that happened in the community during the year, or things we’re excited about … and some silly stuff, too.

“Last year, we said “Seven new condo buildings,” and everyone groaned. Everyone gets it. And instead of ‘four something-something,’ there was ‘I-4 is backed up.’ We just love doing it.”

The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay and the Tampa Oratorio Singers will be part of the festivities (and yes, the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah will make an appearance).

This, believes Gallo, underscores that Holiday Pops is a once-a-year musical event by and for Tampa Bay. “We’re not writing ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ for just any town,” she says. “It’s for our community.”

Gallo, who grew up in a jazz-crazy household in California, programmed a “Big Band” Christmas surprise at the beginning of the concert’s second half.

Music director Michael Francis brought Gallo into the fold following her stints as conductor with the Detroit Symphony, the Louisiana Philharmonic the Loyola Symphony, among other prestige gigs.

“I just remember being so grateful,” she explains, “because during the pandemic so many conductors were furloughed from positions they had. And that’s what happened to me. And then to find out that there even was a conducting job open, anywhere in the country at that time, was so important and unique.”

Last month, TFO announced it had extended Gallo’s contract for another two years. “Chelsea is a wonderful conductor, a superb communicator and a highly creative programmer who does so much for TFO both on and off the podium,” Francis said in a prepared statement.

“What I get to do with The Florida Orchestra is really, really unique,” Gallo says. “I am so blessed to have a position completely unlike other conducting positions in the entire country.

“Michael and I talked about it. I think I’m probably conducting more this position than most people do with music director positions.

“And it’s all because of the musicians’ trust in me, and Michael’s trust in me. I now lead the Morning Matinee series, and I’m in charge of programming it. I’m also in charge of working with our VP of Artistic to program our special Soundwaves series, which has also changed its identity a little bit: We’re working to have more theatrical elements on that series.

“My mission, of course, is to help Michael bring his artistic vision to life. And everything we do is aligned with the core artistic vision.

“The other thing is that TFO is growing so fast that there are more opportunities for me to conduct. Things are going so well; it’s really an exciting time to be part of this orchestra.”

Listen to our Arts Alive! podcast with Chelsea Gallo at this link.