Chorus Austin Celebrates the Holidays with Three Upcoming Performances Throughout December

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Leah Rankin | Morahan Arts and Media
leah@morahanartsandmedia.com | 646-378-9386

CHORUS AUSTIN CELEBRATES HOLIDAY SEASON WITH
SING-IT-YOURSELF MESSIAH ON DECEMBER 6 AND
ON A WINTER’S EVE: GLORIA ON DECEMBER 19 

Chorus Austin Performs Alongside Austin Symphony Orchestra 
in Handel’s Messiah on December 1

“diverse, emotional, and harmonious” —The Daily Texan

www.ChorusAustin.org 

November 4, 2026 (Austin, TX) – Chorus Austin – the non-profit community-based organization dedicated to bringing great choral works to Austin and the Central Texas area, led by Artistic Director and Conductor Ryan Heller – celebrates the holiday season with three festive concerts in December.

On Tuesday, December 1, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. at Hyde Park Church, Chorus Austin kicks off the holiday season alongside the Austin Symphony Orchestra with Handel’s Messiah, one of the most beloved works in the classical repertoire. This timeless oratorio brings the story of hope, joy, and redemption to life through soaring choruses, stirring solos, and the triumphant “Hallelujah” chorus. It is a powerful and uplifting way to begin the holiday season.

Chorus Austin presents its 36th annual Sing it Yourself Messiah on Sunday, December 6, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church. One of Chorus Austin’s most beloved holiday traditions, Sing it Yourself Messiah invites the audience to sing along with the Symphonic Chorus accompanied by members of the Austin Symphony Orchestra. Audience members can also enter an on-site raffle to win a chance to conduct the Hallelujah Chorus.

For the final concert of 2026, Chorus Austin performs On a Winter’s Eve: Gloria on Saturday, December 19, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. at NW Hills United Methodist Church as both the Symphonic Chorus and Chamber Singers combine forces to present Vivaldi’s Gloria and other holiday favorites.

Chorus Austin continues its 62nd season by ringing in the new year with its third annual gala event, Mosaics of Impact, on Saturday, January 9, 2027, at 6:00 p.m. at Hilton Austin. The event marks the organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year, with highlights including a silent auction, solo, duet, and ensemble performances, and a live auction with all proceeds benefiting Chorus Austin. The event will be emceed by celebrated mezzo soprano Liz Cass, and honor maestro Peter Bay as he serves his last season as conductor of the Austin Symphony Orchestra.

Chorus Austin’s 62nd Season is supported in part by the City of Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Texas Commission on the Arts, KMFA 89.5, and Republic Print and Mail.

Program Information:

Messiah w/ASO
Tuesday, December 1, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.
Hyde Park Church | 3901 Speedway | Austin, TX 78751
Link: https://my.austinsymphony.org/1240/1278?z=0

Program:
Handel - Messiah

Artists:
Symphonic Chorus
Ryan Heller, Artistic Director and Conductor
Austin Symphony Orchestra
__________________________________

Sing it Yourself Messiah
Sunday, December 6, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.
St. Matthew's Episcopal Church | 8134 Mesa Dr | Austin, TX 78759
Link: https://www.chorusaustin.org/sing-it-yourself-messiah-26 

Program:
Handel - Messiah

Artists:
Symphonic Chorus
Ryan Heller, Artistic Director and Conductor
__________________________________

On a Winter’s Eve: Gloria
Saturday, December 19, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.
NW Hills United Methodist Church | 7050 Village Center Dr. | Austin, TX 78731
Link: https://www.chorusaustin.org/seasonevents

Program:
Vivaldi - Gloria
Plus other holiday favorites

Artists:
Combined Choirs
Ryan Heller, Artistic Director and Conductor

About Chorus Austin
Through its commitment to excellence, Chorus Austin creates passionate musical experiences that inspire community. A rich tradition of great choral music and modern musical innovations mark Chorus Austin, a non-profit community-based organization under the guidance of Artistic Director and Conductor Ryan Heller. 

Chorus Austin hosts a full season of six or more concerts annually, including large-scale productions by its 150-voice Symphonic Chorus and more intimate concerts by its Chamber Ensemble. This season, Chorus Austin celebrates 62 years of continuously providing the best in choral music to the Austin and Central Texas community. 

Founded as the Austin Civic Chorus as part of Austin’s City Parks and Recreation Department, “for all Austin-area residents who like to sing,” the group quickly incorporated as an independent organization. In 1999, the acclaimed Handel-Haydn Society joined with the Austin Civic Chorus under the umbrella of

Chorus Austin. A distinct part of the Chorus Austin history is encouraging new music. The group has commissioned a variety of new works, including the award-winning The Unutterable by internationally respected composer Robert Kyr. During the 2015/2016 season, Chorus Austin premiered two commissioned works: On a Winter’s Eve by West Coast composer Karen Thomas, and The Contemplations of Hafiz, a major, multi-movement composition for chorus, orchestra, and soloists by acclaimed Austin composer Donald Grantham. In 2014, Chorus Austin initiated its Young Composers Competition, showcasing works by rising young artists, and in 2023, garnered the organization's first-ever grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in support of the Tenth Anniversary of the concert sharing the work of these composers, Southwest Voices. 

Over the decades, as one of the oldest continuously performing music organizations in the area, Chorus Austin has amassed awards, accolades, and invitations, both nationally and on a local level. The group was honored in 2013 as the winner of the national Chorus America/ASCAP Alice Parker Award for programming recently composed music. The group was also a two-time national finalist for the prestigious American Prize. KMFA Classical 89.5 radio placed Chorus Austin as one of the Top 10 Classical Highlights of 2016 for its performance of the newly commissioned work The Contemplations of Hafiz. And in April 2017, Chorus America and the American Composers Forum awarded Chorus Austin and composer Joshua Fishbein the Dale Warland Singers Commission Award. 

Beyond the notes, Chorus Austin cares deeply for its community. Their commitment to equity and diversity was honored by the City of Austin last year by being awarded one of the city's first-ever ELEVATE grants.

Learn more at www.chorusaustin.org 

About Ryan Heller
Described as exciting, dynamic, and charismatic, Ryan Heller leads the award-winning Chorus Austin as Conductor and Artistic Director, having joined Austin’s vibrant classical music scene in 2009. Mr. Heller and Chorus Austin were honored in 2013 as winners of the national Chorus America/ASCAP Alice Parker Award, given to recognize a chorus for programming recently composed music. The group was also a two-time national finalist for the prestigious American Prize under Mr. Heller’s guidance. In 2012, Chorus Austin was named one of the Top 10 Classical Musical Treasures by Robert Faires of the Austin Chronicle. KMFA Classical 89.5 radio placed Chorus Austin as one of the Top 10 Classical Highlights of 2016 for its performance of the newly commissioned work The Contemplations of Hafiz. In April 2017, Chorus America and the American Composers Forum awarded Chorus Austin and composer Joshua Fishbein the Dale Warland Singers Commission Award.

In 2008, Ryan Heller was nominated for a Portland, OR, Music Award as “Outstanding Classical Musician.” He has led ensembles across the United States with appearances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Chicago’s Symphony Hall. He has toured internationally in Italy, Germany, Estonia, Sweden, and in China, where he led combined choirs from Texas at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing and at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. Most recently, he guided Chorus Austin singers in a July 2016 concert tour through Scandinavia and the Baltic region. He served as Co-founder, Conductor, and Artistic Director of the Portland Vocal Consort, one of Portland, Oregon's premier professional choirs, and spent a decade as the Conductor/Artistic Director of the Southwest Washington Symphony. In 2001, he co-founded the Columbia Chorale of Oregon, which he led until 2010. From 2003 to 2018, he was the Director of the internationally acclaimed Pride of Portland Chorus. 

Today, in addition to leading Chorus Austin, he is the Music Director of the Christchurch City Chorus in Christchurch, New Zealand. Mr. Heller has been music director of a wide variety of productions throughout the West Coast, including the world premiere of the opera The Canticle of the Black Madonna in Portland. Other productions include Brigadoon, Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, Sweeney Todd, Annie, Company, and Into the Woods. 

As an active performer, he has appeared and/or recorded with groups such as Austin’s REVEL, 10 Chorus Austin '25-'26: Season of Unity, Portland Opera, William Hall MasterChorale, Choral Cross-Ties, Portland Baroque Orchestra, Capella Romana, Lakewood Theater Company, and the Broadway Rose Theater Company. 

Ryan Heller is in frequent demand as a conductor, singer, and coach. He has been hailed by critics and called “exciting, charismatic, and intelligent–a young conductor to keep our eyes on.” Mr. Heller is thrilled to mark his 18th season leading Chorus Austin as the group celebrates its 62nd season. For this artist, it is about making great music with an outstanding ensemble and sharing it with Austin and the Central Texas community. 

Photo at top of release provided by Chorus Austin

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