Friday, December 11, 2025
7:30 pm

Conductor
Piano
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Michael Wheatley
Sophia Chou

Christmases Past is a nostalgic holiday journey, blending warmth, wonder, and a touch of the unexpected. Coleridge-Taylor’s Christmas Overture and Prokofiev’s spirited Troikaevoke festive cheer, while Scriabin’s Piano Concerto, featuring Sophia Chou, adds shimmering lyricism. Schoenberg’s Weihnachtsmusik offers a rarer voice of the season, and Al Call narrates The Night Before Christmas. Music by Respighi and our own Barry Ulman round out this richly colored celebration.

Pre-Concert Chat - You're invited to arrive a little early to join Maestro Wheatley and guest artist, Sophia Chou, for an intimate pre-concert chat. Theater doors open at 6:40 pm for general seating, with the chat beginning at 6:45 pm. When the chat concludes, attendees will leave the theater and re-enter with their ticket to take their reserved seats for the concert.

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Christmas Overture

Alexander Scriabin
Piano Concerto, Op. 20

Philip Lane
The Night Before Christmas
Al Call, narrator

Ottorino Respighi
Adoration of the Magi

Sergei Prokofiev
Troika

Barry Ulman
Celtic Fantasia

Arnold Schoenberg, arr. Wheatley
Weihnachtsmusik

Bob Cerulli, arranger
Christmas Sing-Along

Total Runtime: 1 hour, 9 minutes

tickets

ARTIST BIO

Sophia Chou (Yi-Hui Chou), piano

Sophia Chou, born and raised in Taiwan, began studying piano at age five, later refining her artistry under Professor Chien-Ying Yang. Throughout her youth, she earned accolades in Taiwan’s music scene, excelling in solo, choral, and chamber music. In 2022, she moved to the U.S. to pursue a Master’s in Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. Now based in Seattle as a research scientist specializing in AI, she continues to blend her analytical work with a deep passion for music. Sophia has collaborated with the Skagit Symphony and performed alongside soloists such as Noémie Raymond. As a dedicated collaborative pianist with the Ladies Musical Club of Seattle, she regularly performs and connects with audiences through recitals, sharing her love of classical music.