The 2018 President’s Holiday Concert at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will take place on Sunday, December 16, at 3 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) on campus.

The event is free, open to the public, and will be followed by a reception. RSVPs are requested online here.

“Our annual holiday concert truly captures the spirit of The New Polytechnic,” said Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson. “This is a special opportunity to come together as a community, to reflect on the blessings and challenges of the world around us, and to experience an exceptional artistic performance.”

Under the direction of Conductor Nicholas DeMaison, the Rensselaer Orchestra and Concert Choir will present a selection of music that reflects on the miraculous happenstance of life on Earth. Kimberley Osburn, soprano, will also be featured during the performance.

The concert, titled “By Some Chance…All On This Earth,” will feature divinely inspired pieces including music inspired by imaginary creatures, music inspired by childhood and family, and music inspired by nature. The performance includes selections of music from Giovanni Gabrieli, Claude Debussy, Samuel Barber, and Jean Sibelius.

“Join the Rensselaer community in celebrating the spirit of the season as we reflect on the miracle of life and the true wonder of our existence on Earth,” said DeMaison, a member of the Rensselaer faculty since 2013. This October, DeMaison directed the Rensselaer Orchestra in a performance at Carnegie Hall to celebrate the launch of a new bachelor’s degree in music at Rensselaer.