Elias Salazar Conductor
20th Century Fox Fanfare Alfred Newman
Christmas at the Movies Bob Krogstad
GRINCH! A Christmas Choral Medley Andy Beck
Parade of the Wooden Soldiers Leon Jessel-Gould
March of the Toys Victor Herbert
Frosty the Snowman Steve Nelson
A Charlie Brown Christmas Vince Guaraldi
Christmas Time Is Here Michele Weir
Charlene Parkinson Conductor
The Polar Express Concert Suite Alan Silvestri
Intermission
Miracle on 34th Street: Excerpts Cyril Mockridge
White Christmas Irving Berlin
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Mark Haynes
Charlene Parkinson Conductor
Home Alone: Three Holiday Songs John Williams
Suite from It’s a Wonderful Life Dimitri Tiomkin
We Need A Little Christmas arr. Mark Hayes
Christmas Sing-Along L. (Norris
ELIAS SALAZAR is a Venezuelan American conductor residing in Nashville, TN. He currently serves as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Trevecca Symphony Orchestra and of the Nashville Collegiate Orchestra. In his time since entering the conducting spotlight in Nashville, Salazar has appeared with numerous ensembles and captured audiences’ attention with his “precision, clarity, energy, and passion” on the podium.
Salazar is the Director of Choral and Orchestral Music at Ensworth School where he also teaches music theory, musicology, and directs the music for the musicals. He was appointed Conducting Fellow with the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra for two seasons starting in 2014 and has served as principal conductor for the Nashville Cinematic Symphony, which focuses on performing and recording film music. Salazar served for three years on the Board of Directors of the world-class Gateway Chamber Orchestra and is on the Leadership and Action Council of the Nashville Singers. Salazar is also a vocalist in Nashville’s Portara Ensemble and plays trumpet and sings in the Nashville Salsa Collective. During the 2013-2014 season, he served as the Interim Music
Director for Music City Youth Orchestra, leading the top group in rehearsals and performances throughout the season.
Salazar has had previous engagements conducting the Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra and Chorus as well as Belmont University’s Symphony Orchestra, Chamber String Orchestra, Opera Theatre, Concert Band, Women’s Choir, and Chamber Singers. During his undergraduate career at Belmont University, he studied conducting under Dr. Jeffery Ames, Dr. Deen Entsminger, Dr. Robert Gregg, Dr. Barry Kraus, and Dr. Jane Warren. He also studied trumpet with Dr. Joel Treybig. Salazar double-majored in Music Education with choral and instrumental emphasis and Classical Performance with a trumpet emphasis. He currently studies with Artistic Director of Intersection, Kelly Corcoran.
Salazar’s passion for classical music, both choral and instrumental, drives him to strive for excellence in his technique, preparation, interpretation, and performances. His dream is to lead world-class ensembles and to inspire love for classical music around the world.
CHARLENE PARKINSON has served as the director of the Murfreesboro Symphony Chorus since 2013. She has had a highly successful career as a choral conductor, educator, and church musician and currently serves as Director of Music at
Trinity United Methodist Church in Murfreesboro. Before moving to Tennessee, she was the director of the Ohio University Women’s Chorale, the Richland United Methodist Church Chancel Choir, and “New Song,” a college age choir at Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Athens, Ohio. She previously served as director of music ministries at several prominent United Methodist and Lutheran congregations in St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri, and Minot, North Dakota. As the founding director of music for the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City, she oversaw a program that included more than 300 participants in a variety of vocal and instrumental ensembles for young children through senior adults. Choirs under her leadership have performed for numerous local and regional conferences of the United Methodist Church.
Ms. Parkinson received the Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Missouri Kansas City Conservatory of Music (UMKC), where she studied conducting with Dr. Eph Ehly and voice with Professors Inci Bashar and Martha Longmire. A North Dakota native, she received the Bachelor of Arts in Music-Voice cum laude from Minot State University. She has performed with the Kansas City Chorale, the Choral Arts Ensemble of Kansas City , the Kansas City Civic Chorus, and the Trinity Jazz Ensemble. Ms. Parkinson was a community representative for the Kansas City Chapter of Young Audiences-Arts Partners. She served as a music faculty member for Notre Dame de Sion Academy and the Continuing Education Division of the UMKC Conservatory of Music. She has also taught voice and piano privately for a number of years.
Ms. Parkinson is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, The Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts, and P .E.O. Her interests include reading, exercising, scrapbooking, and cooking. She is married to Michael Parkinson, director of the MTSU School of Music and resides with her family in Murfreesboro.