American Idol-Winner Kris Allen to Perform with Arkansas Symphony for Holiday Spectacular

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Nov. 9, 2021) – The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (ASO) will present the Kris Allen Holiday Spectacular, the first concert of the 2021-2022 Acxiom Pops Live! season, on Friday, December 17 and Saturday December 18 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, December 19 at 3:00 p.m. at the Robinson Center. Kris Allen joins ASO for a program featuring the American Idol-winner singing holiday standards like Silent Night, O Holy Night, Jingle Bells and Silver Bells as well as several of the singer/songwriter’s own holiday songs like Baby Won’t You Wait Until the New Year and Mommy Is There More Than One Santa Claus. The program also features music from the hit film The Polar Express, lush symphonic instrumentals and choral works with choirs from Bryant High School and Parkview High School.

“The vision for this concert has literally been years in the making,” said ASO Artistic Director Geoffrey Robson. “Kris and I have been talking about collaborating with the ASO for years and it will finally happen in the form of the 2021 ASO Holiday Spectacular! I can't wait to hear his incredible voice backed by the lush sounds of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.”

Kris Allen, a central Arkansas native and alumnus of the Arkansas Symphony Youth Orchestra program, won season eight of American Idol and launched a career as a prolific songwriter. Now based in Nashville, Tennessee, Kris has released 11 albums, written hundreds of songs and dedicated himself to philanthropy, especially for projects supporting music education.

“It has been a dream of mine to play my songs with a symphony, “said Allen. “For it to be happening at home with the symphony I grew up listening to feels like a dream with a side of hot chocolate. It’s gonna’ be a great time.”

Kris Allen Holiday Spectacular is sponsored by Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The Pops Live! series is sponsored by Acxiom. Tickets are $16, $36, $59 and $72. Active-duty military and student tickets are $10 and can be purchased online at www.ArkansasSymphony.org; at the Robinson Center street-level box office beginning 90 minutes prior to a concert; or by phone at 501-666-1761, ext. 1. All Arkansas students are admitted free of charge with the purchase of an adult ticket using the Entergy Kids’ Ticket, downloadable at https://www.arkansassymphony.org/freekids or by calling the box office.

Artists Kris Allen,

vocals/guitar

Bryant High School Camerata, Tanner Ogelsby, director

Parkview High School Madrigals, Mary Shollmier, director Geoffrey Robson, conductor