By Sergio Berrueta
East Los Angeles College’s Music Department is celebrating the end of the semester and the holiday season with four winter concerts to ring in the Christmas spirit.
French singer/songwriter Eric Vincent will be performing on Wednesday evening at the Ingalls Auditorium giving Elans a window into his legacy as a musician.
Vincent is an artist who blends folk stylings with touches of jazz into a unique brand of rock that is all his own. Vincent has performed throughout the United States at various colleges and around the world from the Opera of Hanoi in Vietnam to the Opera of Manaus in Brazil.
On Thursday, the ELAC Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Samvel Chilingarian, is holding their winter concert. The orchestra is due to play classic standards such as Ravel’s “Pavane” and Strauss’ “Thunder and Lightning Polka.”
Joining the orchestra will be the Wilson High School Band under the direction of conductor Brian Hollet. The performance will be held at 8 p.m. at the S2 Recital Hall.
The ELAC Jazz Band will be playing Christmas classics in full effect to close out this season’s series of First Friday Jazz Concerts that started in October with the Patrice Rushen Trio.
The band will be joined by ELAC alumni vocalists Angelene Storey and Joseph Arquette and special guest saxophonist Justo Almario on Dec.6 at 8 p.m. at the S2 Recital Hall. In the spirit of the holiday, admission will be free to all.
ELAC’s Chamber Chorale and Chamber Choir, along with St. Bede the Vernerable Choir and Pianist Dr. Lucy Nargizyan, are presenting “Handel’s “Messiah (Part I)” & Christmas Carols” on Monday at 8 p.m. under the direction of conductor Dr. Anthony Lupica.
The ELAC Chamber Chorale and Chamber Choir will also perform alongside St. Bede Orchestra and Choristers at St. Bede the Venerable Church in La Canada on Saturday at 8 p.m.