Toledo Ballet stages 'Nutcracker' Dec. 11-12 at Stranahan

Choreographed by Gen Horiuchi and staged by Lisa Mayer, the Tchaikovsky holiday favorite will include the Toledo Symphony with Adron Ming conducting. Guest soloists will be Renato Penteado and Katia Carranza from the Miami City Ballet. A new backdrop and set by Thomas Umfrid will be revealed during the second act. Tickets start at $17 at 419-381-8851.

• The Clarence Smith Chorale, joined by the Lourdes College Choir, the Percussion Ensemble of the Toledo School for the Arts, Toledo gospel recordingartist Tymara Spears, and guitar/vocalist Hector Mendoza, announces its Community Christmas Celebration concert at 6 p.m. Dec. 12 in St. Martin de Porres Church, 1119 Bancroft St. and Detroit Avenue.

Clarence Smith will conduct a wide variety of musical works, from classical selections to spirituals, songs of the season, and a carol sing. Admission is free.

• Owens Community College will present its Holiday Band Concert at 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the theater of the Center for the Fine and Performing Arts on campus. Selections will include sacred works, a "Cowboy Christmas," a flute choir, and traditional music.

Special guest conductor will be Nathan Pienta, director of the Polish American Concert Band of Toledo. Admission is free and refreshments will be served following the performance.

• The Perrysburg Symphony Chorale will present its holiday concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in St. Rose Church in Perrysburg. Wayne Anthony will conduct the choir, which will be joined by the Children's Choir of Northwest Ohio and the SonoNovo Chamber Ensemble.

The Christmas section of Handel's Messiah will fill the first half of the concert, with a selection of holiday music for voice and strings following intermission. Tickets start at $5 at the door. A reception will follow the concert.

• The Blessed Sacrament Choir plans a Yuletide Concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the church neighborhood center, 4227 Bellevue Rd. Church choirs, soloists, instrumentalists, and a children's choir will perform. Tickets start at $10; for more information, contact the church office, 419-472-2288 ext. 246.

• The Epworth Artist Series will present A Festival of Lessons and Carols by Hal H. Hopson performed by the Epworth Chancel Choir, the Academy Brass Quintet, the Epworth Orchestra, and organist Cecil Baughman at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the church, 3077 Valley View Drive at Central Avenue. This free concert is open to the public.

• The Toledo-Lucas County Public Library announces its 2010 series of Holiday Concerts at the Main Library, 325 Michigan St., starting next week and continuing into the month. These one-hour, lunch-break concerts will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the Wintergarden and are free.

Performing on Wednesday, students from the Toledo School for the Arts will offer holiday sounds. On Dec. 9, the Sylvania Northview High School Jazz Band and Jazz Cats will appear at the same time and place.

• The Winter Junior Dance Showcase of the Toledo School for the Arts will kick off at 7 p.m. Wednesday and Dec. 9 in the TSA Attic Theater, 33 14th St. Tickets start at $3. For more information, call the school at 419-246-8732, ext. 2.

TSA's youngest dancers take the stage to show off new skills.

• The Perrysburg Suburban Singers will present A Christmas Kaleidoscope Dec. 12 at 3 p.m. at Perrysburg Presbyterian Church on East Second Street. A freewill offering will be taken.

• The Metropolitan Opera's Live in HD season continues with a performance of Giuseppi Verdi's Don Carlo at 12:30 p.m. Dec. 11 in Rave Fallen Timbers 14. (Screening starts half an hour early because the opera lasts five hours.) This is a new production of this classic by the Met, and features tenor Roberto Alagna, Ann Smirnova, and Ferrucio Furlanetto, with Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducting.

Tickets start at $15 at the box office or through Ticketmaster. The encore screening of this will be at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 5.

Items for News of Music should be sent to svallongo@theblade.com at least two weeks ahead of performance date.