Our Program
A festive program featuring music that showcases the full orchestra, beloved holiday classics, and familiar favorites for the season.
Orchestral Splendor
Holiday arrangements showcasing the full beauty of our orchestra, such as selections from The Nutcracker.
Holiday Classics
Timeless classics, such as I'll Be Home for Christmas, and Carol of the Bells, that capture the magic of the season
Familiar Favorites
Classic holiday tunes and beloved classics you'll recognize and love, such as Sleigh Ride and a holiday sing-along!
Meet our Pops Conductor:
David Bernard
David Bernard is an award-winning conductor known for creating performances that connect musicians, audiences and communities. He is Music Director of the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, Massapequa Philharmonic and Eglevsky Ballet, and has guest conducted orchestras throughout the United States.
His work has earned numerous international honors, including Conductor of the Year at the 2025 European Classical Music Awards Grand Prix. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School, Bernard is also an educator and innovator who believes an orchestra should be a vital part of the community it serves.
Meet our Soloist:
Heather Ivy
Internationally acclaimed soprano Heather Ivy has delighted audiences with performances spanning Broadway, opera and popular music. Her career began on New York concert stages and the international tour of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and she has since appeared as a symphonic soloist with the Naples Philharmonic, Southwest Florida Symphony and Gulf Coast Symphony.
Based in Naples, Heather performs throughout the United States and internationally and is also a dedicated voice teacher. She owns Heather Ivy Music and guest teaches at Florida Gulf Coast University and Opera Naples. A magna cum laude graduate of Oklahoma City University, she holds a Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre.
A Holiday Celebration with a Purpose
A concert in support of NCO's mission:
Providing high quality classical and pops music programs at affordable prices
Supporting youth in music with grants and scholarships
Creating performance opportunities for professionals, volunteers and students
There is something special about making music together during the holidays—and this year, our Holiday Concert has an added purpose.
This special concert is a fundraiser in support of the Naples Community Orchestra’s mission: presenting high-quality classical and pops music, supporting young musicians through grants and scholarships, and creating opportunities for professional musicians, community musicians, and students to perform together as one orchestra.
You’ll see that mission on stage. Along with holiday favorites performed by the full orchestra, the afternoon will feature young musicians from our community performing alongside NCO musicians—a wonderful example of how music can connect generations while giving developing musicians the opportunity to learn, grow, and perform.
By joining us for this concert, you’re not only celebrating the season—you’re helping NCO continue this work throughout the year.
And because this is NCO, we hope you’ll stay after the final note and join the musicians, students, and fellow concertgoers at our complimentary post-concert reception.
