Soprano Leila Bowie, tenor Joe Shadday to perform holiday favorites with the ESO Dec. 9-10

Soprano Leila Bowie and tenor Joe Shadday will sing holiday favorites with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra's annual "Magical Holiday Concerts" at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way in Elgin.

Shadday, a member of the Lyric Opera of Chicago Chorus, will perform "Believe," "The Day After Christmas," "Silent Night/God Bless Us" and "Christmas at Home."

Bowie, who has appeared on the Chicago Symphony's "Beyond the Score," will sing "I Saw Three Ships," "Christmastide" and "Santa Baby." The two together will perform "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and "The Christmas Song." They will sing with the audience on the "Holly Jolly Sing-along." Resident conductor Stephen Squires leads the program, which also features the Elgin Master Chorale and the Midwest Dance Collective. The concert also includes an appearance by a very special visitor from the North Pole. There is valet service or convenient free parking. For tickets, which are only $30-$50, visit ElginSymphony.org or call (847) 888-4000.

Georgia-born Leila Bowie is acclaimed for her "rich and warm soprano" (Times Argus Vermont) and vocal ability intertwined with her "crisp diction and expressive passion" (Musical America Worldwide). Calling Chicago home, she made her Orchestra Hall debut as a soloist in "Beyond the Score: Strauss' Ein Heldenleben" with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, appeared as First Lady in Mozart's The Magic Flute with Chicago Opera Theater and is a recipient of the Lynne Harvey Music Scholarship from the Musicians Club of Women. Bowie was a finalist the Neue Stimmen International Singing Competition in Germany. She performed as a Young Artist with Chicago Opera Theater for two seasons. Her recent operatic performances have included the role of Pamina in Mozart's "The Magic Flute" with Sugar Creek Opera, Konstanze in Mozart's "Die Entführung aus dem Serail" and La Contessa in Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro" for Candid Concert Opera, Nérine in Charpentier's "Médée" and the cover of Schumann's "Frauenliebe und Leben" for Chicago Opera Theater, Fiordiligi in Mozart's "Così fan Tutte" for the Green Mountain Opera Festival in Vermont, and Beth in Adamo's "Little Women" for Sugar Creek Symphony and Song. Other recent projects include the world premiere of George Flynn's "Songs of Destruction" and Chicago Poet's Sing! with New Music DePaul and recorded on CD, as a soloist in Mozart's "Requiem" with the Marion Philharmonic Orchestra, singing arias as Floyd's Susannah with DePaul Community Chorus and singing Strauss' "Vier Letzte Lieder" with Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra. Most recently, Bowie debuted the role of Adele in J. Strauss' "Die Fledermaus" with Vero Beach Opera in 2016. She is an advocate for contemporary composers and has appeared in recital in wide-ranging repertoire. Bowie received both her master's degree in vocal performance and professional diploma in Opera from Chicago College of Performing Arts.

Indianapolis native Joe Shadday, tenor, most recently appeared as Hoxton in the Lyric Opera of Chicago production of "My Fair Lady." Shadday is a recent winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He is also a skilled crossover artist and has appeared as Enoch Snow in the Glimmerglass Festival production of "Carousel." Additionally, Shadday has performed with Santa Fe Opera, Chicago Opera Theatre, Indianapolis Opera, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Grant Park Music Festival, Charlottesville Opera, Kentucky Opera, Pensacola Opera, and was a previous member of the Cantus vocal ensemble. He is currently a chorus member of the Lyric Opera of Chicago. He received his master's degree in music from the University of Maryland where he studied under Leon Major and his bachelor's degree in music from DePauw University.

Stephen Squires is a musician with a career that blends his passions for conducting, teaching, and performing. He received his musical training at the Preparatory School of the Eastman School of Music and the Crane School of Music, in his home state of New York. Squires earned his master's degree in instrumental conducting/trumpet performance at California State University, Northridge. Further conducting studies were with Helmuth Rilling, Maurice Abravanel, Daniel Lewis, Tsung Yeh, and at the Aspen Music Festival. Squires is professor of conducting in the Music Conservatory of the Chicago College of Performing Arts, Roosevelt University. His current professional appointments include resident conductor of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, music director of the Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra (Rockford), music director of the Millar Brass (Evanston), and music director of the Illinois Brass Band (Arlington Heights). In addition, he is an accomplished recital accompanist, freelance trumpeter, and frequent guest conductor at educational festivals throughout the country.

Now in its 67th season, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra offers programming unmatched for an entertaining, informative and relaxing cultural experience. The ESO has won Illinois Professional Orchestra of the Year an unprecedented four times - in 1988, 1999, 2005 and 2016 - from the Illinois Council of Orchestras. The ESO strives to create an enjoyable entertainment experience that goes beyond the magnificent music performed by some of the best musicians in the region.

Before concerts, area musicians often perform in the lobby, and patrons can buy drinks at the bar and purchase gifts at the Elgin Symphony League Boutique. Preconcert chats are given by Music Director Andrew Grams, guest artists and others one hour before most performances, and Saturday night patrons are invited after concerts to Mingle with the Musicians at area restaurants. In addition, free Listeners Club discussions presented by music historian Jim Kendros are offered in Geneva and Elgin on Wednesdays before ESO Classics Series concert weekends. Flex passes are available for purchase so that you can choose your concerts at a later date based on your own schedule. And if a patron can't make a concert, the ESO offers free exchanges to subscribers and to single ticket buyers for a small fee. The Elgin Symphony Orchestra is a world-class orchestra providing quality musical explorations that are entertaining, hassle-free and conveniently located close to home in the western suburbs. There is accessible, free parking around the Hemmens Cultural Center and valet service available.