Independent Arts News Reporting Opera Philadelphia presents Home for the Holidays concert at the Wanamaker Building on Tuesday, Dec. 2
Reported on Wednesday, November 26, 2025.
Pictured Above: The Wanamaker Building. Photo Credit: Contributed.
NEWSROOM POST: PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
With a special broadcast on Dec. 23, produced in partnership with WHYY. Opera stars, Orchestra, Chorus, and the magnificent Wanamaker Organ to shine under the twinkle of the iconic Light Show in a concert recorded for broadcast on WHYY-TV12 and 90.9 FM
Philadelphia, PA – Opera Philadelphia has been breathing new life into the Wanamaker Building this fall, filling the iconic Grand Court with music, dance, art and more via its popular PIPE UP! performance series. This celebration of Philadelphia’s vibrant performing arts community culminates in a one-night-only concert, Home for the Holidays, on Tuesday, December 2, at 7:00 p.m., highlighting what the Wanamaker does best ̶ ̶ the holiday season. Produced in partnership with WHYY, Opera Philadelphia will present an evening showcasing Philly’s arts community at its most festive, to be recorded for a special holiday broadcast on Tuesday, December 23 at 8:00 p.m. Home for the Holidays will air simultaneously on WHYY-TV12, on WHYY 90.9 FM, and stream via WHYY.org.
Pictured Above: Anthony Roth Costanzo at the opening Wanamaker concert on Sept 7. Photo Credit: Ray Bailey.
The holiday spectacular stars Opera Philadelphia’s Orchestra and Chorus, led by conductor Geoffrey McDonald, performing an evening of familiar favorites and unexpected delights. They will be joined by the company’s General Director and President, countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, and renowned soprano and Philly native Leah Hawkins, 2024 recipient of the Beverly Sills Artist Award from the Metropolitan Opera. The performance, including an exciting dance interlude, will be held in the Grand Court for a live audience. Tickets are Pick Your Price, starting at $11, and go on sale on Thursday, November 20 at 10:00 am at operaphila.org/pipeup.
“I am thrilled to bring to bear the full scale and excitement of our orchestra and chorus in this historic space, bolstered by the incredible twenty-nine-thousand pipe Wanamaker Grand Court Organ with organist Peter Richard Conte pulling out all the stops from the organ console on the mezzanine,” said Anthony Roth Costanzo. “Along with dazzling projections and festive footwork, it feels like a culmination of all the energy, passion, and life that audiences and artists have brought to the building this fall.”
Pictured Above: Soprano Leah Hawkins. Photo Credit: Daniel Welch.
“The holidays remind us how essential the arts are in connecting us to one another,” said Bill Marrazzo, President and CEO of WHYY. “We are proud to partner with Opera Philadelphia to bring the beauty and energy of these extraordinary performances from the heart of the Wanamaker Building to audiences throughout our region. As public media, our mission is to ensure that moments like these – rich with music, history, and community – are shared widely and freely, so they can inspire all.”
Audiences can expect to hear holiday favorites like There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays, Sleigh Ride, The Christmas Song, and O Holy Night, alongside festive classical works like David Ludwig’s Hanukkah Cantata. There will also be several special surprise music selections as well as a big chorus performance that holds a special history in the Grand Court.
The program will also feature both the historic Wanamaker Light Show in its entirety and a new kind of glittering holiday display, as the Philly-based creative design agency 10th Floor Productions will use the evening’s live music as inspiration for projected art mapped onto the contours of the Grand Court.
Spend a cozy winter evening in Philly’s living room as Opera Philadelphia fills the Wanamaker with glorious sound and holiday spirit.
PIPE UP! is supported by a $1 million grant from the Wyncote Foundation. Additional support is provided by TF Cornerstone. Capacity building support for audience engagement and development has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.
