CSO 2026-2027 Season
BOUNDLESS
Concert III: Poinsettia Pops
featuring vocalist Jeanine Ouderkirk
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2026 - DOORS AT 6:30, CONCERT AT 7:30 - GOODRICH THEATER AT SUNY ONEONTA
Glen Cortese, Artistic Director and Conductor, Catskill Symphony Orchestra
Michael Emery, Concertmaster
About the Annual Poinsettia Pops Concert
Photo: The December 2024 CSO Poinsettia Pops concert
A Catskill Symphony Orchestra holiday tradition, the Poinsettia Pops is returning to Oneonta for the 2026-2027 season! The Pops brings the community together for an evening of light and joy through beloved holiday classics in the poinsettia-adorned Goodrich Theater in SUNY Oneonta’s Fine Arts complex.
Originally introduced to the Catskill Symphony Orchestra through the arrival of Artistic Director Glen Cortese, the Poinsettia Pops is a special concert hosted in only a few locations around the United States—including Saratoga Springs, NY, and Greeley, Colorado.
This year, the Catskill Symphony Orchestra is delighted to welcome back the addition of jazz vocalist Jeanine Ouderkirk to the Pops—contributing a new dimension and warmth to our holiday favorites!
Support the Pops through your advance purchase of a poinsettia plant on stage—and take it home afterwards! Plants are only $15 and may be purchased individually or with tickets. (Poinsettias are great for holiday decorating, adding color to the office, church contributions, or gifts to friends!)
Program: Poinsettia Pops 2026
Jeanine Ouderkirk, Vocalist
Glen Cortese, Conductor
Christmas Festival Overture, arr. Leroy Anderson
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane, arr. Colbie Caillat
Sussex Mummers Carol, Traditional Carol, arr. Glen Cortese
Let it Snow, Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne, arr. Charles Sayre
Corpus Christi Carol, Traditional English Carol, arr. Glen Cortese
The Little Drummer Boy, Katherine Davis, Henery Onorati, and Lari Goss
Selections from The Nutcracker Ballet (Act I-March, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Coffee, Trepak), Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky
INTERMISSION
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly, Traditional Polish Carol, arr. Glen Cortese
Stille Nacht (“Silent Night”), Xaver Gruber, arr. Chip Davis and Calvin Custer
With Joyful Tidings, Traditional Carols, arr. Steve Parsons
Blue Christmas, Billy Hayes and J.W. Johnson, arr. Glen Cortese
Sleigh Ride, Leroy Anderson
The Christmas Song, Mel Torme and Bob Wells, arr. Glen Cortese
Adeste Fidelis, Traditional Carol, arr. Glen Cortese
About Jeanine Ouderkirk
Jeanine Ouderkirk is a jazz vocalist and multi-instrumentalist hailing from Saratoga Springs, NY. A “late-in-life” singer, Ouderkirk cut her teeth in New York’s Capital District music scene after a decade of devoting her time to studying and performing on the Bass Clarinet and Bari Sax in Classical and Jazz settings concluding with a Master's in Music Education at the Crane School of Music. One teacher in particular, Bobby McFerrin, inspired and invited the young singer to improvise more from the blank canvas of ‘now’, allowing the ‘next note’ to be decided only in the moment.
A Pop and Rock enthusiast, she explores the music of the 1970’s ‘til now, accompanying her voice on the Piano and Guitar. Ouderkirk has also been the featured soloist with Schenectady-Saratoga Symphony Orchestra for their annual Poinsettia Pops performance since 2021 and is overjoyed to be bringing her Voice to the Catskill Symphony this year!
Jeanine released her debut album in June 2025, titled "Nightingale," featuring the Piano prowess of NYC Pianist Tedd Firth. The collection of thirteen standards, some obscure, is available in all forms and streaming platforms. Aside from performing, Jeanine joyfully spends her time as a music educator at Saint Gregory’s School in Loudonville, NY.
More information can be found at: www.jeaninemariemusic.com