Saturday, December 14th
Carols and Cocktails at the Grange
5:00 to 6:30 pm
This fun, festive musical evening will help put you in the holiday spirit! Enjoy your favorite Christmas tunes paired with craft cocktails and lots of cheer as the Great Falls Philharmonic serenades you with the songs of the season. Acclaimed singers Erin Ridge (Washington National Opera) and Alan Naylor (Signature Theatre) join the Philharmonic String Quartet with conductor Derek Maseloff on the keys. On Dec. 14th, you’ll be rockin’ around the Christmas tree at the Great Falls Grange as you listen to your favorite Christmas Carols performed by singers and strings like you've never heard them before.
Tickets include open bar service throughout the event and delectable hors d'oeuvres served during the show!
Purchase Tickets Now
Meet the Artists
Erin Ridge, soprano
Erin Ridge is an American multidisciplinary artist making a name for herself in the opera industry as both a stage director and a lyric soprano. Combining versatile artistry with a probing intellect and commanding stage presence, Ridge delivers compellingly honest performances both on and off the stage. In keeping with her vision to be the “Barbara Hannigan” of singing & directing, Ridge finds herself at home across a variety of genres with a particular proclivity towards bringing modern 20th & 21st century stories to life. Described as having an “unflappable spirit”, Ridge’s approach to artistic creation is fastidious in her attention to detail and audacious in her commitment to bold embodiment.
This fall, Ridge is thrilled to be named a semi-finalist in the Camille Coloratura Vocal Competition, the Marcella Sembrich International Vocal Competition, and the American International Czech & Slovak Voice Competition. As an active AGMA chorister, Ridge is also looking forward to re-joining the Washington National Opera in their upcoming production of Macbeth. Ridge will be joining the Trinity Chamber Orchestra in April as the soloist for Mahler’s 4th Symphony.
Her love of art song has led to two recitals so far this year: The Last Rose of Summer - presented at the Cardella Salon Series, and Into the Silent Land - a one woman show about the journey of meditation produced during her residency with The Apiary, and she is looking forward to presenting a mini-recital at the Arts Club of Washington later this fall featuring spanish art songs and spanish-inspired duets.
In the 23/24 season, Ridge made her solo debut with the Washington Concert Opera as Cleone in Ermione as well as several university stage directing debuts. She returned to her alma mater Vanderbilt University to direct the first ever Spanish production of children’s opera Lucinda y las Flores de la Nochebuena and then joined the Peabody Institute, Johns Hopkins University to direct their graduate production of Svadba, a Serbian chamber opera. She also joined the Beth Morrison Projects & Vision Into Arts for their DC workshop of new opera Sensorium Ex. Ridge has been a semi-finalist in national competitions including the Gerda Lissner and the Giulio Gari, as well as a finalist in the Orpheus and Partners for the Arts.
Alan Naylor, tenor
Alan Naylor is a multi-award winning actor, singer, and pianist who has traveled the country performing for audiences in musical theatre, dramatic plays, opera, concert, and cabaret. A native of St. Louis he grew up performing at the renowned MUNY and Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Washington DC audiences have seen him at Washington National Opera, Signature Theatre, Studio Theatre, Olney Theatre, Rep Stage, Constellation Theatre, and with many other theatrical and musical groups. He has premiered numerous theatrical works as well as crafting original concerts and recitals. Winner of the Helen Hayes Award he is a master of interpretation in art song, american songbook, golden age musical theatre, and contemporary theater. In addition to his work as a performer Alan is a highly sought after audio engineer/recordist and concert piano technician/rebuilder. He holds degrees from Washington University in St. Louis as well as St. Olaf College where he was a soloist and member of the world renowned St. Olaf Choir. www.alan-naylor.com
Derek Maseloff, piano
Derek Maseloff is the founder and Artistic Director of the Great Falls Philharmonic.
His musical journey began on the organ bench at age 8, studying with Martha Fisher at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Quakertown, PA.
Derek earned a degree from Cornell University in China and Asian-Pacific Studies and authored a thesis on the history of classical music in the cultural relationship between the United States and China. After graduating from Cornell, he was accepted into the prestigious woodwind quintet fellowship program at the University of Maryland, studying with Gregory Miller and Phil Munds while completing a Master of Music in Horn Performance.
He is a core member and composer of Classically Dope, an innovative fusion group of classical music and hip-hop featuring Konshens theMC. Derek’s compositions have been performed at The Anthem alongside the NSO, the Kennedy Center Millenium Stage, and recently live on the airwaves at Texas Public Radio in San Antonio. He received a commission from the University of Maryland Wind Orchestra to compose a brand new work for rapper and wind orchestra titled “Dreams”, which premiered in 2022.
From 2019-2022 he was Director of Artistic Planning for the National Youth Orchestra of China, organizing and leading international tours in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and China. Derek is Director of Music at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Great Falls, VA where he leads worship from the piano/organ bench and directs the choir. He lives in Greenbelt, MD with his wife Katie and his cats Lily and Liza.
The Great Falls Philharmonic String Quartet
The Great Falls Philharmonic String Quartet is the flagship chamber ensemble of the orchestra, featuring its four principal string players:
Anna Luebke, violin
Dana Bevard, violin
Rachel Riese, viola
Katie McCarthy, cello
The Great Falls Grange
The Historic Schoolhouse was built in 1889 as a one-room school, expanded in 1911 to include the Floris School, but ultimately, the school closed in 1922. From 1922 to 1959 it changed hands many times and eventually put up for sale in the early 1980’s. Great Falls residents pooled their resources and purchased the building, eventually donating it to the Fairfax County Park Authority. The Grange Hall and Historic Schoolhouse are both buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places and are owned by the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA).
