Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to Air December 19

Broadway star Laura Osnes joins the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square for their annual Christmas concert, filmed live at the Salt Lake Conference Center in December 2015 in partnership with KUED, Utah’s PBS Station. Taking the stage with Osnes is acclaimed British screen and voice actor Martin Jarvis. Under the direction of Mack Wilberg, music director of the Choir, and Ryan Murphy, associate music director, these powerhouse talents will ring in the holiday spirit for audiences young and old. CHRISTMAS WITH THE MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR FEATURING LAURA OSNES AND MARTIN JARVIS premieres Monday, December 19, 2016 at 8 p.m. on OETA.

Osnes and Jarvis are joined by four Metropolitan Opera soloists with distinguished backgrounds of their own. Erin Morley, born in Salt Lake and a soloist on Music and the Spoken Word at age 18, is one of todays most sought after coloratura sopranos with more than 70 performances at the Metropolitan Opera. Tamara Mumford, a native of the Salt Lake area with an undergraduate degree from Utah State, graduated from the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and has appeared in numerous Metropolitan Opera productions. Ben Bliss, American tenor and also a graduate of the Lindemann Young Artists Development Program at the Met, received the Mozart and Placido Domingo award at the 2015 Francisco Vinas International Competition in Barcelona, Spain. Tyler Simpson, in his sixth season at the Metropolitan Opera, has performed in 15 productions including his debut in Verdi’s Don Carlo.

“This is an unforgettable concert,” said Ron Jarrett, president of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. “Where else can you find such a depth of talent in all performing disciplines all on one stage? We were truly blessed to have had this fabulous ensemble of artists spend Christmas with us.

Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has been a PBS tradition for well over a decade. “We are overwhelmed and humbled by the response of our audience on PBS each year and grateful that watching this program is a part of so many families’ Christmas traditions,” said music director Mack Wilberg.

The Grammy Award-winning and multiple Emmy Award-winning all-volunteer Mormon Tabernacle Choir is made up of 360 men and women who join their talents to create their trademark, instantly recognizable sound. They are accompanied by the Orchestra at Temple Square, a 150-member symphony that is likewise all volunteer. Their world-famous sound is under the direction of music director Mack Wilberg and associate music director Ryan Murphy. The choir has appeared at 13 world's fairs and expositions, performed at six U.S. presidential inaugurals, and sung for numerous worldwide telecasts and specials. In 2016 they completed an acclaimed seven-concert tour to Europe, singing in some of the world’s most renowned concert halls.

KUED is Utah’s premier public broadcasting station, airing quality programs 24 hours a day. They offer the full PBS schedule, including PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand; an instructional television block that meets core curriculum standards; and award-winning, locally-produced television programs and documentaries. KUED is recognized as one of the leading public television stations in the country. KUED is the first station to ever win the Rocky Mountain Emmy Award of Excellence for the Best Overall TV Station, a major recognition of the station's commitment to serve the community through its productions and outreach programs. KUED signed on the air January 9, 1958 and is a 501 c (3) not-for-profit institution licensed to the University of Utah.