It’s a wonderful time for UAH Music, Theatre & Film’s 2026 Holiday Jazz on Thursday, Dec. 3

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) Chamber Choir performs seasonal favorites during Holiday Jazz, the annual showcase of student and faculty talent, on Dec. 9, 2025. Everyone is invited to join the fun and festivities at this year’s Holiday Jazz on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2026.

Michael Mercier | UAH

Holiday Jazz promises to be even more wonderful this year when the Department of Music, Theatre & Film at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) presents this annual showcase of student and faculty talent on Thursday, Dec. 3.

The festive fun begins with cocktails at 6 p.m. and the concert at 7 p.m. in the Student Services Building Ballroom, Room 112, on the campus of UAH, a part of The University of Alabama System. Tickets are available now.

Like so many beloved holiday traditions, Holiday Jazz offers an enticing mix of familiar favorites and fresh surprises, says Dr. Joshua Burel, department chair and associate professor of music theory and composition. He will again serve as master of ceremonies for the evening.

“The anchor of our show is the Jazz Combo under the direction of Josh Couts on guitar with his students, Nick Walker on double bass and saxophonist and faculty member Steve Motz,” Burel says. “They’ll do the three main sets of Christmas tunes and some of Josh’s arrangements, which are always wonderful.”

Other returning favorites include Dr. Melody Ng and her piano students in their spirited “Sleigh Ride” rendition, Dr. Matthew Carey and the Chamber Choir, Dr. Maya Osuga with her jazz a cappella quartet, and the UAH Trombone Choir. Piano student Jonah Drach will be back to perform during the cocktail hour and in the main show. In a couple of new twists, the cocktail hour will add a UAH student saxophone quartet, and the Chamber Choir will join “Sleigh Ride.”

“We will also feature a number of groups from the Wind Ensemble with Dr. Yuji Jones, our new director of bands, who will conduct a brass fanfare,” Burel says. “We’re really excited to showcase the talents of some of our new faculty to see what kinds of ideas they have to contribute. Last year we saw some really amazing videos that came from Bailey Phillips in Theatre & Film.”

For 2025, Phillips, a lecturer in the department – along with Amy Guerin, associate professor and director, and their students – offered filmed and live scenes from the hilarious world of “A Tuna Christmas.” For 2026, they’ve planned a similar treatment of the radio play version of the 1946 Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

“Life’s going well for George Bailey, and then later on in the program, life’s taken a turn,” says Burel, describing the filmed segments. “Then they’ll go live for the climax scene.”

Everything that happens on stage at Holiday Jazz is important – and so are the behind-the-scenes roles. Those talents and skills will be highlighted, too.

“All of the technical aspects of the show will be run by our students under the supervision of faculty,” Burel says. “That’s a big jump this year. We have a lot of music technology students who are working to get opportunities to grow their experience in the industry with live music and recording arts. Matt Westmeyer will be supervising this team to handle all of the live sound aspects. The lighting will be overseen by another one of our new faculty members, Mark Williams, in collaboration with Amy Guerin and another student team.”

Burel sees Holiday Jazz as a career opportunity for the students as well as an evening of fun.

“I think Holiday Jazz has grown to the point where somebody might recognize it on a résumé and say, ‘Oh, I was at that event. We should hire this person.’”

Tickets are available now.