442s Holiday Spectacular
Back by popular demand, The 442s are joined by some of the brightest stars of the local and national music scene in presenting their not-to-be-missed annual Holiday Spectacular! Performing traditional and original favorites that break down boundaries between jazz, soul, pop, and classical music, this concert will get you in the perfect holiday spirit!
Tickets
$30 - Adult
$25 - WU Fac/Staff
$15 - Student/Youth
Free for Wash U students with ID
Biographies:
Brian Owens is a renowned soul artist, producer, and community advocate based in St. Louis, Missouri. He gained international recognition when a heartwarming video of him singing Sam Cooke’s A Change Is Gonna Come with his father went viral, amassing millions of views. This touching father-son duet showcased Owens' deep connection to classic soul music and his passion for using music as a bridge between generations.
As a soul artist, Owens has collaborated with legendary musicians, including Grammy Award-winning artist Michael McDonald. Their work together has cemented Owens' reputation as a soulful, authentic voice in the music industry, blending old-school R&B with contemporary sensibilities.
Beyond music, Owens is deeply involved in creative production and community-focused initiatives. He is the Executive Producer of *Pray For Pac*, a surrealist dramedy series set in St. Louis, and leads BOS Media Group, a production company that has worked with prestigious clients like PBS and Jazz STL. As the founder of Life Creative STL, Owens fosters creative talent and development within the community. Through his various projects, Brian Owens continues to make a profound impact, blending artistry with advocacy, and always staying rooted in the power of storytelling and soul.
Joanna Serenko is an original singer-songwriter from St. Louis, Missouri. Most recognized for her run on Season 18 of NBC’s The Voice, Joanna has continued to captivate audiences with her soulful voice and heartfelt lyrics. Blending a variety of genres, she creates a unique sound that reflects her deep passion for music. Since her time on The Voice, Joanna has been writing and performing alongside her partner Tyler Dale with plans to take their duo on a coastal tour of the country next year. With an ever-growing catalog of original songs, she brings joy and authenticity to each performance, leaving a lasting impression on listeners everywhere. Be sure to stream her album, Best of Me, on all streaming platforms!
Grammy Award-winning American soprano Christine Brewer's appearances in opera, concert, and recital are marked by her own unique timbre, at once warm and brilliant combined with a vibrant personality and emotional honesty reminiscent of the great sopranos of the past. Named one of the top 20 sopranos of all time (BBC Music), her range, golden tone, boundless power, and control make her a favorite of the stage and a highly sought-after recording artist.
Ms. Brewer sang a concert in Los Angeles honoring and remembering world-renowned cellist Lynn Harrell in 2021. She had performed and recorded with Harrell many times prior to his death in 2020. Their recording session of Somewhere Over the Rainbow with John Williams conducting is a moving arrangement that they recorded in the same studio where Judy Garland recorded that song in 1939. The video of that recording session is available on YouTube.
She has sung around the world in concert halls and opera houses with renowned conductors like Donald Runnicles, Zubin Mehta, David Robertson, Leonard Slatkin, Kurt Masur and Michael Tilson Thomas. One of her favorite concert hall requests is Richard Strauss' Four Last Songs, which she has performed over 100 times in 40 different countries on five continents. She recorded those songs with the Atlanta Symphony and Donald Runnicles conducting. In 2011, Christine joined Arts and Faith in St. Louis to perform a memorial concert at The Sheldon Concert Hall, remembering the September 11 attacks and honoring those who lost their lives that day. She has continued working with Arts and Faith as they bring musicians from the St. Louis metro area together to make music together each year. The program has grown over the years and audiences see and hear artists of all faiths performing their music and singing together in harmony.
Ms. Brewer began a program with the Marissa, Illinois 6th graders called Opera-tunities and continued the program for nearly 15 years alongside their teacher Nancy Wagner, conductor David Robertson, and members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. She is also a visiting professor at Webster University. In April 2015, Christine joined 140 other notable celebrities receiving a bronze star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
Christine's discography includes over 25 recordings. One of her most recent recordings Divine Redeemer on Naxos, contains selections with concert organist Paul Jacobs.
Peter Martin is an acclaimed jazz pianist, composer, arranger, educator and entrepreneur.
His touring career has taken him to six continents numerous times and has played in the White House by invitation from President Obama several times.
Peter Martin performed on and arranged Dianne Reeves’ Grammy-winning release A Little Moonlight and appeared in George Clooney’s 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck, as well as being the featured pianist and an arranger on the Grammy-winning soundtrack. Peter has also performed, toured, and recorded with Wynton Marsalis, Chris Botti, Betty Carter, Christian McBride, and Joshua Redman, as well as the Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic.
Peter attended the Juilliard School of Music and has been on the faculties of Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, Northwestern University, Tulane University, the University of New Orleans, and New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. He has performed workshops and master classes at institutions worldwide, including Oberlin College, Duke University, the Carnegie Hall Professional Training Workshops, Steinway Piano Gallery, the Rotterdam Conservatory, and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music in Glasgow.
In 2015, after launching a successful educational video podcast, 2-Minute Jazz, Martin founded a revolutionary jazz educational web platform, Open Studio, where students from over 120 countries are part of an active community and are continuing to learn from Martin, Dianne Reeves, Fred Hersch, Christian McBride, Greg Hutchinson, Romero Lubambo and other artists.
Peter co-hosts a chart-topping weekly podcast, You’ll Hear It.