– Hosted by Broadway and country music star Laura Bell Bundy, annual Holiday Concert from Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville features traditional carols, classical masterworks, world music and light-hearted seasonal favorites. –

Hosted by Broadway and country music star Laura Bell Bundy, and taped at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, Tennessee, nearly 700 student musicians join the Belmont School of Music faculty and the Nashville Children's Choir for CHRISTMAS AT BELMONT. The annual production of traditional carols, classical masterworks, world music and light-hearted seasonal favorites airs Friday, December 21, 2012, 9:00-10:00 p.m. on WTVP-HD.

The 2011 edition of CHRISTMAS AT BELMONT features the University Symphony Orchestra, Belmont Chorale, Percussion Ensemble, Musical Theatre, Jazz Ensemble and Bluegrass Ensemble, as well as mass choir. The performance includes both classic sacred holiday music such as “The First Noel” and “God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen” as well as festive seasonal songs such as “Carol of the Bells” and “We Need a Little Christmas,” to name a few.

Kentucky native Bundy is best known for her role as Elle Woods in the Broadway production of “Legally Blond,” a role that garnered her a Tony Award nomination. She has performed on the nationally televised Academy of Country Music Awards and appeared in various film and TV roles, including a lead role in Country Music Television’s “To The Mat” and a recurring role on CBS’ “How I Met Your Mother.” Bundy released her debut country music album, “Achin’ and Shakin’,” in 2010 under the Mercury Records label. The album’s hit single “Giddy On Up,” has since garnered over 3.2 million streams. She is currently writing and recording songs for her sophomore album on Mercury Nashville.

“‘Christmas at Belmont’ is an amazing opportunity to showcase Belmont University’s world-class School of Music in front of a national audience,” said Belmont University President Bob Fisher. “We’re incredibly grateful that this partnership with NPT puts our talented students and faculty in living rooms across the country. It’s also an honor to welcome Laura Bell Bundy as host of ‘Christmas at Belmont.’ Her diverse vocal skills as both a Broadway performer and country singer will offer a perfect complement to the variety of our student ensemble performances.”

The performance and taping of CHRISTMAS AT BELMONT returns for the third time to the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, fully restored after the historic Nashville floods of May 2010 threatened its very survival. The Schermerhorn, which opened in 2006, is one of the few venues in the world featuring natural lighting and state-of-the-art acoustics, including motorized acoustic drapes and an acoustical isolation joint that encircles the entire concert hall and prevents sound waves traveling into or out of the hall.

“To be back at the Schermerhorn, when only a year ago we worried about it vitality after the floods, will truly be joyous,” said Beth Curley, president and CEO of NPT, which has won 33 Midsouth Emmy® awards since 2001. “Belmont’s talented students and faculty always make for a magnificent broadcast and a highlight of PBS’ holiday programming. It’s an honor to bring Belmont, the Schermerhorn, and ultimately Nashville, to public television viewers throughout the nation.”

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Underwriters: The Beaman Family Foundation, The Jack C. Massey Foundation Producer: Nashville Public Television (NPT)

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