Göteborgs Konserthus Family Christmas Celebration

Katie Thomas is British (Welsh) choral conductor. She directs and coaches professional choirs and non-professional choruses throughout the UK and Europe. In 2023 Katie Thomas was appointed Chorus Director of Gothenburg Symphony Choir and Conductor of the professional-voice Gothenburg Symphony Vocal Ensemble. Dividing time between Sweden and her London base, she maintains her longstanding position as Vocal Coach and Assistant Chorus Director of the BBC Symphony Chorus in addition to freelance work in the UK. Previous engagements include Guest Conductor BBC Singers, Guest Chorus Master MDR Rundfunkchor (Leipzig) and Associate Conductor of 250-voice Barts Choir of London, whilst forthcoming highlights involve collaborations with Vocalconsort Berlin and Le Foyer des Artistes. Katie Thomas is a visiting conductor to the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain and the choirs of the Royal College of Music. She is a tutor in choral conducting technique for the Association of British Choral Directors and adjudicates at choral festivals worldwide for INTERKULTUR. As a soprano, Katie Thomas was a member of professional choirs including The Monteverdi Choir, Polyphony and the Academy of Ancient Music, touring major international concert venues including Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Musikverein Vienna and Carnegie Hall New York. With London Voices, she has recorded numerous film and video-game soundtracks, chiefly at Abbey Road Studios, as well as broadcasting extensively on tv and national radio. In 2020, Katie Thomas was elected Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) for distinguished service to the music profession, and for significant contribution in the field of conducting and choral music.

Gothenburg soprano Negar Zarassi is a beloved voice in many languages with experience from a range of large tv-productions and classical scene performances. She has worked professionally as an artist for over a decade and has developed her own unique style with the mix of opera and more modern music, ranging from tango, jazz, pop and folk. She studied for almost seven years at The Royal College of Music and at The Academy for Music and Drama which resulted in her two bachelors’. She was also trained in acting and has performed many different roles and is appreciated for her strong presence and ability to create credible interpretations. Following her success in Persia's got Talent 2019 and her exposure to the global Iranian audience, Negar has developed her own crossover genre of opera and pop in Farsi. This Persian Sarah Brightman has touched millions with her beautiful voice. As an opera singer, she has, among other places, performed roles at the Stadsteatern in Gothenburg and at Malmö Opera.

Måns Pär Fogelberg has worked at the Gothenburg Symphony since 2007. He started up the Symphony's digital concert hall GSOplay, where he is a producer on a daily basis. Over the years, he has been a presenter for a number of events, including National Day concerts in Slottsskogen and theme shows such as Disney's Fantasia, John Williams Concert and New Year in Vienna. This is the second time he presents Juljubel with the Gothenburg Symphony.

Cellist Claes Gunnarsson has toured all over the world as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral musician and teacher. He debuted at a young age as a soloist in Dvorak's Cello Concerto together with the Gothenburg Symphony and was subsequently invited as a solo cellist. A position he has held since 1998. As an active chamber musician, Claes Gunnarsson has collaborated with the violinists Leonidas Kavakos and Nikolaj Znaider, the pianists Christian Zacharias, Peter Jablonski and Hélèn Grimaud, but above all has given concerts for 20 years together with his colleagues Sara Trobäck and Per Lundberg in the piano trio Trio Poseidon. Claes Gunnarsson is also a teacher at the College of Stage and Music at the University of Gothenburg. He plays a cello built in 1707 by David Tecchler, a generous loan from the Järnåker Foundation.

The choir was founded in 1917 by cousins Elsa and Wilhelm Stenhammar. Elsa Stenhammar was one of the driving forces in turn-of-the-century choir life in Gothenburg and became the choir's first rehearser. On December 8, 1917, the choir debuted in Beethoven's Choir Fantasy with Wilhelm Stenhammar as soloist at the grand piano. As the country's oldest symphonic choir, they were able to celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2017 with a big celebratory concert where Mozart and Brahms as well as Stenhammar, Elfrida Andrée and Björn & Benny were on the program. The Gothenburg Symphony Choir is a non-profit association that is linked to the Gothenburg Symphony. The choir participates in concerts and performances under both the orchestra's and its own auspices. The music is mixed and the repertoire extensive. The Gothenburg Symphony Choir has participated in concerts in, among other places, the Royal Albert Hall and Canterbury Cathedral in England, as well as participated with the Gothenburg Symphony in the annual music festival in the Canary Islands and on a tour to China.