Since the mid 18th century, in hundreds of cities throughout the world, a production of George Frideric Handel's The Messiah is a cherished and joyous Christmas tradition... Brownsville, Texas included!

Our community's finest singers and musicians come together to form an impressive choral ensemble of more than 100 singers accompanied by a select orchestra of classical musicians. Truly spectacular, Handel's Messiah, now plays to a usually full house at the acoustically perfect UTB/TSC Arts Center under the leadership of Mr. Dennis Pitcock, Supervisor of Choral Music for Brownsville ISD.

After a short absence, Brownsville's favorite Christmas production was reinstituted in 2008 and is now produced in an exceptional collaboration between the BSPA, UTB Music Department, the UTB Bravo Opera Company, the BISD Choirs and the UTB Signature Series.

The first video below is of our 2011 production of The Messiah featuring highlights of soprano soloist Jessica Lustenberger, a very promising emerging artist and currently a senior pursuing her B.A. degree with a Vocal Performance major at the University of Texas Brownsville. She is the first beneficiary of the BSPA's Opera Performance Scholarship, a full four-year academic endowment. BSPA is confident that with her extraordinary talent, hard work and skilled tutelage by her professors, UTB Bravo Opera Director Carol Sachs and UTB's Director of Voice Studies Dr. Daniel Hunter-Holly, Jessica will reach the highest levels of success in the challenging world of Opera.

Click the play button, sit back, turn up the volume and enjoy her wonderful performance!

This year's Messiah, held December 8, 2012, was sponsored by Tipton Auto Group of Brownsville and the UTB/TSC Arts Center Signature Series. We hope to have video highlights of this last production soon. Check out Blogger's Thoughts on this years Messiah!

Click here to download a 2012-13 UTB Signature Season Brochure (pdf).