Stony Brook Southampton will celebrate the holiday season in style on Wednesday, December 17 with two special events - a Holiday Party in the Library at 5:30 pm, followed by a special performance of Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite by The Jazz Loft Big Band at 7 pm in the Avram Theater.

The annual Holiday Party - free and open to the public - brings together friends, neighbors, and members of the East End community to celebrate the season with entertainment, refreshments, and a look ahead at next year's exciting campus programs and events.

The jazz concert marks the finale of the fall season of The Jazz Loft @ Southampton Concert Series at Stony Brook Southampton. This vibrant, swinging reinterpretation of Tchaikovsky's iconic score is the Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn arrangement of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, and is one of the most often performed Jazz versions of the holiday classic.

Special star guest and vocalist/pianist Champian Fulton will be featured on the second half of the performance, which is a bold, joyful, jazz-infused take on the holiday classics.

Attendees of the Holiday Party will also receive 50% off concert tickets - just $18, the same price as student tickets. General admission is $36, and seniors, alumni, SBU faculty and staff is $33. Purchase tickets online.

Held in collaboration with The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook and curated by its founder, musician and Stony Brook University Endowed Artist in Residence Thomas Manuel, the series is a celebration of creativity, history and artistry. It explores various facets of jazz music, with each performance offering a unique experience.

Learn more at the concert series website.