The annual Holiday Concert, originally set for Thursday, December 18, 2025, was postponed to Tuesday, January 13, 2026.  According to School Nurse Ms. Lorena Beltran, over 40 students were absent over the week of the concert, with the majority being students from Lower and Middle School. The concert typically consists of students from every grade, fourth through twelfth, who participate in Westridge music classes. 

“When we don’t have one third of students not being there to perform, that’s unfortunate,” Lower and Middle School Chorus Teacher Dr. Shinnshill Park said. Both she and Ms. Rachel Counihan, the Middle and Upper School Orchestra Teacher, mentioned wanting the students to enjoy their winter break without worrying about sickness. Dr. Park also noted that although she and a large number of students were out sick on the week of the performance, the idea of canceling was never an option. The final decision, made by the division directors and music directors, was moving the concert to a later date. The day before the performance, Director of Lower and Middle School Dr. Zanita Kelly and Director of Upper School Dr. Melanie Arias sent out an email to students and parents announcing the postponement. 

“We were disappointed that it was postponed,” sixth grader Zyla D. admitted. Building on Zyla’s disappointment, Upper School Chamber Orchestra member Ashley D. ’27 felt a little sad. 

Performers from all grades had been working hard on the discography for over two months. The Holiday Concert was an especially big deal for Lower and Middle School students since they do not perform in the Fall Concert. “To have worked so hard and then to be sick for your concert would be so disappointing,” Dr. Kelly noted. 

Some students were disappointed about singing holiday songs after the holidays due to the postponement. “We do have to sing ‘December in My Hometown’ in January,” seventh grader Josephine O. said. 

While many community members were disappointed by the postponement, some viewed the reschedule positively. To Glee Club performer Luciana M. ’29, the postponement meant more time to practice and perfect pieces. Seventh grader Hazelyn S. echoed Luciana, admitting, “I kind of feel a little bit relieved, because it was really soon, and I think that we needed the practice.”

In addition to being an advantage for some students, the postponement also benefited some of the relatives of the performers. Pen Pendleton, a relative of Ava L. ’34, mentioned that the postponement allowed him to watch the concert in person. Because the concert was after the holidays, mother of sixth grader Melody M.-J., Roya Mohajer-Jasabi, also described the comfort she felt “hearing the holiday songs post holiday.” Ms. Kerri Epps, Assistant Director of Upper School agreed. “Even though it’s January, we can still be in the holiday spirit,” she said.

To the Westridge community, the Holiday Concert is more than just a music performance; Dr. Kelly described it as a Westridge tradition. “Our winter concert is just one of the ways that we kind of wrap up the school year right before the break,” she said. Despite the amount of work necessary to replan the concert, canceling the concert would mean skipping out on an important tradition. 

Schedule coordinator for the Holiday Concert and Dean of Student Activities and Auxiliary, Ms. Farrell Heydorff mentioned the difficulty of finding a new date for the concert. In addition to having trouble finding an available PAC date, finding another dress rehearsal date was also a challenge. The dress rehearsal was ultimately rescheduled to occur within the school day, requiring flexibility from teachers and performers. 

Even though there were a number of obstacles both the directors of the school and music department faculty faced to reschedule the performance, the audience was packed and lively for the concert. “I think in general, everyone was very supportive,” Ashley said. “Having such amazing staff, teachers and a leadership team is pretty much the reason that we’re able to have this concert in the first place.”