A UT Health San Antonio tradition continued Dec. 4 as President William L. Henrich, M.D., MACP, again hosted a Holiday Party featuring the San Antonio Symphony. A standing-room-only crowd of faculty, staff, students and residents packed Holly Auditorium for the festive holiday music.
Symphony conductor Noam Aviel led the musicians in renditions of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius’ Andante Festivo, Lucas Richman’s Hanukkah Festival Overture, the always popular selections from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, and other holiday tunes.
Maria Yanes, Mark Parma and Margo Martinez, who all work in Project Portfolio Management and Delivery (aka Transition Solutions) in the PARC building, were among the first in line waiting for the auditorium doors to open.
“I just love to hear the music, and Iove the camaraderie,” said Yanes, who added she’s attended the holiday concert each year.
Martinez said she and her co-workers were “very appreciative of the university showing us appreciation for our work.”
Barbara Swanson, a naturopathic doctor and dietitian at the University Transplant Center, said the holiday party and concert “makes my heart happy and helps me celebrate the season.
“And I’m completely stunned that UT Health would support the staff with such enjoyment and pleasure,” Swanson added. “It’s very generous.”
After the concert, it took only slightly more than three minutes for the crowd to pick up a turkey salad lunch and walk, smiling and humming, into the December sunshine.