PORTLAND — The Portland Symphony Orchestra will celebrate the holiday season with the annual “Magic of Christmas” performances, a much-loved Maine family holiday tradition. A total of 12 performances take place on the weekends of Dec. 13-15 and 20-22, at Portland’s Merrill Auditorium; special guest vocalists Jonathan Blalock and Jessica Cates will add to the heartwarming concerts. The performances will be jointly conducted by PSO Music Director Robert Moody and PSO Assistant Conductor Norman Huynh.

The Magic of Christmas Chorus, made up largely of members of the Portland Community Chorus, will join the PSO for these special holiday concerts. The Magic of Christmas Chorus is led by Director Richard Nickerson. Performers include tenor Jonathan Blalock and soprano Jessica Cates.

Performance times and dates can be found at www.portlandsymphony.org. Tickets range from $25 -$55 and are available by phone at 207-842-0800, www.porttix.com, or the box office at 20 Myrtle St.