We must be getting close to the true beginning of the Christmas season because it's once again time for the Symphony of the Kootenays annual Christmas Concert in partnership with the East Kootenay Music Teachers Association (EKMTA).

The concert takes place 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4 and 2 p.m. Sunday Dec. 5 at the Key City Theatre and tickets are available now at the theatre box office.

This year the Symphony is honoured to have student pianist Danielle Sonntag performing Mozart's Concerto No. 11 in the annual "Christmas in the Kootenays" concert. Danielle is a 17 year old grade 12 student from Creston.

She is currently studying the Grade X Royal Conservatory piano with EKMTA teacher Audrey Johnson. She has played piano and violin since kindergarten and has performed regularly in concerts, festivals and fundraisers in the Kootenays.

Sonntag has received numerous awards, including the senior piano award in the Creston Festival of the Arts, where she was also named Best Overall for the years 2007, 2008 and 2009. In 2009 and 2010 she was nominated to the BC Provincial Music Festival in the Intermediate category as an Observer.