Sometimes, right in the thick of the holiday season, we all could do with a little break and just relax. As part of your strategy, why not slip quietly into the back row for a lovely pair of concerts by students of the Eastman School of Music? On December 11, the Eastman Philharmonia will be led by conductor Chaowen Ting in works of Tchaikovsky (the "Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy"), Mozart, and Shostakovich.  Ting, an ESM doctoral student in conducting, was a conducting fellow for the RPO last season and has lead orchestras in Honduras, Romania, and Russia. On December 16, the Eastman Women's Chorus and Repertory Singers will perform works to include Britten's "Ceremony of Carols" and Ola Gjeilo's "Gloria."  

Eastman Philharmonia performs Wednesday, December 11, 8 p.m., at Eastman Theatre, 60 Gibbs St., free, esm.rochester.edu.

Eastman Women's Chorus and Repertory Singers perform Monday, December 16, 8 p.m. at Kilbourn Hall, 26 Gibbs Street, free, esm.rochester.edu.