If you have ever tuned in to the radio during Christmas time, there is a good chance that you have heard Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s unique cover of “Canon in D.” For nearly three decades, Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) has been delivering their unique hybrid performances of rock, classical, and musical theater to millions of people around the world. Now, Texans have the opportunity to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra live on their 2023 tour, “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve: The Best of TSO and More.”

Trans-Siberian Orchestra was formed in 1996 by the American producer Paul O’Neill. On TSO’s official website, O’Neill, regarding Trans-Siberian Orchestra, explains that “The whole idea was to create a progressive rock band that would push the boundaries (of the genre) further than any group before… Way, way further.” 

Influenced by rock musical artists, Broadway musicals, Motown, and even literary authors, O’Neill did just that. After working as a guitarist for productions of “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Hair,” O’Neill got a job at Leber-Kreb’s Inc., whose clients, according to TSO’s website, “included Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, AC/DC, Def Leppard, the Scorpions, the New York Dolls, and scores of others.”

As O’Neill continued to produce music, he became connected with Dave Wittman, who also became a main voice and force in the foundation of what was to become known as Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

“I wanted to take the very best of all the forms of music I grew up on and merge them into a new style,” O’Neill says on TSO’s site. “Basically I was building on the work of everybody I worshiped: the rock opera parts from bands like the Who; the marriage of classical and rock from bands like Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Queen; the over-the-top light show from bands like Pink Floyd… I always wanted to do a full rock opera with a full progressive band and at least 18 lead singers.”

O’Neill took his idea to Atlantic Records, where he was surprised by the company’s decision to help produce and finance “Romanov,” TSO’s initial first release. “We were very fortunate,” O’Neill said in a statement on Trans-Siberian’s website. “It was one of the only labels left that still did an ‘old school’ kind of artist development. My original concept was that we were going to do six rock operas, a trilogy about Christmas and maybe one or two regular albums.”

After some bumps in the road though, the release of “Romanov” was pushed back and “Christmas Eve and Other Stories,” the first part of O’Neill’s Christmas trilogy, became TSO’s first album. In the years following, TSO released the second and third installments of their Christmas trilogy, “The Christmas Attic” in 1998 and “The Lost Christmas Eve” in 2004. TSO also released their first non-Christmas album, “Beethoven’s Last Night” in 2000. 

Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s popularity really took off when the group started touring in 1999, in which the rock orchestra “began an annual November-December extravaganza.” Since 1999, TSO has been on numerous tours and performed hundreds of concerts across the United States, continuing to release new albums along the way. 

Sadly, O’Neill passed away in 2017, but his legacy continues to live on through the continuation of Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Currently, according to TSO’s official website, there are over two dozen members of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. These members include guitarists, vocalists, string instrumentalists, drummers, keyboardists, bassists, and storytellers. 

In 2022, TSO announced their 2023 tour, “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve: The Best of TSO and More.” According to Fox San Antonio, during this tour, TSO will “hit 62 cities and deliver 104 performances in both matinee and evening sets. It kicks off on Nov. 15 at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and runs through Dec. 30, concluding at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota.” The tour will also, as stated by Loudwire, “feature two different touring lineups to maximize the amount of performances to further meet demand.”

Two of those performances will be held at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Friday, Dec. 8. The matinee will begin at 3 p.m. and the evening performance will kick off at 7:30 p.m. TSO will also be performing at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. 

You do not want to miss the opportunity to watch Trans-Siberian Orchestra perform. Tickets are currently available for purchase through TSO’s official website at www.trans-siberian.com/tour, as well as through Dickie’s Areanas website at dickiesarena.com/event/2023-12-08-tso/\. 

For more information, go to www.trans-siberian.com/, loudwire.com/trans-siberian-orchestra-2023-tour-dates/#:~:text=Trans%2DSiberian%20Orchestra%20have%20announced,will%20take%20place%20from%20Nov, or https://foxsanantonio.com/newsletter-daily/trans-siberian-orchestra-announces-the-ghosts-of-christmas-eve-tour-returns-to-san-antonio-on-dec-9.