For over a decade, Lindsey Stirling has enchanted audiences across the globe by performing a certain spellbinding magic with her electronic violin, dreaming up an exquisitely composed yet boldly inventive sound entirely her own. On her new album Snow Waltz, the classically trained musician/songwriter/dancer/author finds herself fully in her element, sharing a selection of holiday classics and original songs that evoke intense emotion through her immersive arrangements and mesmerizing melodies. The follow-up to her debut holiday album Warmer in the Winter—a 2017 release whose hit single “Carol of the Bells” made history as the only instrumental song ever to reach the Top 10 at AC Radio—Snow Waltz emerges as a singular new entry in the holiday-music canon, once again proving Stirling’s extraordinary gift as an instrumental storyteller.

Stirling is eager to bring the songs of Snow Waltz to life onstage. Known for her highly visual live performance, she even began conceptualizing many facets of her upcoming shows while in the thick of the writing process. “When we were working on ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,’ I got the idea to incorporate trapeze work in the live show—the arrangement feels so quirky and avant-garde, it calls for some kind of circus-like element,” says Stirling, who also takes a hands-on role in designing her elaborate stage costumes. And by channeling so much of her personality and spirit into every aspect of Snow Waltz, Stirling has fulfilled her mission of creating a one-of-a-kind holiday album sure to leave an indelible impact. “There are certain Christmas songs that take me right back to my childhood, and a lot of those songs are from artists who stay true to their style and bring Christmas into their world,” she says. “My hope is that this music becomes a part of people’s holiday traditions: something that holds so many special memories for them, and really makes those memories last.”