Ooos, ahs and dropped jaws fan the flames of performance for Cirque de la Symphonie as the world-famous artists make their rounds in concert halls throughout the country. Performing against a backdrop of full orchestration, aerialists fly with the greatest of ease over stunned audiences, only to alight inches from musicians on stage — their hands held high to acknowledge the roar of thunderous applause. This is what the show’s producers wait for; seldom are they disappointed.

Thursday evening, the Music Center at Strathmore’s Concert Hall morphs into the Big Top when the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra presents “Holiday Cirque de la Symphonie,” a full, unforgettable show programmed for the entire family by its executive director, Bill Allen, and by Alexander Streltsov, Cirque’s technical director and co-founder. Precision-tuned to correspond with favorite holiday music led by conductor and “ringleader” Bob Bernhardt, the presentation features selections that include Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite” and Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride.”