Wayne Oquin’s On The Words Of Walt Whitman To Be World Premiered By Musica Sacra, At St. Bartholomew’s Church, NYC, March 11, 2026

Renowned American composer Wayne Oquin has written a new work, On the Words of Walt Whitman, scored for soloists, chorus, and chamber orchestra, which will be premiered by Musica Sacra led by Music Director Kent Tritle at New York’s St. Bartholomew’s Church (325 Park Ave, New York, NY 10022), on Wednesday evening, March 11, 2026 at 7 pm. Mr. Oquin’s cantata travels through the totality of Walt Whitman’s poetry, from the iconic “Song of Myself” to lesser-known gems written later in the poet’s life.

The performance features soprano Susanna Phillips and baritone John Moore.

The full program follows:

General admission from $40 to $105 is available for purchase on Musica Sacra’s event page.

“The musicality of Whitman’s language,” writes Mr. Oquin, “—his stanzas in free verse, often improvisatory in tone, his lack of formal rhyme schemes, lists, rhythmic in nature, leaping off the page—give the resulting music pulse, a sense of vitality, and a forward momentum. His enigmatic themes—his ability to hover over the implications of nature, humanity, sensuality, consciousness without blemishing their mystery—is where I'm most inspired…rather than focusing on one large Whitman poem or a small collection thereof, I created seventeen songs, each taken from a distinct verse spanning the four decades of Whitman’s writing life devoted to his magnum opus, Leaves of Grass, each piece uniquely tailored to the poem it portrays.” 

With Whitman’s Leaves as the core of Mr. Oquin’s inspiration, his songs maintain a clarity of text for the listener. Whitman’s naturalness of spoken rhythm—his direct, effortlessness of language—is preserved throughout the work.

Asked about the upcoming premiere, Maestro Tritle recounted, “On the day after Christmas 2024, I met with composer Wayne Oquin at the choir room of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Wayne had been entranced in the creation of his Whitman settings. What I experienced that day I will never forget. As we went through, page by page, I had chills after chills! The gorgeous texture, the setting of Whitman's beloved poetry, the striking harmony, the incredible arc of form all were coming together for this world premiere. I believe that On the Words of Walt Whitman will be one of the great choral oratorios of the 21st century.

With premieres on five continents, in twenty-one countries, and in forty-five states, Wayne Oquin is among today’s most performed American composers. A native of Houston, Texas, Oquin’s music has been commissioned and programmed by The Danish National Symphony, The Munich Philharmonic, The Pacific Symphony, and The Philadelphia Orchestra, as well as by The King's Singers, pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin, and Grammy Award-winning organist Paul Jacobs.

On opening night of its 2017-18 season, The Philadelphia Orchestra, under the direction of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, gave the East Coast premiere of Oquin’s Resilience. This mini-concerto, featuring organist Paul Jacobs, was met with rave reviews, the Philadelphia Inquirer declaring that it, “warranted an instant encore.” Nézet-Séguin led the Philadelphia Orchestra in additional performances in Brussels, Hamburg, and Luxembourg.

Echoes of a Solitary Voice, a tribute to the late Maestro Lorin Maazel, was premiered by The Danish National Symphony Orchestra and received three additional performances with The Munich Philharmonic led by Maestro Rafael Payare. Oquin’s choral works have entered the standard repertory. His O Magnum Mysterium was recorded by the Houston Chamber Choir and received its New York premiere in Carnegie Hall. On New Year’s Eve night 2018 Alleluia was featured at New York’s historic Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

Widely known for his contributions to the symphonic wind literature, Oquin has been performed by the United States Air Force, Army Field, Coast Guard, and the Marine Bands, as well as by leading high school and university wind ensembles around the country. His Song for Silent Voices, composed for the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Wind Symphony, is the 2018 winner of the National Band Association’s William D. Revelli Award, the second time Oquin has won the prize. In 2016 The U.S. Air Force honored the composer with its prestigious Commander’s Medal of Excellence. Upon completing his Doctorate of Musical Arts in 2008, The Juilliard School awarded Oquin its prestigious Richard F. French Prize for best dissertation and appointed him to its faculty where he teaches music theory, graduate studies, and serves as Chair of Ear Training. In fall of 2025 Juilliard named him to the coveted C.V. Starr Doctoral Faculty.

Please visit Musica Sacra’s website and composer Wayne Oquin’s website.

For more information, please contact Hemsing Associates at (212) 772 1132 or visit www.hemsingpr.com.

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