Mastervoices Announces Its 2026-27 Season

MASTERVOICES ANNOUNCES ITS 2026-27 SEASON

FEATURING AN ALL-HANDEL PROGRAM WITH

SOPRANO ERIN MORLEY AND COUNTERTENOR JAKUB JÓZEF ORLINSKI,

THE RETURN OF VOX: AMERICAN VOICES OPERA LAB,

AND A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II

DECEMBER 15, 2026 – APRIL 26, 2027

 

New York, NY, June 23, 2026 — MasterVoices (Ted Sperling, Artistic Director) announced its 85^th anniversary season, celebrating the power of the human voice to unite, inspire, and connect. The 2026-27 season opens December 15 at Carnegie Hall when MasterVoices brings acclaimed soprano Erin Morley and countertenor Jakub Józef Orlinski together for an all-Handel celebration. On April 26 in David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, MasterVoices honors wordsmith Oscar Hammerstein II. The concert will showcase a selection of his hit songs and lesser-known works—reflecting his transformative contribution to musical theater—and will feature a cast of Broadway stars performing new and classic arrangements.

Celebrating Handel at Carnegie Hall

On December 15 at 7:30 pm, at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium Perelman Stage, Ted Sperling, the 120–member MasterVoices Chorus and the period-instrument ensemble New York Baroque Incorporated light up the holiday season with the music of George Frideric Handel, in a concert featuring two of the most iconic opera stars of their generation: soprano Erin Morley, known for her “impressive coloratura technique and a sumptuous sound” (The New York Times), who returns to MasterVoices following recent Metropolitan Opera appearances in The Magic Flute and La Fille du Régiment; and “the first operatic superstar to win over Gen Z” (Telegraph Luxury), Polish countertenor Jakub Józef Orlinski, who returns to perform in New York for the first time in five years, following a sold-out international concert tour. The two singers previously collaborated in the Metropolitan Opera production of Matthew Aucoin’s Eurydice during the 2021-22 season.

Celebrating Handel promises a feast of virtuosic singing and Baroque drama as it journeys through worlds of heroes, gods, and lovers, featuring selections from Samson, Theodora, Semele, Giulio Cesare, and more. The evening’s Handel celebration will conclude with an audience singalong of the Hallelujah chorus from Messiah.

VOX: American Voices Opera Lab at Perelman Arts Center

On April 1, 2027, at Perelman Arts Center, the Chorus will participate in VOX: American Voices Opera Lab, the only program of its kind dedicated to presenting excerpts of new grand operas by contemporary American composers. Despite a thrilling surge today of innovative composers, librettists, singers, and an expanding audience eager to experience cutting-edge new work, opportunities to workshop grand-scale works are increasingly rare. The revival of VOX bridges this critical gap, and VOX will showcase excerpts of four works-in-progress operas in concert presentations of 20 to 30 minutes each, performed with soloists, full orchestra, and chorus. The deadline for submissions for the 2027 VOX presentations is August 1, 2026.  

VOX is being relaunched this season as a landmark collaboration among seven leading musical organizations in New York City: American Composers Orchestra provides the orchestra; Beth Morrison Projects is the Producer of VOX and Beth Morrison serves as Director and Creative Producer; MasterVoices provides the chorus and Artistic Director Ted Sperling serves as VOX’s Music Director; The Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program provides the principal singers with additional singers provided by Manhattan School of Music and Mannes School of Music; and, as the presenter, Perelman Arts Center provides the venue and the labor needed to present the production.

Hammerstein’s Broadway at David Geffen Hall

On April 26, 2027, at 7 pm, at David Geffen Hall’s Wu Tsai Theater at Lincoln Center, Tony Award winner Ted Sperling, one of Broadway’s foremost Rodgers & Hammerstein interpreters, leads the MasterVoices Chorus and Orchestra, and a cast of Broadway stars, in tribute to innovative lyricist-librettist Oscar Hammerstein II, who changed the musical theater by creating popular musicals that pushed the boundaries of form and subject matter, while exploring ideas of politics, race, and class. The program will include selections from monumental successes like Oklahoma!, South Pacific, Show Boat (celebrating the 100th anniversary of its Broadway premiere), and Carmen Jones, as well as songs from lesser-known musicals like Very Warm for May, Sweet Adeline, The Desert Song, and Allegro. The program, performed with a lush orchestra and large chorus, will feature original arrangements and newly commissioned ones that give these famous songs a fresh sound.

Said Ted Sperling, “Our upcoming season celebrates two artists who were immensely successful at capturing the imagination of their respective audiences, but who had to change course midstream in their careers to adjust to changing tastes and standards. In the process of reinventing themselves as creators, they found new depths of feeling and new forms in which to express those feelings; Handel invented the English oratorio, and Hammerstein revolutionized the American musical; how grateful are we to be able to celebrate these two titans of theatrical music making!”

Additional collaborations and performances

On August 11-17, the MasterVoices Chorus will participate in the Joe Hisaishi Film Music Concert at Radio City Music Hall with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, conducted by Hisaishi and presented by The Bowery. The performances include music of the celebrated Studio Ghibli classics, plus scores from Takeshi Kitano, Isao Takahata films, and more.

On September 25 and 26, the MasterVoices Chorus will participate in two free outdoor performances presented by the Ukrainian Museum, in celebration of its 50th anniversary, in partnership with Citizen Arts International, a citywide festival of multidisciplinary performance in public spaces. 

Details of MasterVoices’ 2026-27 season can be found at mastervoices.org.

Celebrating Handel

Tuesday, December 15, 2026, 7:30 pm

Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall

Ted Sperling, conductor

The MasterVoices Chorus

New York Baroque Incorporated

Erin Morley, soprano

Jakub Józef Orlinski, countertenor

Program to include selections from Handel’s Samson, Theodora, Semele, Giulio Cesare, and more.

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) was the consummate eighteenth-century composer, performer, and independent entrepreneur. Born in Halle, Germany, he honed his craft in Hamburg and Italy before settling permanently in London, where he became a naturalized British citizen in 1727. Initially dominating the London stage as the music director of the Royal Academy of Music with masterful Italian operas like Giulio Cesare, Handel later adapted to shifting tastes and social establishment criticism by brilliantly pivoting to English-language concert works and pioneering the English oratorio. This transition yielded many of his greatest masterpieces—including Saul, Semele, and his immortal Messiah, which triumphed at its 1742 Dublin premiere. Handel’s independent spirit and unmatched dramatic scale permanently redefined the landscape of Baroque music.

MasterVoices’ previous performances of Handel works at Carnegie Hall include Israel in Egypt (2018) with New York Baroque Incorporated, Messiah (1994-1996), Esther (1982), and Alexander’s Feast (1959).

Tickets, starting at $30, will go on sale in September at carnegiehall.org, by calling Carnegie Hall at 212.247.7800, or by visiting the box office at 57th St. & 7th Ave.  

More about the soloists 

Praised as “the personification of bel canto” (Opera News) and celebrated for her “impressive coloratura technique and a sumptuous sound” (The New York Times), soprano Erin Morley is a recipient of the prestigious Beverly Sills Award. Her performances have garnered critical acclaim worldwide as she regularly appears on the greatest opera stages. She has performed more than 140 times at The Metropolitan Opera. Equally celebrated on the concert platform, Morley has soloed with the world’s leading orchestras and is a dedicated educator who has delivered masterclasses at institutions including The Juilliard School and the Yale School of Music. Morley previously appeared with MasterVoices (then The Collegiate Chorale) in 2009 and 2010 under the baton of James Bagwell.

Polish countertenor Jakub Józef Orlinski has established himself as one of the world's leading artists, lauded by The Sunday Times as having “the voice of an angel” and hailed by the Telegraph Luxury as “the first operatic superstar to win over Gen Z”. Bringing a unique pop-star appeal to the classical stage, Orlinski is an accomplished model and breakdancer who expanded his massive global audience with a landmark performance at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and a high-energy collaboration with A$AP Rocky in early 2026.

Hammerstein’s Broadway

Monday, April 26, 2027, 7:00 pm

David Geffen Hall’s Wu Tsai Theater at Lincoln Center

Ted Sperling, conductor

The MasterVoices Chorus and Orchestra

Broadway soloists to be announced at a later date

Selections from Oklahoma!, South Pacific, Show Boat, Carmen Jones, Very Warm for May, Sweet Adeline, The Desert Song, Allegro, and more.

This tribute evening will showcase Hammerstein’s early work—including collaborations with Jerome Kern, Sigmund Romberg, and Rudolf Friml—and his legendary partnership with Richard Rodgers, with hit songs from some of his most beloved works. As the defining figure of Broadway’s Golden Age, Oscar Hammerstein II shaped the modern musical into a form rooted in character, emotion, and moral complexity. Whether exploring romances tested by cultural divides or the lives of seemingly ordinary Americans, his musicals fused unforgettable songs with theatrical urgency. In his 40-year career, he wrote over 800 songs and many libretti. His works were innovative in integrating plot and character development into the musical format, a departure from the traditional style of his time. He tackled social issues such as racial prejudice and human dignity in his lyrics, reflecting a deep sense of social consciousness. Said his protégé, Stephen Sondheim, “His creative imagination was far greater than the work itself, and has affected the theater permanently.”

MasterVoices Artistic Director Ted Sperling conducted the Broadway productions of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific and The King and I, and the New York Philharmonic concert staging of Kern & Hammerstein’s Show Boat.

Tickets, starting at $39, will go on sale in January 2027 at lincolncenter.org, by calling CenterCharge at 212.721.6500, or by visiting the box office at 10 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023.

More about Oscar Hammerstein II

Oscar Hammerstein II was born on July 12, 1895, in New York City into a successful family of impresarios and theater managers. Hammerstein started writing lyrics for the Columbia University Varsity shows while studying law. His earliest works included musical comedies written with a Columbia undergraduate seven years his junior named Richard Rodgers. The 1920 varsity show, Fly With Me, was composed by Rodgers with lyrics by both Hammerstein and a fellow classmate of his named Lorenz Hart.

The first half of Hammerstein’s career was defined by his work as a lyricist and librettist for operettas and early musical plays. Collaborating with composers such as Rudolf Friml, Sigmund Romberg, George Gershwin, and Jerome Kern, his works included Rose-Marie, The Desert Song, The New Moon, and Show Boat (1927), widely regarded as a landmark in the development of the modern musical. In 1943, he joined forces with the equally successful Richard Rodgers, who remained his writing partner for the rest of his career. Following the monumental success of Oklahoma!, the team went on to create some of the most celebrated musicals in theater history, including Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music. They also wrote State Fair for film and Cinderella for television.

Hammerstein received numerous honors, including two Pulitzer Prizes, two Academy Awards, and five Tony Awards. His final song, “Edelweiss,” was written for The Sound of Music shortly before his death in 1960.

About MasterVoices

MasterVoices was founded in 1941 as The Collegiate Chorale by legendary choral conductor Robert Shaw, breaking barriers as one of America’s first interracial and interfaith choral ensembles. That tradition continues today, with a diverse choral community and an expansive roster of world-class artists with whom they perform musicals, operas, and choral repertoire in New York City’s top venues. The Chorus has performed at the opening of the United Nations and has sung and recorded under the batons of esteemed conductors including Serge Koussevitzky, Arturo Toscanini, and Leonard Bernstein, among others. It has been engaged by top-tier orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic and the Israel Philharmonic, and has appeared at the Verbier and Salzburg Festivals.

Under the leadership of Tony Award winner Ted Sperling since 2013, recent concerts include Sweet Smell of Success with Raúl Esparza and Lizzy McAlpine, The Frogs with Nathan Lane, Anyone Can Whistle with Vanessa Williams, Lady In The Dark with Victoria Clark, the New York premiere of Blind Injustice, Sheldon Harnick’s adaptation of Carmen, the digital production of Adam Guettel’s Myths and Hymns, and commissioned works by Heather Christian, Jason Robert Brown, Michael Abels, Gregory Spears, Ted Hearne, Will Aronson, William C. Banfield, Ricky Ian Gordon, Marisa Michelson, Tariq Al-Sabir, and Randall Eng. The Chorus has been heard at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Radio City Music Hall, New York City Center, Madison Square Garden, the Barclays Center, and internationally.

For more information, visit mastervoices.org. Connect with MasterVoices on Facebook, Instagram (@mastervoicesny), and YouTube.

About Ted Sperling

Ted Sperling has led more than forty MasterVoices programs, often of works that would otherwise not be seen or heard on the New York stage. These include Kurt Weill’s The Firebrand of Florence, Knickerbocker Holiday, The Road of Promise and Lady in the Dark; the Gershwin satires Of Thee I Sing, Let ‘Em Eat Cake, and Strike Up The Band; Stephen Sondheim’s Anyone Can Whistle and The Frogs; Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado, and Iolanthe; Ricky Ian Gordon’s The Grapes of Wrath and 27; Sheldon Harnick’s translation of Carmen; and the digital production of Adam Guettel’s Myths and Hymns, made during the COVID pandemic, which was nominated for New York Emmy and Drama League awards and can be viewed on the PBS AllArts platform.

A Tony Award winner for his work on The Light in the Piazza at Lincoln Center Theater, Sperling has enjoyed a long career on Broadway, starting with the original production of Sunday in the Park with George. He has directed the premieres of four new musicals off-Broadway, and in 2025 he conducted the Broadway premiere of Floyd Collins. As an actor, he appeared in the original Broadway cast of Titanic and in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” as TV host Steve Allen. For more information, visit tedsperling.net.

 

Images: Artwork courtesy of MasterVoices, Erin Morley by Dario Acosta, Jakub Józef Orlinski by Kamil Szkopik.