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Press Releases
Kent Tritle 2022-23 Season - World Premieres of Moravec/Campbell 'A Nation of Others,' David Briggs 'Stabat Mater,' and More
- World Premiere of A Nation of Others by Paul Moravec and Mark Campbell, Handel’s Messiah, and Bach’s Mass in B Minor with Oratorio Society of New York at Carnegie Hall
- Music by women composers spanning five centuries, and Handel’s Messiah with Musica Sacra
- World Premiere of Stabat Mater for organ, soprano and tenor, chorus, and orchestra by David Briggs at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine
- First performances on the new organ at David Geffen Hall in New York Philharmonic season-opening program, in Pines of Rome
- The Dream of Gerontius in Salt Lake City
Kent Tritle, photo by Jennifer Taylor
Two world premieres – A Nation of Others, a new oratorio for six soloists, chorus and orchestra by Paul Moravec and Mark Campbell with the Oratorio Society of New York at Carnegie Hall that brings to life one day of immigrants’ arrival at Ellis Island in 1921 (November 15, 2022); and a setting of the Stabat Mater for organ, soloists, chorus, and orchestra by David Briggs at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine (March 8, 2023) – are highlights of the 2022-23 season of Kent Tritle, who is Director of Cathedral Music and Organist at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and Music Director of both the Oratorio Society of New York, the acclaimed volunteer ensemble, and Musica Sacra, New York’s elite professional chorus.
A Nation of Others, originally scheduled to premiere in May 2020, is an Oratorio Society commission, as was the acclaimed 2018 Moravec/Campbell work Sanctuary Road, the Naxos recording of which, led by Kent, was nominated for a Grammy Award. Also on the November 15 program is Robert Paterson’s Whitman’s America (2016), settings of poems from Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass for soprano and baritone soloists, chorus, and orchestra.
These works stand at the contemporary end of Kent’s season programs, which also include Bach’s Mass in B Minor with the Oratorio Society of New York (May 8, 2023); and wide-ranging programs with Musica Sacra – music from 14th-century England and France interspersed with contemporary voices (October 25, 2022) and a program featuring music of women composers spanning more than five centuries (April 18, 2023) – performed at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the latest example of which, a March 2022 concert featuring music by Brahms, Viktor Kalabis, Wang Jie, and Arvo Pärt led Opera News to dub Musica Sacra “one of NYC’s best professional choruses.”
Kent also leads his annual performances of Handel’s Messiah at Carnegie Hall, with the Oratorio Society of New York (December 19, 2022) and Musica Sacra (December 21, 2022).
In addition to the Briggs premiere, Kent leads the Cathedral Choir of St. John the Divine in “Venice: City of Light,” a collaboration with Rose of the Compass celebrating the variety in the city’s cultural fabric (May 16, 2023); as well as the Cathedral’s annual “The Joy of Christmas” concert (December 9 & 10, 2022) and the “New Year’s Eve Concert for Peace” (December 31, 2022).
Kent also conducts a performance of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius at the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City, UT (March 19, 2023).
An acclaimed organist, Kent Tritle performs two recitals at St. John the Divine: a program of works by J. S. Bach, César Franck, and Stephen Paulus (October 16, 2022), and music of David Hurd and Maurice Duruflé (April 16, 2023). He also performs a recital on the Fisk organ at Christ Church Episcopal in Westerly, RI (September 30, 2022), and at First United Methodist Church in West Des Moines (October 9, 2022). As the organist of the New York Philharmonic, Kent will give the first performances on the new organ of David Geffen Hall on the hall’s reopening program (Oct. 12-18, 2022), in Respighi’s Pines of Rome.
Kent continues his work as a choral conductor clinician with participation in the Interfaith Choral Festival at Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, California (January 28, 2023).
Kent Tritle is one of America’s leading choral conductors. Called “the brightest star in New York's choral music world” by The New York Times, he is Director of Cathedral Music and Organist at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City; Music Director of the Oratorio Society of New York, the acclaimed avocational chorus; and Music Director of Musica Sacra, the longest continuously performing professional chorus in New York City. In addition, Kent is a member of the graduate faculty of The Juilliard School, serving its Vocal Arts Department. An acclaimed organ virtuoso, he is also the organist of the New York Philharmonic.
Kent Tritle’s discography features more than 20 recordings on the Telarc, Naxos, AMDG, Epiphany, Gothic, VAI and MSR Classics labels. Recent releases include the Grammy-nominated Naxos recording of the Paul Moravec/Mark Campbell oratorio Sanctuary Road with the Oratorio Society of New York; Mahler's Symphony No. 8 in David Briggs's organ-choral version, and Eternal Reflections: Choral Music of Robert Paterson with Musica Sacra. Other releases include the 2013 recording of Juraj Filas’ Requiem, Oratio Spei dedicated to the victims of 9/11, with the Prague Symphony Orchestra and the Kühn Choir; Messages to Myself, an acclaimed recording with Musica Sacra of five new works; and two discs – Cool of the Day, an a cappella program of music ranging from Gregorian chant, Palestrina, and spirituals to Strauss’s Deutsche Motette, and Ginastera’s The Lamentations of Jeremiah with Schnittke’s Concerto for Choir – with the Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola.
Kent Tritle is renowned as a master clinician, giving workshops on conducting and repertoire; he leads annual choral workshops at the Amherst Early Music Festival, and recent years have included workshops at Berkshire Choral International, Summer@Eastman and at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. As Director of Choral Activities at the Manhattan School of Music from 2008 to 2022, Kent established the school’s first doctoral program in choral conducting. A Juilliard School faculty member since 1996, he currently directs a graduate practicum on oratorio in collaboration with the school’s Vocal Arts Department.
Kent Tritle founded the Sacred Music in a Sacred Space concert series at New York’s Church of St. Ignatius Loyola, and led it to great acclaim from 1989 to 2011. From 1996 to 2004, he was Music Director of New York’s The Dessoff Choirs. Kent hosted “The Choral Mix with Kent Tritle” on New York’s WQXR, a weekly program devoted to the vibrant world of choral music, from 2010 to 2014. Among his recent honors are the 2020 Chorus America Michael Korn Founders Award for Development of the Professional Choral Art, the 2017 Distinguished Achievement Award from Career Bridges and the 2016 President’s Medal for Distinguished Service from the Manhattan School of Music. Kent is on the advisory boards of the Choral Composer/Conductor Collective (C4) and the Clarion Music Society, and was the 2016 honoree at Clarion’s annual gala. He was recently featured in the WIRED video series “Masterminds,” an installment titled, “What Conductors Are Really Doing.”
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KENT TRITLE 2022-23 SEASON
Friday, September 30, 2022, at 7:30 pm
Christ Church Episcopal, Westerly, RI
KENT TRITLE, organ
VINCENT LÜBECK Preambulum and Fugue in C Minor
GIROLAMO FRESCOBALDI Toccata Sesta
- S. BACH Prelude and Fugue in B Minor, BWV 544
- S. BACH Nun Danket alle Gott, BWV 657
DAVID HURD Partita on Detroit, (1992)
FELIX MENDELSSOHN Sonata III in A Major, Opus 65
CÉSAR FRANCK Pastorale, Op.19
STEPHEN PAULUS Tryptich for Organ (2000)
Sunday, October 9, 2022, at 4:00 pm
First United Methodist Church, West Des Moines, IA
KENT TRITLE, organ
VINCENT LÜBECK Preambulum and Fugue in C Minor
GIROLAMO FRESCOBALDI Toccata Sesta
- S. BACH Prelude and Fugue in B Minor, BWV 544
- S. BACH Nun Danket alle Gott, BWV 657
DAVID HURD Partita on Detroit, (1992)
FELIX MENDELSSOHN Sonata III in A Major, Opus 65
CÉSAR FRANCK Pastorale, Op.19
STEPHEN PAULUS Tryptich for Organ (2000)
October 12, 13, 15, 18, 2022
David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center, New York, NY
Jaap van Zweden, conductor
Program to include:
OTTORINO RESPIGHI Pines of Rome
Kent Tritle is the organist of the New York Philharmonic.
Sunday, October 16, 2022, at 5:00 pm
Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York, NY
KENT TRITLE, organ
- S. BACH Prelude and Fugue in B Minor, BWV 544
CÉSAR FRANCK Pastorale, Op.19
STEPHEN PAULUS Tryptich for Organ (2000)
Tuesday, October 25, 2022, at 7:30 pm
Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York, NY
“MUSIC FOR A GOTHIC SPACE”
Kent Tritle, conductor
A concert featuring music from 14th century England and France, including works written for the Feast of St. Crispin, and excerpts from Missa de pluribus martyribus; extra tempus paschale (Gregorian chant) as well as music by living composers Janet Wheeler, Amy Summers, Olivia Sparkhall, and Sarah McDonald.
Tuesday, November 15, 2022, at 8:00 pm
Carnegie Hall
Kent Tritle, conductor
Susanna Phillips, soprano
Maeve Höglund, soprano
Raehann Bryce-Davis, mezzo-soprano
Martin Bakari, tenor
Steven Eddy, baritone
Joseph Beutel, bass-baritone
PAUL MORAVEC/MARK CAMPBELL A Nation of Others (World premiere, OSNY commission)
ROBERT PATERSON Whitman’s America (2016)
Friday, December 9, 2022, at 7:30 pm
Saturday, December 10, 2022, at 7:30 pm
Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York, NY
“THE JOY OF CHRISTMAS”
CATHEDRAL CHOIRS & ORCHESTRA OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE
Kent Tritle & Bryan Zaros, conductors
Linda Jones & Halley Gilbert, sopranos
Kirsten Sollek, contralto
Bradley King, tenor
Andrew Jurden, bass-baritone
ANTONIO VIVALDI Magnificat, RV 610
GERALD FINZI In Terra Pax
Christmas carols
Monday, December 19, 2022, at 8:00 pm
Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
Kent Tritle, conductor
Maria Brea, soprano
Heather Petrie, contralto
Joshua Blue, tenor
Jesse Blumberg, baritone
GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL Messiah
Wednesday, December 21, 2022, at 7:30 pm
Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
Kent Tritle, conductor
Nola Richardson, soprano
Heather Petrie, contralto
Joshua Blue, tenor
Enrico Lagasca, bass-baritone
GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL Messiah
Friday, December 31, 2022, at 7:30 pm
Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York, NY
“NEW YEAR’S EVE CONCERT FOR PEACE”
CATHEDRAL CHOIR & ORCHESTRA OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE
Kent Tritle & Bryan Zaros, conductors
Jamet Pittman, soprano
Greg Purnhagen, baritone
Harry Smith, host
GUSTAV HOLST St. Paul’s Suite, Op. 29 No. 2
DAVID LANG Make Peace
WANG JIE The Name That Never Dies
JOSEPH TURRIN Lullaby for Vaska – Dedicated to the people of Ukraine (World premiere)
PHILIP HERBERT Elegy: in memoriam
The program also includes works by Daniel Ficarri, Christopher DeBlasio, and Amy Summers, culminating with the African American Spiritual “This Little Light of Mine,” sung by all.
Saturday, January 28, 2023
Christ Cathedral, Garden Grove, CA
CHRIST CATHEDRAL INTERFAITH CHORAL FESTIVAL
Kent Tritle, conductor clinician
Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at 7:30 pm
Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York, NY
“LIGHT OF PARADISE”
CATHEDRAL CHOIRS OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE
Kent Tritle, conductor*
Bryan Zaros, conductor**
David Briggs, organ
Halley Gilbert, soprano
Andrew Fuchs, tenor
Ensemble 1047
DAVID BRIGGS Stabat Mater (World premiere)*
GEORGE WALKER Lyric for Strings*
MORTEN LAURIDSEN Lux Aeterna**
Sunday, March 19, 2023, at 8:00 pm
Cathedral of the Madeleine, Salt Lake City, UT
CHOIR OF THE CATHEDRAL OF THE MADELEINE
Kent Tritle, conductor
EDWARD ELGAR The Dream of Gerontius
Sunday, April 16, 2023, at 5:00 pm
Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York, NY
KENT TRITLE, organ
DAVID HURD Partita on Detroit (1992)
MAURICE DURUFLÉ Prelude, Adagio and Choral Variations on “Veni Creator,” Op.4
Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at 7:30 pm
Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York, NY
“MULTITUDE OF VOYCES”*
Kent Tritle, conductor
ISABELLA LEONARDA (1620-1704) Alma Redemptoris Mater
KERENSA BRIGGS (b.1991) Hear my prayer (New York premiere)
SISTER SULPITIA CESIS (1577-c.1619) Stabat Mater
MARIA XAVERIA PERUCHONA (c.1652-p.1709) Cessate tympany, cessate praelia
ETHYL SMYTH (1958-1944) Komm süsser Tod
AMY BEACH (1867-1944) Lord, now lettest thou (Nunc dimittis)
MELANIE DEMORE (b. 19550 Blessed be!
RANI ARBO (B. 1968) Crossing the Bar
- S. BACH (1685-1759) Jesu, meine Freude
UNDINE SMITH MOORE (1904-1989) We shall walk through the valley
*Presented in collaboration with Multitude of Voyces CIC, a British publisher of music by women composers
Monday, May 8, 2023, at 8:00 pm
Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
Kent Tritle, conductor
Emily Donato, soprano
Lucia Bradford, mezzo-soprano
Brian Giebler, tenor
Sidney Outlaw, baritone
- S. BACH Mass in B Minor
Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at 7:30 pm
Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York, NY
CATHEDRAL CHOIR OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE
ROSE OF THE COMPASS
Kent Tritle & Nina Stern, music directors
“Venice: City of Light”
A concert celebrating Venice as a commercial crossroads, highlighting the diversity of the city’s cultural fabric, with music of the Armenian, Turkish and Jewish communities alongside that Cipriano de Rore, Giovanni Gabrieli and their contemporaries.
August 15, 2022
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