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Press Releases

Trinity Church Announces 2024–2025 Music Season

September 4, 2024 | By Unison Media

NEW YORK, NY — September 4, 2024 – Trinity Church announces its 2024-2025 season, featuring programming encompassing social, political, personal, and spiritual themes, and music from the medieval era to the modern day. Performances will be brought to life by New York City's premier musical forces, including the Trinity ChoirTrinity Baroque Orchestra, and NOVUS ensemble, and Trinity's acclaimed Director of Music, Melissa Attebury. Season highlights, along with a full chronological listing of events, can be found below.

From September 26—29, Trinity will present the world premiere of composer Paola Prestini and librettist Royce Vavrek’s new chamber opera, Silent Light, presented in collaboration with National Sawdust as part of its 10th anniversary celebration. Based on the famed film by Mexican director Carlos Reygadas, the immersive work delves into the complex moral dilemmas faced by members of a Mennonite community as they grapple with forbidden love and the limitations of a restrictive society. The performances feature tenor Anthony Dean Griffey, baritone Daniel Okulitch, and soprano Brittany Renee, with NOVUS and Trinity Choir conducted by Christopher Rountree, and direction and set design by Thaddeus Strassberger.  

On October 11, 12, and 16, Trinity will launch The Light After, a new collaboration with Death of Classical and St. John the Divine that spans three evenings of music in the crypt under the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, performed by chamber groups from NOVUS. Cellist and composer Andrew Yee leads the opening program The Light After, with a selection of music by living composers centering on themes of light, life, death, and darkness. The second program, American, explores the story of our country past and present, featuring Antonín Dvorák’s String Quartet No. 12 “American” interspersed with works by contemporary composers Michi Wiancko, Carlos Simon, and Jessie Montgomery. The final program, Vis Aeternitatis (“The Power of Eternity”), wonders at the timelessness of the world beyond, with works ranging from the 11th century to the current day.

On October 24, Trinity opens its NOVUS Renewal: Shelter series with the New York premiere of Gabriel Kahane’s gripping oratorio emergency shelter intake form, following acclaimed performances in London, Chicago, Portland, and San Francisco — where it was hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as an "extraordinary oratorio ... by turns bracing, funny, wry, sad, bitter or angry." With a libretto based on the actual text of a questionnaire presented to those seeking a bed, the work offers a searing portrait of the fear, humiliation, and profound challenges associated with being unhoused in America, interrogating the way that inequality expresses itself in a society, and acknowledging that homelessness is just one notch on the spectrum of how poverty is experienced.

"This season, we remain dedicated to presenting programs that ask our audience to grapple with inequality and vital social issues, highlighting the insurmountable obstacles faced by those experiencing homelessness," said Melissa Baker, Director of Artistic Planning. "Powerful works such as Gabriel Kahane’s emergency shelter intake form combine artistic innovation with a deep commitment to human empathy and societal change.”

Presented across three concerts and throughout liturgical programming, the Divine Muse series will celebrate the patron saint of musicians, Saint Cecilia, whose spirituality and subsequent martyrdom have provided inspiration for countless works of art, literature, and music. On October 30, Melissa Attebury will lead the Trinity Choir and Trinity Baroque Orchestra in the first installment that features musical tributes to Saint Cecilia by Britten alongside Bach's Cantata BWV 79, and perhaps the most well known of his six motets, Komm, Jesu, komm, BWV 229. On November 14, Stephen Sands leads NOVUS and Downtown Voices in Gounod's St. Cecilia Mass, and on November 21, Attebury returns for Alessandro Scarlatti's rarely performed St. Cecilia Mass and Handel's Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day overture. 

“Reflecting the deep connection between spirituality and creativity, our Divine Muse series celebrates Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians," said Attebury. "We look forward to presenting these curated concerts, which not only honor Saint Cecilia's enduring legacy but also point to the indelible link between music and worship that is at the heart of our Trinity community.”

December 11-13, Trinity's annual performance of Handel’s Messiah — hailed as the “gold standard” by The New York Times — returns with guest conductor Jane Glover. A cherished holiday tradition that has captivated audiences at Trinity since 1770, this singular interpretation is performed in a sacred space, on period instruments, with soloists chosen from Trinity Choir.

Trinity continues its long-standing free midday concert series Pipes at One, Bach at One, and Jazz at One. Presented in collaboration with JAZZ HOUSE KiDS, this season’s Jazz at One programming is inspired by Nelson Mandela and the 30th anniversary of democracy in South Africa, beginning with performances by beloved South African vocalist Vuyo Sotashe (September 30) and longtime Abdullah Ibrahim collaborator Lance Bryant (October 7). Said Vuyo, “Jazz music, or rather its existence in South Africa, is very much connected to our own civil rights movement. ... It became a voice for our resistance.” Six-time GRAMMYTM Award-winning artist Billy Childs and his Billy Childs Trio will open the Jazz Icons series at Trinity Church (October 13). Trinity will also continue its Tiny Concerts series of intimate 45-minute performances in the jewel box-like Chapel of All Saints, beginning with a performance by early music experts from the Trinity Baroque Orchestra (September 19).

 

Trinity Church 2024-2025 Music Season

 

All performances are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated.
Additional performances and events will be announced.
 

September 8, 1:30pm in Trinity Church
Community Hymn Sing

Music by Margaret Bonds, Ralph Vaughan Williams,  Janet Yieh, Sterling Procter, Alcée Chriss, and others

Trinity Choir; NOVUS Brass; led by Alcée Chriss, organ

 

September 19, 5:30pm and 6:30pm in The Chapel of All Saints
Tiny Concerts: Three Parts Upon a Ground

Works by Henry Purcell, Giovanni Gabrieli, Johann Pachelbel

Early music experts from the Trinity Baroque Orchestra present the original version of what is arguably the world's best-known piece of classical music: Pachelbel’s Canon. Heard today in every conceivable arrangement and ensemble, the work is here presented in the composer's instrumentation for three violins and includes its forgotten partner, a lively jig written to complement it. Like the Pachelbel piece, Purcell’s Three Parts Upon a Ground combines the complexities of ancient Renaissance canons with the tunefulness and virtuosity of the Baroque period.

Robert Mealy, Beth Wenstrom, Ravenna Lipchik, violins; Ezra Seltzer, cello; led by Avi Stein, organ

 

September 26, 27, and 28, 7pm; 29, 4pm at National Sawdust
Paola Prestini's Silent Light

Composed by Paola Prestini; libretto by Royce Vavrek; directed by Thaddeus Strassberger; conducted by Christopher Rountree

In Paola Prestini's new opera, Silent Light, based on Carlos Reygadas's acclaimed 2007 film, a fraught love story unfolds in a Mennonite community in the plains of northern Mexico. Engaging the aural, visual, and olfactory senses, and harnessing the uniqueness of cutting-edge Brooklyn music venue National Sawdust’s architecture and Meyer Constellation sound system, the production immerses audiences in a socially cloistered and sensuously expansive environment. The all-star cast includes Anthony Dean Griffey, Maggie Lattimore, Daniel Okulitch, Julia Mintzer, and Brittany Renee. The ensemble is rounded out with NOVUS members, including Katie Hyun (violin), Sam Jones (trumpet), Marlon Patton (percussion), Dave Nelson (trombone), and Jeffrey Zeigler (cello), with Foley sound effects designed by Sxip Shirey.

Featuring Trinity Choir and NOVUS

 

September 30, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Jazz at One: Long Walk to Freedom

Inspired by Nelson Mandela and the 30th anniversary of South Africa's democracy, Jazz at One this season celebrates unity, perseverance, and freedom. The series opens with award-winning South African jazz vocalist Vuyo Sotashe, followed by Ekaya alum Lance Bryant and his new large ensemble Shout! (October 7). Next up, Trinity presents acclaimed pianist Helen Sung (October 14), and bassist and producer John Lee leads the Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Latin Experience (October 21) in celebrating the birthday of one of jazz's most influential ambassadors and symbols of freedom, the great Dizzy Gillespie. Lastly, the season finale on October 28, “The Sounds of South Africa,” will feature a very special surprise artist.

Vuyo Sotashe


October 1, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Pipes at One: Dr. Kristina Ziema Rizzotto

 

October 2, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Bach at One


Johann Sebastian Bach Magnificat, BWV 243

This season of Bach at One opens with what is often considered Bach’s most popular choral work, the glorious Magnificat, which is scored for five soloists with a five-part chorus and an unusually large orchestra for its time. This proclamation of praise, based on the Canticle of Mary from Luke’s gospel, references God’s love for the poor, humble, and oppressed. The Magnificat serves as Christianity’s greatest statement of hope, anticipating the imminent arrival of the divine on Earth.

Trinity Choir; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; led by Avi Stein, organ

 

October 6, 2pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Sunday Afternoon Music: Trio Portinari

Works by Max Bruch, Maurice Ravel, Franz Schubert, and Felix Mendelssohn
Presented by Trinity Congregational Arts Allegro

Nicholas Pappone, violin; Gloria Kim, cello; and Candace Chien, piano

 

October 7, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Jazz at One: Long Walk to Freedom


Lance Bryant and Shout!

 

October 8, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Pipes at One: Jennifer McPherson Mulhern

 

October 8, 5:30pm and 6:30pm in The Chapel of All Saints
Tiny Concerts: Organ Concertos


Johann Sebastian Bach Concerto in D Minor, BWV 1052
George Frideric Handel Concerto in F Major, HWV 293
Thomas Augustine Arne Concerto in G Minor

Members of Trinity Baroque Orchestra; Avi Stein, organ

 

October 9, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Bach at One

Johann Sebastian Bach Prelude and Fugue in E Minor, BWV 548
Jean-Féry Rebel Les Caractères de la danse
George Frideric Handel Concerto in D Minor, op. 6, no. 10, HWV 328
Jean-Philippe Rameau Suite from various operas

Trinity Baroque Orchestra led by Avi Stein, harpsichord

  

October 11, 7pm and 8:30pm at St. John the Divine Crypt
Death of Classical: The Light After

Caroline Shaw in manus tuas
Juni Bansal Cathedral of Light (Quartet)
Andrew Yee meditation (World Premiere)
David Lang after joy
Andrew Yee The Light After
Osvaldo Golijov Tenebrae

NOVUS

 

October 12, 7pm and 8:30pm at St. John the Divine Crypt
Death of Classical: American

Antonín Dvorák String Quartet No. 12 in F Major Op. 96 “American”
Michi Wiancko Lullaby for the Transient
Carlos Simon Elegy: A Cry from the Grave
Jessie Montgomery Source Code

NOVUS

 

October 13, 3pm in Trinity Church
Jazz Icons: Billy Childs Trio

With six GRAMMYTM Awards (including 2024 GRAMMY Award for Best Instrumental Jazz Album) and 17 nominations, composer and pianist Billy Childs is one of the leading musicians in jazz today, and here he gives an intimate performance with his trio to open our Jazz Icons series.

 

October 14, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Jazz at One: Long Walk to Freedom

Helen Sung Quartet

 

October 15, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Pipes at One: Gail Archer

 

October 16, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Bach at One

Johann Sebastian Bach Vergnügte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust, BWV 170
Johann Sebastian Bach Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen, BWV 32

Elisse Albian, soprano, Elisa Sutherland, alto, Enrico Lagasca, bass; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; led by Avi Stein, organ
 

October 16, 7pm and 8:30pm at St. John the Divine Crypt
Death of Classical: Vis Aeternitatis

Heinrich Biber Passacaglia 
Caroline Shaw Cant voi l’aube 
Henry Purcell Dido’s Lament - When I Am Laid In Earth 
Barbara Strozzi Che si puo fare
Hildegard Von Bingen O Vis Aeternitatis
Gelsey Bell Oy Dieus
Johann Sebastian Bach Fantasia in G Major, BWV 572

NOVUS

 

October 21, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Jazz at One: Long Walk to Freedom

Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Latin Experience

 

October 22, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Pipes at One: Nicole Keller

 

October 23, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Bach at One: Renewal Shelter

Johann Sebastian Bach Jesu, meine Freude, BWV 227
Gabriel Kahane We are the Saints (world premiere arrangement)
Gabriel Kahane We are the Saints for choir (New York premiere)

A special addition to the NOVUS Renewal: Shelter series, this Bach at One program offers a profound message of solace and spiritual resilience. Bach’s Jesu, meine Freude is a poignant expression of hope and spiritual fortitude that calls audiences to reflect on the power of compassion in addressing the challenges faced by the unhoused. It is paired with two different thought-provoking works with the same title: the NY premiere of the choral work We are the Saints, which contemplates our relationship with nature, and a world premiere arrangement of Kahane’s poignant song We are the Saints, which explores themes of displacement and resilience, weaving personal narratives and social commentary into a compelling musical reflection on the experience of homelessness.

Trinity Choir; Melissa Attebury, Director

 

October 24, 7:00pm in Trinity Church
NOVUS Renewal: Shelter
 

Gabriel Kahane emergency shelter intake form (NY premiere)

Trinity’s new music orchestra, NOVUS, presents the New York premiere of Gabriel Kahane’s extraordinary oratorio emergency shelter intake form as the opening performance in the NOVUS Renewal: Shelter series. Throughout the 2024–2025 season, NOVUS Renewal: Shelter will highlight the experiences of the unhoused while contemplating the complex systemic failures that lead to homelessness. emergency shelter intake form is scored for a large orchestra, a soprano soloist, and a trio of soloists that make up the “chorus of inconvenient statistics.”

Kahane sees emergency shelter intake form as both an entry point into a discussion about income inequality and a work that asks audience members to rethink their own relationship to it. “I’m interested in working at the level of the psychological experience of economic precarity and what that does to a mind, a heart, a spirit. But if you leave it at that, you run the risk of offering the audience emotional catharsis through somebody else’s trauma, without contextualizing it in the framework of our broken economy, and the ways in which we are all implicated in the perpetuation of the economic status quo."

NOVUS, featuring Alicia Hall Moran, soprano; chorus of inconvenient statistics: Gabriel Kahane, Holland Andrews, and Holcombe Waller; Choirs from the Borough of Manhattan Community College; Daniela Candillari, conductor

 

October 28, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Jazz at One: Long Walk to Freedom

“Sounds of South Africa,” featuring a surprise guest artist

 

October 29, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Pipes at One: Clara Gerdes Bartz

  

October 30, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Bach at One: Divine Muse

Johann Sebastian Bach Komm, Jesu, komm, BWV 229
Benjamin Britten Hymn to St. Cecilia
Johann Sebastian Bach Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild, BWV 79 

Trinity Choir; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; Melissa Attebury, Director

 

October 30, 7pm at Saint Bartholomew’s Church
The Clarion Choir Presents the Rachmaninoff @ 150 Finale

Sergei Rachmaninoff Spring Cantata (Vesna), Three Russian Songs, and Piano Concerto No. 3
In celebration of the composer’s 150th birthday, the Clarion Choir brings its multiyear endeavor to perform the complete choral works of Sergei Rachmaninoff to a riveting conclusion in a concert with NOVUS.

Clarion Choir with NOVUS featuring Aleksey Bogdanov, baritone, Ilya Maximov, piano; Steven Fox, director

 

November 3, 3pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Fauré Requiem

Gabriel Fauré Requiem in D Minor, op. 48

Trinity Youth Chorus; Trinity Choral Scholars; NOVUS; Melissa Attebury, Director

 

November 14, 6:30pm in Trinity Church
Divine Muse: Saint Cecilia Mass

Charles Gounod St. Cecilia Mass
Jessica French Strengthen for Service
John Gardner A Song for St. Cecilia’s Day

Don’t miss this opportunity to experience Gounod’s deeply moving but rarely performed St. Cecilia Mass. Highlighting the work's lush orchestration, soaring melodies, and sheer emotional power, Trinity’s adaptation will replace the rare string octobass of the original with the lowest pipes on the celebrated new organ at Trinity Church. The Gounod piece will be paired with works by John Gardner and Jessica French that also underscore themes of devotion, community and the healing potential of music in times of need.

Brianna J. Robinson, soprano; Steven Caldicott Wilson, tenor; Enrico Lagasca, bass; Downtown Voices; NOVUS; Stephen Sands, conductor

 

November 21, 6:30pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Divine Muse: Honoring Saint Cecilia

Alessandro Scarlatti St. Cecilia Mass
George Frideric Handel Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day overture

Trinity celebrates the patron saint of music, Saint Cecilia, whose devotion, piety, and martyrdom have inspired countless works of art, literature, and music. Presented across three concerts and throughout liturgical services in October and November, the Divine Muse series will highlight the powerful connection between music and faith. Director of Music Melissa Attebury leads this culminating performance on the eve of Saint Cecilia’s Feast Day.

Trinity Choir; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; Melissa Attebury, Director
 

December 11-13, 7pm in Trinity Church
Messiah

George Frideric Handel Messiah, HWV 56

Trinity's annual and much anticipated performance of Handel’s Messiah—hailed as "the gold standard" by The New York Times—welcomes acclaimed guest conductor Jane Glover. A cherished holiday tradition that has captivated audiences since 1770, Trinity’s unique Messiah is performed in a sacred space, on period instruments, with soloists chosen from Trinity Choir to best complement each aria and recitative.
Ticketed: gemsny.org

Trinity Choir; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; Jane Glover, guest conductor

  

December 20, 5pm and 6:30pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Trinity Youth Chorus Celebrates 20 Years

Benjamin Britten A Ceremony of Carols

Trinity Youth Chorus; Peyton Marion, conductor

 

December 21, 2pm and 3:30pm in Trinity Church
Sing Choirs of Angels: Holiday Sing-Along

Trinity Choir; Trinity Youth Chorus; St. Paul’s Chapel Choir; Downtown Voices; The Choirs from Borough of Manhattan Community College; NOVUS brass and percussion

  

February 2, 2pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Sunday Afternoon Music: Sonya Headlam


Works by Ignatius Sancho, Florence Price, Margaret Bonds, Trevor Weston, Peter Ashbourne, and others
Presented by Trinity Congregational Arts Allegro

Sonya Headlam, Soprano

 

February 13, 6:30pm at St. Paul’s Chapel
Figure Humaine

Benjamin Britten Advance Democracy
Ilsa Weber Wiegala
Jacob Beranek Abendgebet
Francis Poulenc Un soir de neige and Figure Humaine
Elsa Barraine Prelude

Trinity Choir; Melissa Attebury, Director

 

March 6, 6:30pm at Trinity Church
Musical Multitudes: Downtown Voices and Amor Artists

Frank Martin Mass for Double Choir
Thomas Tallis Spem in Alium
Orazio Benevoli Missa Tu es Petrus (for four choirs)

Downtown Voices; Amor Artists; Ryan Brandau and Stephen Sands, conductors

 

March 20, 6:30pm at Trinity Church
Lenten Meditations: Remorse to Redemption 


Works by Jonathan Woody, William Byrd, Thomas Tallis, John Sheppard, and others

Trinity Choir tenors and basses; Thomas McCargar, conductor

 

March 30, 3pm at St. Paul’s Chapel
Tilge, Höchster, meine Sünden

Johann Sebastian Bach Tilge, Höchster, meine Sünden, BWV 1083

Trinity Youth Chorus, Trinity Baroque Orchestra; Melissa Attebury, director

 

April 27, 2pm at St. Paul’s Chapel
Sunday Afternoon Music: Emerging Artists

Presented by Trinity Congregational Arts Allegro

 

May 1 & 2, 7pm at Trinity Church
Verdi Requiem

Presented in collaboration with The Dessoff Choirs for their 100th Anniversary

Giuseppe Verdi Requiem
World Premiere by Tania León

The Dessoff Choirs; Trinity Choir; Downtown Voices; NOVUS; Malcolm Merriweather, conductor

 

May 5, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Jazz at One

 

May 6, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Pipes at One

 

May 7, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Bach at One

Trinity Choir; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; led by Avi Stein, organ

 

May 12, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Jazz at One

 

May 13, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Pipes at One

 

May 14, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Bach at One


Trinity Choir; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; led by Avi Stein, organ

  

May 18, 3pm in Trinity Church
Of Such I Dream

Trinity Youth Chorus; Peyton Marion, Assistant Director

 

May 19, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Jazz at One

 

May 20, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Pipes at One

 

May 21, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Bach at One

Trinity Choir; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; led by Avi Stein, organ

 

May 27, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Pipes at One

 

May 28, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Bach at One: Ascension

Johann Sebastian Bach Gott fähret auf mit Jauchzen, BWV 43
Johann Sebastian Bach Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen (Ascension Oratorio), BWV 11

Trinity Choir; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; Melissa Attebury, Director

 

June 2, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Jazz at One

 

June 3, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Pipes at One

 

June 4, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Bach at One

Trinity Choir; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; led by Avi Stein, organ

 

June 9, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Jazz at One 

 

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