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Cathedral Choral Society Announces 2025–26 Season

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) August 21, 2025 – The GRAMMY-nominated Cathedral Choral Society (CCS) announces its 2025–26 season—a dynamic mix of treasured choral masterpieces, festive holiday traditions, and music by celebrated American composers. Under the direction of Music Director Steven Fox, the chorus will present four programs, featuring collaborations with some of the capital’s most distinguished ensembles.

The announcement of CCS’s 2025-2026 season follows the recent release of their latest album EXALTATIONS, a striking new work by award-winning Indian-American composer Reena Esmail that blends Christian traditions with the melodic textures of Indian classical music, with CCS’s GRAMMY nominated conductor Steven Fox, and recorded in high definition and DOLBY® Atmos by the GRAMMY-winning team from SoundMirror.

“This season, I wanted our programs to inspire audiences more than ever.” said Music Director Steven Fox. “Mozart’s Requiem captures the depth of human reflection, the Joy of Christmas concert will fill the Cathedral with radiance and triumph, and Carmina Burana unleashes raw, elemental energy. Brahms’s Liebeslieder Waltzes remind us of love’s many colors, and by pairing them with works from American composers, we also look ahead to our nation’s 250th anniversary, and a celebration of the voices and traditions that shape who we are. We can’t wait to share these performances with our community and hope everyone will join us for this unforgettable season.”

A SEASON OF RESONANCE AND REVELATION

Mozart’s Requiem
DATE/TIME: Sunday, October 19, 2025 (4:00 p.m.)
LOCATION: Washington National Cathedral
TICKETS: Purchase here

The season begins with Mozart’s transcendent Requiem in D minor, paired with Verdi’s stirring La Forza Del Destino overture. Joining CCS for this dramatic opening concert is the Washington National Opera Orchestra, adding their powerful sound to this exploration of fate, faith, and finality.

Joy of Christmas
DATE/TIME: Saturday, December 13 (2:00 p.m.  & 7:00 p.m.) & Sunday, December 14, 2025 (6:00 p.m.)
LOCATION: Washington National Cathedral
TICKETS: Purchase here

A beloved tradition continues with Joy of Christmas, CCS’s annual holiday spectacular. This festive program invites audiences of all ages to experience the Cathedral resounding with carols both classic and contemporary. The program will feature seasonal favorites alongside new holiday gems, offering warmth and joy under the glow of stained-glass light.

Carmina Burana
DATE/TIME: Sunday, March 1, 2026 (6:00 p.m.)
LOCATION: Washington National Cathedral
TICKETS: Purchase here

Spring arrives with Carl Orff’s monumental Carmina Burana, a choral tour de force known for its pulsing rhythms and unforgettable opening chorus “O Fortuna.” With full chorus, soloists, and orchestra, this dynamic performance promises to shake the very foundations of the Cathedral.

Brahms: Of Love & Spirit
DATE/TIME: Sunday, May 17, 2026 (6:00 p.m.)
LOCATION: Washington National Cathedral
TICKETS: Purchase here

To close the season, CCS lifts its voice in a celebration of hope, unity, and the boundless power of song. From the tender intimacy of Brahms’s Liebeslieder Waltzes to the urban energy of Bernstein to the wide-open beauty of Copland, and the bold, fresh voices of today’s composers, this concert will feature music that reminds listeners that in love and song, all are connected.

ABOUT THE CATHEDRAL CHORAL SOCIETY

As Washington, DC’s longest standing symphonic chorus, the GRAMMY-nominated Cathedral Choral Society sets the standard for vibrant, engaging concerts in the nation’s capital. Each season, CCS presents mainstage concerts in historic Washington, DC, inviting concertgoers on exciting musical journeys that reflect the rich diversity of musical traditions in our local community and throughout our nation. The aims of the chorus are to invite more people into the art of choral singing, elevate emerging voices, and steward the art for future generations.

Since its inaugural performance of Verdi’s Requiem in 1942 at the outset of the Second World War, CCS has performed in times of national celebration and in times of mourning. The chorus has performed with some of the most extraordinary musicians of the last century, including Robert Shaw, Marin Alsop, Leonard Slatkin, Dominick Argento, John Rutter, Dave Brubeck, J’nai Bridges, and more. In collaboration with New York’s Clarion Music and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, CCS was nominated for a 2021 GRAMMY Award for its recording of Alexander Kastalsky’s Requiem for Fallen Brothers. 

CCS has embarked on numerous other collaborations, often with today’s finest performing ensembles. These have included the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Ballet, the Washington Bach Consort, Kansas City Chorale, Washington Ballet, and more. A multi-year collaboration with the Heritage Signature Chorale, called I, Too, Sing America, has resulted in performances and documentary videos – available on CCS’s YouTube channel - and will culminate in a concert of new commissions from African American composers in 2026. CCS is heavily invested in fostering emerging voices by regularly commissioning up-and-coming composers and featuring outstanding young soloists.

CCS was founded by the Cathedral’s music director Paul Callaway in 1941, just days before the United States entered World War II. Since that time, only two other music directors have led the chorus: J. Reilly Lewis from 1985 to 2016, and, since 2018, Steven Fox.