Trinity Announces 2024 Spring Music Season

From world premieres and iconic jazz performances to beloved classics and rare gems from the choral canon, Trinity's spring season presents an exceptional range of programming.

NEW YORK, NY, February 5, 2024 – Trinity Church Wall Street announces its 2024 spring season, including masterworks from iconic composers Claudio Monteverdi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Domenico Scarlatti, as well as world premieres from two of today’s boldest compositional luminaries, Luna Pearl Woolf and Reena Esmail. Trinity’s celebrated Bach at One, Pipes at One, and Jazz at One concert series also return, alongside Trinity’s new Tiny Concerts series.

“Music plays a vital role in how we experience faith, and our 2024 spring season effectively portrays how that experience is a shared communion spanning genres, centuries, and continents,” said Melissa Attebury, Director of Music at Trinity Church Wall Street. “Our upcoming season highlights not only classic works by masters, but also new artists, fresh perspectives, and voices that bridge a variety of cultures and connect us in our human experience.”

In continuing to give free access to prolific jazz artists, the spring season opens February 11 at Trinity Church with a Jazz Icons performance featuring legendary saxophonist and composer Bobby Watson, presented in collaboration with JAZZ HOUSE KiDS. Also in conjunction with Jazz House, Jazz at One continues to present the art form’s top performers, including the Roy Hargrove Big Band, the Nicole Glover Trio, Tomoko Omura, and NEA Jazz Master Billy Hart, with the season culminating in a concert for International Jazz Day featuring the JAZZ HOUSE All-Stars on April 29.

Trinity’s classical Concerts at One offerings enter the spring season with new perspectives, as Bach at One expands its format to include large scale works such as selections from Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 and Scarlatti’s Stabat Mater, as well as Bach’s St. John Passion which will be performed episodically over three weeks. Pipes at One will feature performances by award-winning improvisors Samuel Gaskin and Nathan Mondry, and, for the first time in the series’ history, composer and performer Rashaan Allwood will perform new compositions for organ with electronic instruments.

Highlights from the choral canon include Mozart’s Requiem on February 22 and a Compline by Candlelight with Samuel Barber’s Agnus Dei on March 24. Both events feature Downtown Voices led by Stephen Sands. On May 2, The Choir of Trinity Wall Street and Trinity Baroque Orchestra led by Avi Stein will perform Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610.

The newly inaugurated Tiny Concerts series will present a season of intimate, 45-minute performances in Trinity’s jewel box-like Chapel of All Saints including Scarlatti’s rarely performed Stabat Mater on March 21.

Trinity also continues its commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices with a special NOVUS Renewal event in partnership with Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) on March 6. NOVUS showcases the life-changing work of RTA in an event that will highlight how the arts-based programming of RTA models an approach to the justice system based on human dignity rather than punishment. The performance featuring RTA alumni fuses music, spoken word, visual arts, and discussion around how people in prison develop critical life skills through exposure to the arts.

On March 10, Trinity’s newly appointed director of music, Melissa Attebury, will lead the Trinity Youth Chorus, The Choir of Trinity Wall Street, and NOVUS NY in a performance of Kim André Arnesen’s Tuvayhun at St. Paul’s Chapel. Taken from the Beatitudes, this work addresses those who might be in need of blessing, with music and texts ancient and new that are inspired by a variety of traditions and speak to the universality of our experience. “Tuvayhun creates an opportunity for performers and listeners alike to inspire and be inspired, to be blessed and be a blessing.”

Trinity continues its partnership with the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC), co-presenting the World Premiere of Luna Pearl Woolf’s Number Our Days, A Photographic Oratorio, on April 12-14. Inspired by Jamie Livingston, who documented his life with one Polaroid picture each day for 18 years, Number Our Days explores our era’s strange alchemy of technology, memory, and community. This multi-media oratorio for chorus, orchestra, and projections was written by Luna Pearl Woolf with a documentary libretto by David Van Taylor, and will feature Trinity’s resident ensembles under the direction of Kamna Gupta with special guest John Holiday, countertenor.

The spring season features composer Reena Esmail in two concerts, beginning on April 20 with a world premiere co-commissioned by TENET Vocal Artists and NOVUS NY alongside music written by Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre, music curated by Shira Kammen, and projections by Camilla Tassi. Three early music singers embody the power of women in mythology in a story of a timeless icon taken from Greek, Jewish, and Hindu traditions, with corresponding music written during the medieval era, the French Baroque period, and the present day.

On May 29, NOVUS NY and Downtown Voices present the New York premiere of Esmail’s Malhaar: A Requiem for Water, paired with Garth Neustadter’s Memory of Water, which will be performed by The Choir of Trinity Wall Street. Esmail’s Malhaar captures musically the beauty and awe of water while contemplating fear and despair around its loss. As water exists beyond all beginnings and ends, Memory of Water considers the consciousness of water and how it carries in its memory both the splendor and devastation of our world. This concluding Renewal concert features Sandbox Percussion and soprano Shabnam Abedi, conducted by Melissa Attebury and Stephen Sands.

 “It’s an honor to present a musical season that reflects our mission as a church and our commitment to uplifting our community. We aim to create space for our audience to experience both the transformative power of music and the resilient power of faith and love,” said Melissa Baker, Director of Artistic Planning at Trinity Church Wall Street. “We are truly fortunate to have innovative and world-class artists who have dedicated their careers not only to the highest level of music making, but to being catalysts of healing and hope.

Trinity Church 2024 Spring Season

All performances are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated.

February 11, 3pm in Trinity Church

Jazz Icons: Bobby Watson

February 18, 2pm at Carnegie Hall

Downtown Voices

Presented by Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY)

Benedict Sheehan “In the Wondrous Blending of Sounds” from Akathist

Arnold Schönberg Friede auf Erden, Op. 13
Sergei Rachmaninoff “Bogoroditse Devo” from All-Night Vigil, Op. 37

Carol Barnett The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass

Downtown Voices; Distinguished Concerts Singers International; Stephen Sands and Tucker Biddlecombe conductors

Ticketed

February 22, 7pm in Trinity Church

Mozart Requiem, K. 626

Downtown Voices and The Choir of Trinity Wall Street featuring soloists Sonya Headlam, soprano, Pamela Terry, alto, Timothy Hodges, tenor and Neil Netherly, bass; NOVUS NY; Stephen Sands, conductor

March 6, 7pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

NOVUS Renewal: The Transformative Work of Rehabilitation Through the Arts

Performers include RTA alumni Kenyatta Emmanuel, Darrian Bennett, Clarence Maclin, Charles Moore, Alfred Roberts, and Sherika Stewart  

March 10, 5pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Trinity Youth Chorus Performance

Kim André Arnesen Tuvayhun

Trinity Youth Chorus with The Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Pamela Terry, alto and Christopher Dylan Herbert, baritone; NOVUS NY; Melissa Attebury, director

March 24, 8pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Special Compline by Candlelight: Downtown Voices

Works include Samuel Barber Agnus Dei

Downtown Voices; Stephen Sands, conductor

April 12 and 13, 8pm and April 14, 3pm at Perelman Performing Arts Center

World Premiere of Luna Pearl Woolf Number Our Days

John Holiday, countertenor; The Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Downtown Voices; Trinity Youth Chorus; NOVUS NY; Kamna Gupta, conductor

John Holiday appears courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera

April 20, 8pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

The Power of Mythology

World premiere work by Reena Esmail*

*co-commissioned by TENET Vocal Artists and NOVUS NY

Other works by Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre, Binchois, Machaut, and Reena Esmail.

TENET Vocal Artists; NOVUS NY; Camilla Tassi, projectionist; Jolle Greenleaf, artistic director

Ticketed

May 2, 7pm in Trinity Church

Monteverdi Vespers of 1610, SV 206

The Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; led by Avi Stein, organ

May 12, 3pm in Trinity Church

NOVUS NY: 20TH Century Romantics

Anton Webern Langsamer Satz

Igor Stravinsky Three Pieces for String Quartet, K019

George Enescu Octet in C Major, Op. 7

NOVUS NY

May 19, 3pm in Trinity Church

Simple Gifts

Trinity Youth Chorus; Melissa Attebury and Peyton Marion, conductors

May 29 7pm in St. Paul's Chapel

NOVUS Renewal: Malhaar

Reena Esmail Malhaar: A Requiem for Water (New York Premiere)

Garth Neustadter Memory of Water

The Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Downtown Voices; NOVUS NY; featuring Sandbox Percussion and Shabnam Abedi, soprano; Stephen Sands and Melissa Attebury, conductors

Jazz At One

February 26, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Jazz at One: The Roy Hargrove Big Band

March 4, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Jazz at One: Nicole Glover Trio

March 11, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Jazz at One: Tomoko Omura “Branches”

March 18, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Jazz at One: The Brianna Thomas Band

April 8, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Jazz at One: The Rodriguez Brothers

April 15, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Jazz at One: George Cables Trio

April 22, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Jazz at One: Billy Hart Quartet

April 29, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Jazz at One: JAZZ HOUSE All-Stars

Special performance for International Jazz Day

PIPES AT ONE

February 27, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Pipes at One: Eddie Zheng

March 5, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Pipes at One: Cecily Demarco

March 12, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Pipes at One: Janet Yieh

March 19, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Pipes at One: Nathan Mondry

April 9, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Pipes at One: Rashaan Allwood

April 16, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Pipes at One: Samuel Gaskin

April 23, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Pipes at One: Meg Cutting

April 30, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Pipes at One: John Walthausen

BACH AT ONE

February 28, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Bach at One

St. John Passion, BWV 245 Part 1

“O Mensch, bewein' dein' Sünde groß” from St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244

The Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; led by Avi Stein

March 6, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Bach at One

St. John Passion, BWV 245 Part 2

“Schauet doch und sehet,” BWV 46

Kyrie in F Major, BWV 233a

The Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; led by Avi Stein, organ

March 13, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Bach at One

St. John Passion, BWV 245 Part 3

Selections from St. Mark Passion, BWV 247

The Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; led by Avi Stein, organ

March 20, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Bach at One

Domenico Scarlatti Stabat Mater

The Choir of Trinity Wall Street; led by Melissa Attebury, director and Avi Stein, organ

April 10, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Bach at One

J. S. Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068

G. F. Handel: Concerto Grosso in G Major, Op 6, No. 1, HWV 319

Trinity Baroque Orchestra; led by Avi Stein, organ

April 17, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Bach at One

J. S. Bach: Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit, BWV 106

Nicolaus Bruhns: Paratum cor meum and Prelude in G Major

The Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; led by Avi Stein, organ

April 24, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Bach at One

Ich steh mit einem Fuß im Grabe, BWV 156

Sehet, wir geh'n hinauf gen Jerusalem, BWV 159

The Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; led by Avi Stein, organ

May 1, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel

Bach at One

Selections from Monteverdi Vespers of 1610, SV 206

The Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; led by Avi Stein, organ

TINY CONCERTS

March 21, 6pm and 7pm in The Chapel of All Saints, Trinity Church

Tiny Concerts

Domenico Scarlatti Stabat Mater

The Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Led by Melissa Attebury, director and Avi Stein, organ

April 18, 6pm and 7pm in The Chapel of All Saints, Trinity Church

Tiny Concerts

J. S. Bach: Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit, BWV 106

Nicolaus Bruhns: Paratum cor meum and Prelude in G Major

The Choir of Trinity Wall Street; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; led by Avi Stein, organ

May 16, 6pm and 7pm in The Chapel of All Saints, Trinity Church

Tiny Concerts

Early Moderns: works by Buxtehude, Rosenmuller, Schmelzer and others

Quicksilver with Avi Stein, organ

June 20, 6pm and 7pm in The Chapel of All Saints, Trinity Church

Tiny Concert

Works by Neely Bruce, John Cage, Rashaan Allwood, Paula Matthusen, and Pamela Decker

Alcée Chriss, organ

About Music at Trinity Church Wall Street

Trinity Church Wall Street’s groundbreaking music program – “the top of musical life in New York” (The New York Times) – has changed the landscape of performing arts in New York City, re-envisioning the impact arts organizations can have, with its peerless ensembles, uniquely broad range of expertise from early to new music performance, long tradition of championing underrepresented composers, and extensive and growing discography.

About Trinity Church Wall Street

Trinity Church Wall Street is a vibrant and growing Episcopal parish of more than 1,600 members. Over the past 325 years, Trinity has been guided by its mission to share God’s love for all people. Trinity’s programs seek to offer shared encounters with the holy, to cultivate compassion, to deepen knowledge and spiritual practices, to work for justice rooted in essential human dignity, to provide places of solace and healing, and to inspire a desire in all people to be conscientious contributors to the life of New York City and the world. More than 20 worship services are offered every week online and at historic Trinity Church and St. Paul’s Chapel, the cornerstones of the parish’s community life, worship, and mission.