Trinity Church Announces 2024–2025 Music Season

Highlights include the World Premiere of Paola Prestini and Royce Vavrek's new opera Silent Light at National Sawdust, the New York premiere of Gabriel Kahane’s emergency shelter intake form, written as a response to income inequality and homelessness, and Trinity's acclaimed annual presentation of Handel's Messiah.

Melissa Attebury, Trinity Church's Director of Music, leads a three-concert series dedicated to Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians, with musical tributes by Britten, Handel, Gounod, and Scarlatti.

NOVUS, Trinity Church's groundbreaking contemporary music ensemble, will collaborate with Death of Classical on a new series of three thematic programs, taking place in the crypt under the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine.

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 Choir, Trinity 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 Dvořák’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 Grammy 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).

2024–2025 Trinity 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 
Robert Mealy, Beth Wenstrom, Ravenna Lipchik, violins; Ezra Seltzer, cello; led by Avi Stein, organ
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.
 
September 26, 27, and 28, 7pm; 29, 4pm at National Sawdust
Paola Prestini Silent Light 
Featuring Trinity Choir and NOVUS
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.
 
September 30, 1pm in St. Paul’s Chapel
Jazz at One: Long Walk to Freedom 
Vuyo Sotashe
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.
 
 
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
Trinity Choir; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; led by Avi Stein, organ
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.
 
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 Dvořák 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 Grammy 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) 
Trinity Choir; Melissa Attebury, Director
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.
 
October 24, 7:00pm in Trinity Church
NOVUS Renewal: Shelter 
Gabriel Kahane emergency shelter intake form (NY premiere)
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
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.” 

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
Clarion Choir with NOVUS featuring Aleksey Bogdanov, baritone, Ilya Maximov, piano; Steven Fox, director
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.
 
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
Brianna J. Robinson, soprano; Steven Caldicott Wilson, tenor; Enrico Lagasca, bass; Downtown Voices; NOVUS; Stephen Sands, conductor
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.
 
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 Choir; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; Melissa Attebury, Director
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.
 
December 11-13, 7pm in Trinity Church
Messiah
George Frideric Handel Messiah, HWV 56
Trinity Choir; Trinity Baroque Orchestra; Jane Glover, guest conductor
Ticketed: gemsny.org
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. 
  
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 

About Music at Trinity Church
Trinity Church’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
Trinity Church is an Episcopal parish in New York City founded in 1697. We work for justice, serve our neighbors, and bring people together to experience God’s love in community.  
  
Trinity’s outreach in the city includes 20 weekly worship services, food assistance seven days a week for people in need, support for asylum seekers, housing for the elderly and people living with disabilities, youth programs, and a wide array of free music and educational events throughout the year. The church also supports communities and ministries serving the world in Africa, Asia, and across the Americas.