In the golden acoustic of the Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral, Res Facta Vocal Ensemble brings to life the music of Josquin des Prez and the Franco-Flemish masters — the composers who, in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, shaped the Golden Era of Western choral music.

The program features motets, mass movements, chansons, and frottolas by Josquin alongside works by de Rore, Senfl, Manchicourt, Créquillon, and Clemens non Papa — composers who spread the Franco-Flemish style across Europe, from the courts of Burgundy to the chapels of Rome, Vienna, and beyond.

Origins explores the Renaissance’s greatest hits like Allegri’s Miserere, Byrd’s Mass for Five, and more, alongside their re-imagined works by today’s most exciting living composers.

Program:
Hildegard von Bingen — Ave generosa
William Byrd — Ave verum corpus
Roderick Williams — Ave verum corpus Re-imagined
William Byrd — Kyrie from Mass for Five Voices
Roxanna Panufnik — Kyrie After Byrd
Gregorio Allegri — Miserere mei, Deus
James MacMillan — Miserere

-Interval-

William Byrd — Ne irascaris
Nico Mulhy — Fallings
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — Stabat mater
Kerensa Briggs — Stabat mater
Margaret Rizza — Ave generosa

Origins explores the Renaissance’s greatest hits like Allegri’s Miserere, Byrd’s Mass for Five, and more, alongside their re-imagined works by today’s most exciting living composers.

Program:
Hildegard von Bingen — Ave generosa
William Byrd — Ave verum corpus
Roderick Williams — Ave verum corpus Re-imagined
William Byrd — Kyrie from Mass for Five Voices
Roxanna Panufnik — Kyrie After Byrd
Gregorio Allegri — Miserere mei, Deus
James MacMillan — Miserere

-Interval-

William Byrd — Ne irascaris
Nico Mulhy — Fallings
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — Stabat mater
Kerensa Briggs — Stabat mater
Margaret Rizza — Ave generosa

Origins explores the Renaissance’s greatest hits like Allegri’s Miserere, Byrd’s Mass for Five, and more, alongside their re-imagined works by today’s most exciting living composers.

Program:
Hildegard von Bingen — Ave generosa
William Byrd — Ave verum corpus
Roderick Williams — Ave verum corpus Re-imagined
William Byrd — Kyrie from Mass for Five Voices
Roxanna Panufnik — Kyrie After Byrd
Gregorio Allegri — Miserere mei, Deus
James MacMillan — Miserere

-Interval-

William Byrd — Ne irascaris
Nico Mulhy — Fallings
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — Stabat mater
Kerensa Briggs — Stabat mater
Margaret Rizza — Ave generosa

Origins explores the Renaissance’s greatest hits like Allegri’s Miserere, Byrd’s Mass for Five, and more, alongside their re-imagined works by today’s most exciting living composers.

Program:
Hildegard von Bingen — Ave generosa
William Byrd — Ave verum corpus
Roderick Williams — Ave verum corpus Re-imagined
William Byrd — Kyrie from Mass for Five Voices
Roxanna Panufnik — Kyrie After Byrd
Gregorio Allegri — Miserere mei, Deus
James MacMillan — Miserere

-Interval-

William Byrd — Ne irascaris
Nico Mulhy — Fallings
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — Stabat mater
Kerensa Briggs — Stabat mater
Margaret Rizza — Ave generosa

Haydn “Lord Nelson” Mass in D minor, Hob.XXII:11
Beethoven Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21

Edmund Milly will step out from the chorus for the bass solos in the Lord Nelson Mass

Franz Josef Haydn wrote his famous choral work in 1798 with the title Missa in Angustiis, or “Mass for Troubled Times,” as Napoleon’s forces were threatening much of Europe, including the composer’s native Austria. In honor of British Admiral Horatio Nelson’s defeat of Napoleon that year in the Battle of the Nile, the mass eventually took on its more familiar nickname “Lord Nelson”.

The performance will feature the young Bolivian soprano Shelén Hughes Camacho, a winner of the 2025 George and Nora London Foundation Competition, in her ACO debut. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21, concludes the first of three Celebrate Beethoven! concerts during 2026-27, continuing ACO’s performance cycle of all nine symphonies begun last season in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s death in 1827.

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 marks the beginning of a new musical path for the genre, with sudden harmonic shifts and the use of sforzandi accents. We have entitled the program Turning the Key because the symphony begins with a 7th chord that resolves and then again and again, like the turning of a key! Hear New York’s only period instrument performance of this fabulous work during the 2026-27 season!

Our season opens with four cantatas that display Bach’s artful inventiveness with the chorale melody, evinced in the carefully wrought musical architecture he builds within and around each. Together they lead us on a musical odyssey—from anticipation to plea, vigilance to fulfilled joy. Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61, begins with a regal Advent invocation, shaped by an introductory French‑overture movement. At the program’s center stands the rarely heard Nimm von uns, Herr, BWV 101, a strict chorale‑cantata whose unusually sharp dissonances make Bach’s “Vater unser” plea strikingly intense. Wachet auf, BWV 140, offers both animated and serene readiness in its similar chorale-based approach. Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147, concludes the program with joyful assurance, framing each part with the same chorale melody now cherished as “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.”

Edmund Milly makes his Colorado Bach Ensemble debut in BWV 4, Christ lag in Todesbanden

Widely regarded as Bach’s earliest known chorale cantata, BWV 4 was composed for Easter Sunday 1707 shortly after his 22nd birthday. Even at this formative age, it incorporates stylistic elements that would endure for Bach’s entire compositional career. 

After a sinfonia, the work is laid out as a palindrome‚ a theme present in his final choral work, the B Minor Mass. The text is an exploration of the relationship between life and death, and Christ’s sacrifice and the Paschal feast. Each movement ends with an exuberant “Hallelujah!”, emphasizing the timeless continuity and unity of Old and New Testament symbolism in the narrative.

Brahms | Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45
Bonds | Credo

Brian Ganz & Eric Conway, piano

Edmund Milly, baritone

Of his Requiem, Brahms wrote: “as regards the text, I must confess that I would gladly leave off the ‘German’ and replace it simply with ‘human.’” Composed after the death of his mother, Brahms’ Requiem would become a universal gift not for the dead but for the living: a sweeping meditation on grief and hope. From the intimate bond between parent and child to the communal solace of collective mourning, it carries the echoes of those across generations who have found comfort in its embrace. The Thirteen performs this genre-defying masterpiece in Brahms’ own version for piano four hands with pianists Brian Ganz and Eric Conway. 

Bonds’ Credo, set to a text by W.E.B Du Bois and also accompanied by piano, stands as a monument to conviction and hope. Penned in 1904 yet still urgent today, Credo is a clarion call for justice, dignity, and possibility. Together, Brahms and Bonds explore music’s power to console, inspire, and bear witness across time.

Brahms | Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45
Bonds | Credo

Brian Ganz & Eric Conway, piano

Edmund Milly, baritone

Of his Requiem, Brahms wrote: “as regards the text, I must confess that I would gladly leave off the ‘German’ and replace it simply with ‘human.’” Composed after the death of his mother, Brahms’ Requiem would become a universal gift not for the dead but for the living: a sweeping meditation on grief and hope. From the intimate bond between parent and child to the communal solace of collective mourning, it carries the echoes of those across generations who have found comfort in its embrace. The Thirteen performs this genre-defying masterpiece in Brahms’ own version for piano four hands with pianists Brian Ganz and Eric Conway. 

Bonds’ Credo, set to a text by W.E.B Du Bois and also accompanied by piano, stands as a monument to conviction and hope. Penned in 1904 yet still urgent today, Credo is a clarion call for justice, dignity, and possibility. Together, Brahms and Bonds explore music’s power to console, inspire, and bear witness across time.

Brahms | Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45
Bonds | Credo

Brian Ganz & Eric Conway, piano

Edmund Milly, baritone

Of his Requiem, Brahms wrote: “as regards the text, I must confess that I would gladly leave off the ‘German’ and replace it simply with ‘human.’” Composed after the death of his mother, Brahms’ Requiem would become a universal gift not for the dead but for the living: a sweeping meditation on grief and hope. From the intimate bond between parent and child to the communal solace of collective mourning, it carries the echoes of those across generations who have found comfort in its embrace. The Thirteen performs this genre-defying masterpiece in Brahms’ own version for piano four hands with pianists Brian Ganz and Eric Conway. 

Bonds’ Credo, set to a text by W.E.B Du Bois and also accompanied by piano, stands as a monument to conviction and hope. Penned in 1904 yet still urgent today, Credo is a clarion call for justice, dignity, and possibility. Together, Brahms and Bonds explore music’s power to console, inspire, and bear witness across time.

Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes, BWV 76
Mein liebster Jesus ist verloren, BWV 154

The Polyphonists
Amy Broadbent, soprano
Sylvia Leith, alto
Matthew Hill, tenor
Edmund Milly, bass

Wer sich selbst erhöhet, der soll erniedriget werden, BWV 47

Amy Nicole Broadbent, soprano

Edmund Milly, bass

Kevin Biggins Jr., organ

Free admission

Wer sich selbst erhöhet, der soll erniedriget werden, BWV 47

Amy Nicole Broadbent, soprano

Edmund Milly, bass

Kevin Biggins Jr., organ

Free admission

What vocal traditions did Bach absorb from his ancestors, predecessors, and models? This year’s Vocal Polyphony program—devised by Bach scholar Dr. Daniel R. Melamed—offers a rewarding perspective into the music that shaped Bach’s creative environment. Featuring motets and liturgical works for four to eight voices from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, this program surveys the vocal traditions Bach inherited from the musical past. These works reveal a lineage of expressive craftsmanship and devotional fervor that would resonate variously throughout Bach’s own writing.

A group of eight singers from the Washington Bach Consort, joined by organ and violone, bring this broad-ranging repertoire to life. Music by Palestrina, Gallus, Andrea Gabrieli, Bernhard, Schütz, Walter, Knüpfer, Johann Christoph Bach, and Johann Ludwig Bach showcases the breadth and refinement of the polyphonic heritage Bach himself received.

What vocal traditions did Bach absorb from his ancestors, predecessors, and models? This year’s Vocal Polyphony program—devised by Bach scholar Dr. Daniel R. Melamed—offers a rewarding perspective into the music that shaped Bach’s creative environment. Featuring motets and liturgical works for four to eight voices from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, this program surveys the vocal traditions Bach inherited from the musical past. These works reveal a lineage of expressive craftsmanship and devotional fervor that would resonate variously throughout Bach’s own writing.

A group of eight singers from the Washington Bach Consort, joined by organ and violone, bring this broad-ranging repertoire to life. Music by Palestrina, Gallus, Andrea Gabrieli, Bernhard, Schütz, Walter, Knüpfer, Johann Christoph Bach, and Johann Ludwig Bach showcases the breadth and refinement of the polyphonic heritage Bach himself received.

Tallis, Barber & Britten

Composition is a process in which fragments of the past are infused with fresh genius, creating something wholly new. Barber’s Reincarnations transfigures James Stephen’s Irish lyric poems evoking intense love, tragic grief, and the pastoral into songs of expressive intensity. With distance from Barber’s life, the composer is increasingly recognized as one of the finest American composers of that time. Despite the depression, alcoholism, and financial ruin that characterized the end of his life, his music sings on.

Thomas Tallis likely wrote his extended votive antiphon Ave rosa sine spinis early in his career, during the reign of Henry VIII. His output spanned the religious and political upheavals inherent in serving not only that single Reformation-era monarch, but Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I as well—as seen in the astonishing variety in his church music, which ranges from ebullient and ornate Latin motets to music of austere beauty in the English language. Ave rosa sine spinis reflects a shining moment in which the political climate permitted richly ornate music of devotion, resulting in an overflowing of musical scale and possibility.

Join The Thirteen for an exploration of some of our most beloved English-language composers in a display of virtuosity and artistry.

Tallis, Barber & Britten

Composition is a process in which fragments of the past are infused with fresh genius, creating something wholly new. Barber’s Reincarnations transfigures James Stephen’s Irish lyric poems evoking intense love, tragic grief, and the pastoral into songs of expressive intensity. With distance from Barber’s life, the composer is increasingly recognized as one of the finest American composers of that time. Despite the depression, alcoholism, and financial ruin that characterized the end of his life, his music sings on.

Thomas Tallis likely wrote his extended votive antiphon Ave rosa sine spinis early in his career, during the reign of Henry VIII. His output spanned the religious and political upheavals inherent in serving not only that single Reformation-era monarch, but Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I as well—as seen in the astonishing variety in his church music, which ranges from ebullient and ornate Latin motets to music of austere beauty in the English language. Ave rosa sine spinis reflects a shining moment in which the political climate permitted richly ornate music of devotion, resulting in an overflowing of musical scale and possibility.

Join The Thirteen for an exploration of some of our most beloved English-language composers in a display of virtuosity and artistry.

Tallis, Barber & Britten

Composition is a process in which fragments of the past are infused with fresh genius, creating something wholly new. Barber’s Reincarnations transfigures James Stephen’s Irish lyric poems evoking intense love, tragic grief, and the pastoral into songs of expressive intensity. With distance from Barber’s life, the composer is increasingly recognized as one of the finest American composers of that time. Despite the depression, alcoholism, and financial ruin that characterized the end of his life, his music sings on.

Thomas Tallis likely wrote his extended votive antiphon Ave rosa sine spinis early in his career, during the reign of Henry VIII. His output spanned the religious and political upheavals inherent in serving not only that single Reformation-era monarch, but Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I as well—as seen in the astonishing variety in his church music, which ranges from ebullient and ornate Latin motets to music of austere beauty in the English language. Ave rosa sine spinis reflects a shining moment in which the political climate permitted richly ornate music of devotion, resulting in an overflowing of musical scale and possibility.

Join The Thirteen for an exploration of some of our most beloved English-language composers in a display of virtuosity and artistry.

The Polyphonists reprise Fluid Dynamics, a program which explores the relationship between humankind and water through an eclectic selection of music and readings, featuring Darius Milhaud’s seldom performed “Cantique du Rhône,” in addition to several new works and Mateo Flecha the Elder’s dramatic “La Bomba.”

Oklahoma Baroque Orchestra

St. John’s Baroque Choir

Zach Malavolti, conductor

Edmund Milly, bass-baritone

Oklahoma Baroque Orchestra

St. John’s Baroque Choir

Zach Malavolti, conductor

Edmund Milly, bass-baritone

Edmund returns as the bass soloist in the Baltimore Basilica’s annual Messiah

Join us at the breathtaking Baltimore Basilica, America’s First Cathedral, for a favorite Baltimore tradition - two glorious performances of Handel’s Messiah on Friday, December 11th and Saturday, December 12th, 2026 with Maestro Edward Polochick and the Baltimore Basilica Festival Orchestra and Choir!

From the heart-stirring opening strains to the exultant “Hallelujah” chorus, experience the complete masterpiece performed in one of the nation’s most inspiring and historic sacred spaces. With soaring choruses, brilliant orchestral writing, and world-class soloists, Messiah remains a timeless proclamation of hope, joy, and redemption.

Edmund returns as the bass soloist in the Baltimore Basilica’s annual Messiah

Join us at the breathtaking Baltimore Basilica, America’s First Cathedral, for a favorite Baltimore tradition - two glorious performances of Handel’s Messiah on Friday, December 11th and Saturday, December 12th, 2026 with Maestro Edward Polochick and the Baltimore Basilica Festival Orchestra and Choir!

From the heart-stirring opening strains to the exultant “Hallelujah” chorus, experience the complete masterpiece performed in one of the nation’s most inspiring and historic sacred spaces. With soaring choruses, brilliant orchestral writing, and world-class soloists, Messiah remains a timeless proclamation of hope, joy, and redemption.

Rejoice! Handel’s magnificent Messiah returns this holiday season with the Baltimore Choral Arts Society and four outstanding soloists conducted by Anthony Blake Clark. Come together and celebrate the magic of this time-honored tradition, from the powerful “Hallelujah” chorus to moments of quiet reflection and uplifting arias. Join NatPhil for the profound shared experience of one of the most beloved works ever written.

Sarah Hayashi, soprano

Lucia Bradford, mezzo-soprano

Allan Palacios Chan, tenor

Edmund Milly, bass-baritone

Rejoice! Handel’s magnificent Messiah returns this holiday season with the Baltimore Choral Arts Society and four outstanding soloists conducted by Anthony Blake Clark. Come together and celebrate the magic of this time-honored tradition, from the powerful “Hallelujah” chorus to moments of quiet reflection and uplifting arias. Join NatPhil for the profound shared experience of one of the most beloved works ever written.

Sarah Hayashi, soprano

Lucia Bradford, mezzo-soprano

Allan Palacios Chan, tenor

Edmund Milly, bass-baritone

Step back in time this holiday season with a candlelit performance of one of the greatest masterpieces of all time—Handel’s Messiah. Crafted in a mere 24 days, Messiah has captivated audiences for centuries since its debut. From the jubilant "For Unto Us a Child is Born" to the awe-inspiring "Hallelujah Chorus," this masterpiece stands as a crowning achievement of Baroque music. This special period performance features our world-class musicians playing historical instruments, just as Handel intended. The warm glow of candlelight will transform the Folly Theater into an 18th-century concert hall, creating an intimate and immersive experience that evokes the wonder and reverence of Messiah's earliest performances. A beloved tradition reimagined—don’t miss this one unforgettable evening.

HANDEL Organ Concerto in F Major

VIVALDI Four Seasons, “Winter ”

SPRENKLE “Go Down Death”

BACH Concerto for Oboe and Violin in C Minor

Featured Soloists:

Edmund Milly, bass-baritone

Amy Cassiere, oboe

Dr. Lynn Trapp, organ

Michael Vaughn, violin

This concert is dedicated to Dr. Elam Ray Sprenkle., beloved Peabody professor, composer, and Bach in Baltimore Board member.

Seraphic Fire celebrates the rich tradition of music written for men’s voices. This spirited and powerful program traces more than 1,000 years of repertoire, from Renaissance madrigals and Romantic part-songs to folk traditions. Along the way, audiences will hear the vibrant colors of Poulenc’s Laudes de Saint Antoine de Padoue. Folk songs such as Loch Lomond and Danny Boy bring warmth, humor, and camaraderie, creating an unforgettable evening that celebrates the depth, power, and brotherhood of men’s choral singing.

Seraphic Fire celebrates the rich tradition of music written for men’s voices. This spirited and powerful program traces more than 1,000 years of repertoire, from Renaissance madrigals and Romantic part-songs to folk traditions. Along the way, audiences will hear the vibrant colors of Poulenc’s Laudes de Saint Antoine de Padoue. Folk songs such as Loch Lomond and Danny Boy bring warmth, humor, and camaraderie, creating an unforgettable evening that celebrates the depth, power, and brotherhood of men’s choral singing.

Seraphic Fire celebrates the rich tradition of music written for men’s voices. This spirited and powerful program traces more than 1,000 years of repertoire, from Renaissance madrigals and Romantic part-songs to folk traditions. Along the way, audiences will hear the vibrant colors of Poulenc’s Laudes de Saint Antoine de Padoue. Folk songs such as Loch Lomond and Danny Boy bring warmth, humor, and camaraderie, creating an unforgettable evening that celebrates the depth, power, and brotherhood of men’s choral singing.

Seraphic Fire celebrates the rich tradition of music written for men’s voices. This spirited and powerful program traces more than 1,000 years of repertoire, from Renaissance madrigals and Romantic part-songs to folk traditions. Along the way, audiences will hear the vibrant colors of Poulenc’s Laudes de Saint Antoine de Padoue. Folk songs such as Loch Lomond and Danny Boy bring warmth, humor, and camaraderie, creating an unforgettable evening that celebrates the depth, power, and brotherhood of men’s choral singing.

Joby Talbot | Path of Miracles
Immersive projections by Camilla Tassi

In Path of Miracles, British composer Joby Talbot takes the listener on a musical journey along the mystical Camino de Santiago de Compostela—literally, St. James of the Field of Stars. The work vibrates with the footfalls of the pilgrims who have walked this path for millennia, its four movements marking the major stages of the Camino.

In Path of Miracles, Talbot weaves together medieval texts in multiple languages with musical styles as far-ranging as those of Taiwanese Bunun people, creating a sonic tapestry in which past and present sound together, an extended ‘thin space’ where the human and the divine meet. Paired with projected images of the cosmos, The Thirteen’s performances of Path of Miracles promise to be replete with beauty and wonder.

Joby Talbot | Path of Miracles
Immersive projections by Camilla Tassi

In Path of Miracles, British composer Joby Talbot takes the listener on a musical journey along the mystical Camino de Santiago de Compostela—literally, St. James of the Field of Stars. The work vibrates with the footfalls of the pilgrims who have walked this path for millennia, its four movements marking the major stages of the Camino.

In Path of Miracles, Talbot weaves together medieval texts in multiple languages with musical styles as far-ranging as those of Taiwanese Bunun people, creating a sonic tapestry in which past and present sound together, an extended ‘thin space’ where the human and the divine meet. Paired with projected images of the cosmos, The Thirteen’s performances of Path of Miracles promise to be replete with beauty and wonder.

Joby Talbot | Path of Miracles
Immersive projections by Camilla Tassi

In Path of Miracles, British composer Joby Talbot takes the listener on a musical journey along the mystical Camino de Santiago de Compostela—literally, St. James of the Field of Stars. The work vibrates with the footfalls of the pilgrims who have walked this path for millennia, its four movements marking the major stages of the Camino.

In Path of Miracles, Talbot weaves together medieval texts in multiple languages with musical styles as far-ranging as those of Taiwanese Bunun people, creating a sonic tapestry in which past and present sound together, an extended ‘thin space’ where the human and the divine meet. Paired with projected images of the cosmos, The Thirteen’s performances of Path of Miracles promise to be replete with beauty and wonder.

Experience the operatic drama and shadowy mystery of Bach’s biblical masterpiece — a searing saga of betrayal, forgiveness and resurrection.

Fabio Luisi Conducts  
John Matthew Myers Evangelist
Hanno Müller-Brachmann Jesus/Christus
Deanna Breiwick Soprano
Jennifer Johnson Cano Mezzo-Soprano
Brian Giebler Tenor
Edmund Milly Bass
Dallas Symphony Chorus – Anthony Blake Clark Chorus Director 

BACH St. John Passion (DSO Premiere)

Since the first performance of St. John Passion on Good Friday in 1724, Bach’s monumental work has moved audiences of all faiths with its searing account of Christ’s final days. Through music of raw, elemental power and cinematic clarity, we encounter the full range of human emotion as we bear witness to an unfolding saga of betrayal, forgiveness and resurrection. 

Music Director Fabio Luisi leads the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in an intimate performance that amplifies the operatic drama and shadowy mystery of Bach’s biblical masterpiece. Moving between heartbreaking arias, mesmerizing orchestral interludes and life-affirming chorales, St. John Passion stands as an enduring example of music’s ability to transform sorrow and despair into all-encompassing love. 

Experience the operatic drama and shadowy mystery of Bach’s biblical masterpiece — a searing saga of betrayal, forgiveness and resurrection.

Fabio Luisi Conducts  
John Matthew Myers Evangelist
Hanno Müller-Brachmann Jesus/Christus
Deanna Breiwick Soprano
Jennifer Johnson Cano Mezzo-Soprano
Brian Giebler Tenor
Edmund Milly Bass
Dallas Symphony Chorus – Anthony Blake Clark Chorus Director 

BACH St. John Passion (DSO Premiere)

Since the first performance of St. John Passion on Good Friday in 1724, Bach’s monumental work has moved audiences of all faiths with its searing account of Christ’s final days. Through music of raw, elemental power and cinematic clarity, we encounter the full range of human emotion as we bear witness to an unfolding saga of betrayal, forgiveness and resurrection. 

Music Director Fabio Luisi leads the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in an intimate performance that amplifies the operatic drama and shadowy mystery of Bach’s biblical masterpiece. Moving between heartbreaking arias, mesmerizing orchestral interludes and life-affirming chorales, St. John Passion stands as an enduring example of music’s ability to transform sorrow and despair into all-encompassing love. 

This program honors the late-20th century style of musical minimalism. Transforming the landscape of contemporary music, minimalism uses hypnotic soundscapes, shifting patterns, and luminous textures that, set alongside music, can evoke the vast landscapes and quiet transcendence of Northern Europe. Seraphic Fire performs works by Ola Gjeilo, Arvo Pärt, and Henryk Górecki, culminating in selections from Philip Glass’s groundbreaking opera Einstein on the Beach—celebrating the enduring legacy of America’s most recognizable minimalist voice.

This program honors the late-20th century style of musical minimalism. Transforming the landscape of contemporary music, minimalism uses hypnotic soundscapes, shifting patterns, and luminous textures that, set alongside music, can evoke the vast landscapes and quiet transcendence of Northern Europe. Seraphic Fire performs works by Ola Gjeilo, Arvo Pärt, and Henryk Górecki, culminating in selections from Philip Glass’s groundbreaking opera Einstein on the Beach—celebrating the enduring legacy of America’s most recognizable minimalist voice.

This program honors the late-20th century style of musical minimalism. Transforming the landscape of contemporary music, minimalism uses hypnotic soundscapes, shifting patterns, and luminous textures that, set alongside music, can evoke the vast landscapes and quiet transcendence of Northern Europe. Seraphic Fire performs works by Ola Gjeilo, Arvo Pärt, and Henryk Górecki, culminating in selections from Philip Glass’s groundbreaking opera Einstein on the Beach—celebrating the enduring legacy of America’s most recognizable minimalist voice.

This program honors the late-20th century style of musical minimalism. Transforming the landscape of contemporary music, minimalism uses hypnotic soundscapes, shifting patterns, and luminous textures that, set alongside music, can evoke the vast landscapes and quiet transcendence of Northern Europe. Seraphic Fire performs works by Ola Gjeilo, Arvo Pärt, and Henryk Górecki, culminating in selections from Philip Glass’s groundbreaking opera Einstein on the Beach—celebrating the enduring legacy of America’s most recognizable minimalist voice.

Experience the profound drama and spiritual power of Bach’s St. John Passion, one of the greatest masterpieces of the Baroque era. First performed in 1724, this monumental work brings the Passion story vividly to life through gripping narration, expressive arias, powerful choruses, and beloved chorales. From moments of intense conflict to passages of profound beauty and reflection, Bach creates an unforgettable musical journey through suffering, redemption, and hope. A cornerstone of the sacred repertoire, this masterpiece continues to inspire and move audiences three centuries later.

Featured Soloists

Kerry Holahan, soprano

Cameron Falby, tenor

Matthew Hill, tenor

T.J Callahan, bass-baritone

Michael Manganiello, bass-baritone

Edmund Milly, bass-baritone

Composed for Good Friday 1724 and revised through several Leipzig versions, Bach’s St. John Passion unfolds in two parts, bringing together Gospel narration, expressive arias, and chorales long familiar to Bach’s congregation. Tenor Gregório Taniguchi’s “emotionally piercing” Evangelist recounts the scenes of John 18–19 with gripping immediacy, while the chorus and orchestra animate the crowd scenes and offer reflective commentary as the story unfolds. Through this balance of urgency and reflection, this epic work speaks across centuries with a clarity that feels unexpectedly present today.

Gregório Taniguchi, Evangelist

Enrico Lagasca, Christus

Edmund Milly, Pilate

Amy Nicole Broadbent, soprano

Sylvia Leith, alto

Jacob Perry Jr., tenor

It represented “all the science he had attained in music”

Compiled when he was effectively blind, Bach’s swan song exhibits a life-time of cultivated study, continuous reworkings, and treasured values. The Mass is a Sunday chicken stew from the old prima practice style of the Renaissance to the heart-on-sleeve emoting which characterizes the Baroque, in every inventive instrumental combination, from four to eight part vocal writing – Bach’s stunningly complex legacy.

Concert Length: 2 hours

Pre-Concert lecture with Dr. Lindsey Strand-Polyak one hour prior to each performance

Andrew Major, conductor
Carrie Krause, concertmaster

Jessica Beebe, soprano
Clara Osowski, mezzo-soprano
James Reese, tenor
Edmund Milly, bass-baritone

Roots in the Sky, choir
Baroque Music Montana, orchestra

It represented “all the science he had attained in music”

Compiled when he was effectively blind, Bach’s swan song exhibits a life-time of cultivated study, continuous reworkings, and treasured values. The Mass is a Sunday chicken stew from the old prima practice style of the Renaissance to the heart-on-sleeve emoting which characterizes the Baroque, in every inventive instrumental combination, from four to eight part vocal writing – Bach’s stunningly complex legacy.

Concert Length: 2 hours

Pre-Concert lecture with Dr. Lindsey Strand-Polyak one hour prior to each performance

Andrew Major, conductor
Carrie Krause, concertmaster

Jessica Beebe, soprano
Clara Osowski, mezzo-soprano
James Reese, tenor
Edmund Milly, bass-baritone

Roots in the Sky, choir
Baroque Music Montana, orchestra

It represented “all the science he had attained in music”

Compiled when he was effectively blind, Bach’s swan song exhibits a life-time of cultivated study, continuous reworkings, and treasured values. The Mass is a Sunday chicken stew from the old prima practice style of the Renaissance to the heart-on-sleeve emoting which characterizes the Baroque, in every inventive instrumental combination, from four to eight part vocal writing – Bach’s stunningly complex legacy.

Concert Length: 2 hours

Pre-Concert lecture with Dr. Lindsey Strand-Polyak one hour prior to each performance

Andrew Major, conductor
Carrie Krause, concertmaster

Jessica Beebe, soprano
Clara Osowski, mezzo-soprano
James Reese, tenor
Edmund Milly, bass-baritone

Roots in the Sky, choir
Baroque Music Montana, orchestra

LSO’s centennial celebration wouldn’t be complete without a performance of Beethoven’s masterpiece, Symphony No. 9. Joining LSO are soloists Esther Heideman, Sylvia Leith, Bradley King, Edmund Milly, and the combined forces of the Abendmusik Chorus, Doane University Choir and Collegiate Chorale, Nebraska Wesleyan University Choir, and the Saint Paul UMC Chancel Choir. The program opens with Jake Runestad’s poignant choral piece, A Silence Haunts Me, with text based on Beethoven’s Heiligenstadt Testament.

Andrew Clark, conductor
Harvard Choruses and Orchestra of Emmanuel Music
Friday, April 30 | 8:00 p.m. | Sanders Theatre, Harvard University
Preconcert talk at 7:00 p.m.

Premiered 300 years ago in Leipzig, the combined Harvard Choruses present Bach’s monumental masterwork in an arrangement from 1841 by composer Felix Mendelssohn. Soloists will be drawn from the Harvard Choruses’ Professional Choir, Ensemble Veritas, in collaboration with the renowned Orchestra of Emmanuel Music.

To conclude the 2026–2027 season, Concerts at Saint Thomas celebrates the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams, one of the most beloved voices in English choral music. The program is anchored by the luminous Five Mystical Songs, Vaughan Williams’s setting of sacred poetry by George Herbert, featuring bass-baritone Edmund Milly and a quintet from Orchestra of St. Luke’s. Combining pastoral lyricism, spiritual depth, and radiant choral writing, this season finale offers a fitting tribute to a composer whose music continues to inspire performers and audiences alike.

The Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys

Orchestra of St. Luke’s

Edmund Milly, Baritone

Richard Tanner, Conductor