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!

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

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

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.

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

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.